Esmeralda Soria
2022 - Present
2024
1
Esmeralda Soria (Democratic Party) is a member of the California State Assembly, representing District 27. She assumed office on December 5, 2022. Her current term ends on December 2, 2024.
Soria (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the California State Assembly to represent District 27. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Soria graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and received a J.D. from the University of California, Davis. She worked as a policy aide in the California State Capitol, as a project director for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, as district director to California state Sen. Michael J. Rubio (D), and as a policy advisor to California state Assemblymember Henry T. Perea (D). As of her 2020 campaign, Soria was a professor at Fresno City College.[1][2]
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Soria was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture Committee
- Banking and Finance Committee
- Insurance Committee
- Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Chair
Elections
2024
See also: California State Assembly elections, 2024
General election
General election for California State Assembly District 27
Incumbent Esmeralda Soria defeated Joanna Garcia Rose in the general election for California State Assembly District 27 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Esmeralda Soria (D) | 53.2 | 62,472 |
 | Joanna Garcia Rose (R)  | 46.8 | 54,939 | |
| Total votes: 117,411 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 27
Joanna Garcia Rose and incumbent Esmeralda Soria advanced from the primary for California State Assembly District 27 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joanna Garcia Rose (R) | 50.9 | 29,457 |
| ✔ | | Esmeralda Soria (D) | 49.1 | 28,402 |
| Total votes: 57,859 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Soria in this election.
2022
See also: California State Assembly elections, 2022
General election
General election for California State Assembly District 27
Esmeralda Soria defeated Mark Pazin in the general election for California State Assembly District 27 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Esmeralda Soria (D) | 51.3 | 45,721 |
 | Mark Pazin (R) | 48.7 | 43,335 | |
| Total votes: 89,056 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 27
Esmeralda Soria and Mark Pazin defeated Amanda Fleming, Mike Karbassi, and Randall Pellissier in the primary for California State Assembly District 27 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Esmeralda Soria (D) | 40.1 | 20,395 |
| ✔ | | Mark Pazin (R) | 35.0 | 17,801 |
| Amanda Fleming (R) | 16.8 | 8,541 | |
 | Mike Karbassi (D) | 8.1 | 4,107 | |
| Randall Pellissier (L) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 4 | |
| Total votes: 50,848 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2020
See also: California's 16th Congressional District election, 2020
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 16
Incumbent Jim Costa defeated Kevin Cookingham in the general election for U.S. House California District 16 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jim Costa (D) | 59.4 | 128,690 |
 | Kevin Cookingham (R) | 40.6 | 88,039 | |
| Total votes: 216,729 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 16
Incumbent Jim Costa and Kevin Cookingham defeated Esmeralda Soria and Kim Williams in the primary for U.S. House California District 16 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Costa (D) | 37.5 | 41,228 |
| ✔ | | Kevin Cookingham (R) | 35.2 | 38,652 |
| Esmeralda Soria (D) | 21.4 | 23,484 | |
 | Kim Williams (D) | 5.9 | 6,458 | |
| Total votes: 109,822 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Fresno City Council District 1
Incumbent Esmeralda Soria won election outright in the primary for Fresno City Council District 1 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Esmeralda Soria (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 6,357 |
| Total votes: 6,357 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2014
The city of Fresno, California held a general election on November 4. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. In the primary election, Cary Catalano and Esmeralda Soria advanced past Lawrence Cano, Mark Castro, Rebeca Rangel, Rama Dawar and Jackson Shepherd. Soria defeated Catalano in the general election on November 4.[3][4][5]
Endorsements
In 2014, Soria's endorsements included the following:[6]
- Henry T. Perea, Assemblymember
- Rudy Salas, Assemblymember
- Cristina Garcia, Assemblymember
- Alex Padilla, Senator
- Juan Arambula, former Assemblymember
- Sarah Reyes, former Assemblymember
- Karl Longley, Central Valley Water Quality Board Chair
- Henry R. Perea, Fresno County Supervisor
- Annette LaRue, former Fresno County Judge
- Victor Salazar, former Fresno County Clerk
- Dan Ronquillo, former Fresno City Councilmember
- Ken Steitz, former Fresno City Councilmember
- Isabel Barreras, State Center Community College District Trustee
- John Leal, State Center Community College District Trustee
- Eric Payne, State Center Community College District Trustee
- Barbara Thomas, Fresno County Board of Education Trustee
- Luis Chavez, Fresno Unified School District Trustee
- Chris De La Cerda, Fresno Unified School District Trustee
- Cal Johnson, Fresno Unified School District Trustee
- Mary Curry, former Fresno Unified School District Trustee
- Leticia Perez, Kern County Supervisor
- Lali Moheno, former Tulare County Supervisor
- Willie Rivera, Bakersfield City Councilmember
- Sylvia Chavez, Huron Mayor
- Robert Silva, Mendota Mayor
- Ismael Herrera, former Mendota School Board Trustee
- Victor Lopez, Orange Cove Vice Mayor
- Ruby Dhaliwal, San Joaquin Mayor
- Julia Hernandez, San Joaquin Mayor Pro Tem
- Building & Construction Trades Council - Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings
- California Apartment Association - Greater Fresno Division
- Carpenters, Local 701
- Central California Latino PAC
- Central Labor Council - Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings
- Central Valley Hmong Democrats
- Central Valley Progressive PAC
- Drywall-Lathers, Local 9083
- Fresno Association of Realtors
- Fresno City College Democrats
- Fresno City Employees Association
- Fresno City Firefighters, Local 753
- Fresno County Democratic Party
- Fresno County Democratic Women's Club
- Fresno County Young Democrats
- Fresno Police Officers Association
- Fresno State University Democrats
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 100
- Ironworkers, Local 155
- LIUNA, Local 294
- National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) - Fresno Chapter
