Assembly 27 incumbent Soria has $1 million war chest; challenger less than $20,000

Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, has amassed a $1 million campaign war chest in her bid to win re-election to the 27th Assembly District against a first-time Republican challenger with less than $20,000 in funds.

Soria, 41, has a huge advantage that goes beyond money: The district is majority Democratic (52.6% of registered voters) over Republicans.

Latinos make up 66.8% of the district that stretches from Delhi to Avenal and includes eastern chunks of Fresno, Madera and Merced counties.

Cities within the district include parts of the cities of Fresno, Madera and Merced, along with Delhi, Livingston, Atwater, Chowchilla, Los Baños, Kerman, Firebaugh, Dos Palos, San Joaquín, Mendota and Coalinga.

That is good news for Soria, who made the jump from Fresno City Council to state Assembly after defeating former Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin by 2.6 points two years ago.

Republican Joanna García Rose, an auditor from Atwater, announced her candidacy in October.

When Soria announced her re-election bid last July, she had raised more than $650,000 for that effort.

“I am humbled by the trust and support of the people of District 27,” said Soria, an adjunct professor at Fresno City College.

Soria has served as chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, and has been a member of the Appropriations, Insurance, and Banking/Finance committees.

Among the highlights she points to are securing $300 million to help reopen Madera Community Hospital, $120 million for flood recovery, and more than $140 million for building police stations, housing, community centers and emergency operations centers in the district.

“This is only the beginning. There is so much more to do and we are just getting started,” said Soria in a campaign statement. “I have and will continue to fight for the Central Valley everyday.”

Soria, a native of Visalia, grew up in Lindsay as the daughter of farmworkers. She graduated from UC Berkeley and earned a law degree from UC Davis. Soria was first elected to the Fresno City Council in 2014.

Her campaign website: soriaforcalifornia.com

García Rose was born in Concord and graduated from Fresno State with a degree in Agricultural Business. She also graduated from the San Joaquin College of Law.

In her response to Ballotpedia.com, García Rose explained that she worked hard in her early 20s growing corn, oat hay and alfalfa while also running a water drilling business.

“I encountered a maze of unfair laws, regulations, fees, and taxes that make life impossible for the average farmer and their family,” she said. “I watched the ‘water wars’ that stripped the value of my friend’s land. Despite my best efforts, I lost the farm – a heartbreaking experience shared by too many hard-working farmers in the Valley.”

Her work experience includes farmer, contractor, tax auditor, real estate broker, and accountant.

If elected, García Rose wants to “audit the waste, fraud, and corruption” at the state Capitol, and create more opportunities for the middle class.

Her campaign website: joannaforthevalley.com

Both candidates will advance to the November general election.