- Operating Engineers, Local 3
- Stationary Engineers, Local 39
- Peace Officers Research Association of California - Fresno Chapter
- Plumbers, Pipe & Refrigeration Fitters, Local 246
- Sikh Council of Central California
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Esmeralda Soria did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Esmeralda Soria did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Esmeralda Soria did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Soria’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Education I know first-hand the value of a good public education. As a first-generation student, I depended on my teachers’ guidance to navigate through classes, shape my goals and pursue my ambitions. Without the support of my public-school educators, I wouldn’t have graduated from UC Berkeley or obtained my law degree. I am a professor at Fresno City College because I want to provide students with the same guidance and support that I received. Most of the students that I teach come from similar backgrounds as myself, and I want to make sure that the next generation sees people in positions of power that they can relate to. When I speak with my students, I hear about how they are struggling to balance it all – school, work, personal lives and their finances. Too many students are crippled with high debt loads right as they start their careers. And, I understand that struggle because I am still burdened by my student loan debt ten years after graduating. I am passionate about expanding educational opportunities, and I have a long track record of advocating for good education for all. As a Fresno City Councilmember, I helped expand Fresno City College campuses into the City’s two most low-income neighborhoods. And, I also helped create a scholarship fund for DREAMers at Fresno City College. As a member of Congress, I will fight to make college more affordable and accessible for all students. I will support student loan forgiveness programs, as well as support tuition-free community college and vocational training programs. I will also work to strengthen our kindergarten through 12 public education system, supporting our teachers, providing them with the resources they need and advocating for universal pre-kindergarten education. Environment & Environmental Justice For generations, Central Valley residents have struggled with poor air quality and a lack of access to clean drinking water. Today, new threats from climate change have raised the stakes – threats that disproportionately impact low-income and communities of color. Addressing climate change is no longer just about protecting the environment, it’s also about protecting our health, addressing energy inequity and now potentially our economic equity. We can do good for the environment while also creating economic opportunity for working families in the Valley. California has long been a national leader on climate change and the environment. We have innovated policies to dramatically expand the use of renewable energy, protect our water, reduce carbon emissions, and clean our air. However, the Central Valley has been left behind in this progress, and it’s time to change that. I believe that we can become the Silicon Valley of renewable energy – creating new good-paying jobs and growing our economy, all while protecting our environment. In Congress, I will push to create a new Green Energy Innovation Zone, which will incentivize businesses in the renewable energy and sustainability industries to put roots in the Valley. To do that, I will work to increase funding for research, provide job-creation incentives, and increase cooperation between the private sector and our colleges and universities to help foster the growth of this new industry right here at home. Not only can we create jobs, we can address one of the biggest challenges we face. The Central Valley has some of the nation’s worst air quality. Residents are forced to breathe polluted air that does not meet many federal health standards, putting our health at risk. I will work to clean up our Valley’s air by supporting new technology that controls air pollution, greater enforcement to ensure that industries are complying with emission standards and investing is renewable energy sources. The Central Valley also has the highest rates of drinking water contamination in the state. In particular, small, rural, disadvantaged communities of color are disproportionately affected by groundwater contamination. It is unacceptable that residents in the world’s wealthiest nation are suffering from diseases caused by water contaminated with nitrates, arsenic, pesticides, and uranium. I will advocate for the creation and modernization of clean water infrastructure so that every resident in the Central Valley has access to clean drinking water. We have a lot of work to do in achieving environmental justice in the Central Valley. I will supportive policies that not only advocate for cleaner technology and new infrastructure to improve the lives of residents in the Central Valley, but that also bring new, good jobs to the region. Healthcare for ALL I believe that it is a human right to have access to quality and affordable health care. I will fight to protect the Affordable Care Act in Washington, and I will fight to ensure that no American is turned away from medical help due to high medical costs. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and my father was put in the hard situation where he chose to quit his job and forfeit his income to be with my mom to help her take her medication and go about her daily activities. Even though finances are tight, my parents have some income and their children to fall back on. I know all too well that many Americans who face medical hardships do not have the good fortune of having financial security when faced with a medical emergency. I will also advocate for more access to mental health and substance abuse medical coverage for all Americans. The lack of investment in our health and access to treatment is now visible on our streets with our growing homelessness crisis. I understand that access to doctors and medical procedures is just one part of the puzzle as we seek to live healthy lifestyles. Everyone needs access to fresh air and recreational space for our well-being. I am proud to say as a councilmember in Fresno, I helped bring the first universally accessible park to the Central California region. The 8-acre state of the art facility provides much needed green space for residents west of Highway 99. This resource represents an opportunity for improved health, education and sports programming, and renewed vitality to an area of Fresno with very little green space. Housing and Homelessness California and the Central Valley are experiencing a major housing shortage and to meet demand, we need four million new housing units in California – and over one million of those units need to be affordable. California and the Central Valley are also experiencing a homelessness crisis, with homelessness increasing by 17% in Fresno and Madera counties. I believe that housing is a human right, which is why I have worked hard address the housing crisis and homelessness locally and regionally. I worked with the community and developers to bring in hundreds of new units of housing to Fresno, including the creation of market-rate, affordable and bridge housing developments. In 2019, I was honored to be appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as one of six elected officials on the state’s newly created Homeless and Supportive Housing Advisory Task Force where I can work to decide how best to spend California’s new $1 billion budget to solve homelessness in California. We know that to solve our housing crisis, we need more housing. We need more housing for everyone: working-class professionals, seniors, and for people transitioning out of homelessness. To create this housing, we need to work to cut red tape and demand more federal housing funds. Over the past few decades, we have seen a steady disinvestment from the federal government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This disinvestment has contributed to our housing and homelessness crisis. In Congress, I will advocate to ensure that the federal government allocates to California and the Central Valley funding to invest in our housing stock. I will also fight for funding to deal with our some of the root causes of the homelessness crisis including medical, mental health, substance abuse, and job training services. We know what the solutions are to address our housing and homelessness crisis. Now, we need to roll up our sleeves and get the work done. I look forward to taking my experience and expertise to Congress to advocate for the funding and support we need to truly resolve the housing and homelessness in California. Stopping Gun Violence To solve gun violence, we need substantial legislative reform. Whether caused by gang violence, mental illness or hardened prejudices, gun violence is unacceptable and we must rise together as a nation to solve this epidemic. We need to fight the NRA and corporate gun lobby. I propose we ban the sale of assault weapons, limit magazine capacity, close the “Charleston Loophole,” conduct buy-back programs and enforce strict universal background checks. Real Immigration Reform I am the daughter of Mexican immigrants who came to this country in pursuit of the American Dream. Each morning, my parents woke up before the sun to do the backbreaking work of farmworkers knowing that their hard work would pave the way to a bright future for myself and my siblings. My family’s story is not unique. The United States has always been a beacon of hope and opportunity to individuals in search of a brighter tomorrow. But, despite being a nation of immigrants, our immigration system is broken and outdated. I support comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship for those who are already here, as well as streamlining our court system. The Trump administration has not only failed to solve our immigration crisis, they have violated human rights by locking asylum seekers in cages. This needs to stop. Not only do we need to reform our immigration policies, we also need to address the causes of why so many people are fleeing their countries. Congress should increase aid packages to strengthen democracy, grow the economies and defend human rights throughout the world, especially in Central America. Getting Corporate Money Out of Washington Political insiders who have been in office for decades are surrounded by lobbyists and lose sight of the needs of everyday people. While students are graduating college with record-high debts, families are faced with high medical bills and exploding housing costs – all while the richest corporations pay $0 in federal taxes. It is time for a change in business as usual in Washington.[7] |
” |
| —Esmeralda Soria’s campaign website (2020)[8] | ||
2014
On her campaign website, Soria highlighted the following issues:[9]
Jobs
- Excerpt: "As a Councilmember, Esmeralda will promote economic opportunities and ensure that growth, traffic and infrastructure are handled responsibly. She will fight hard to bring quality jobs and resources to District 1."
Safety and neighborhoods
- Excerpt: "Esmeralda will work with the Police Department to expand community-based policing and crime prevention. She supports additional after school programs to help provide positive alternatives for our children."
City services
- Excerpt: "Community feedback is important to improving the quality of city services. Esmeralda will work with neighborhood leaders to make Fresno a city that works for everyone. She will create quiet zones along railroad corridors and make parks a top priority."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
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On December 7, 2020, Soria announced that she had tested positive for coronavirus.[10]
Scorecards
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the California State Legislature was in session from January 1 to September 14.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate California State Assembly District 27 |
Officeholder California State Assembly District 27 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Esmerelda Soria, "About," accessed September 18, 2014
- ↑ Esmeralda Soria 2020 campaign website, "Meet Esme," accessed February 16, 2020
- ↑ Fresno County Clerk "Contest/Candidate Proof List," accessed April 2, 2014
- ↑ Fresno Bee, "Fresno City Council District 1 race heads to Nov. fight," June 4, 2014
- ↑ County of Fresno, "Unofficial 2014 Election Results," accessed November 5, 2014
- ↑ Esmerelda Soria, "Endorsements," accessed September 17, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Esmeralda Soria 2020 campaign website, “Issues,” accessed February 12, 2020
- ↑ Esmeralda Soria, "Priorities," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ The Fresno Bee', "Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria tests positive for COVID-19," December 7, 2020
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ash Kalra (D) |
California State Assembly District 27 2022-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Fresno City Council District 1 2015-2022 |
Succeeded by Annalisa Perea |
