Incumbent raised $1.8 million but finished 2nd in Assembly 27; her opponent $49,000. Both advance

Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria – who amassed a $1.8 million campaign war chest in her re-election bid in the 27th Assembly District – can’t declare victory after finishing behind Republican challenger Joanna García Rose after final votes were tallied at 3:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Both will advance to the November general election. García Rose, an auditor from Atwater, had 50.6% of the vote.

Soria, a Democrat who defeated retired Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin by 2.6 percentage points in 2022, had an advantage in a district where Latinos make up 66.8% of the residents. Democrats account for 52.57% of registered voters.

García Rose, however, picked up the edge in Fresno and Madera counties. Soria had an 11-vote margin in Merced County.

The district stretches from Delhi to Avenal, and takes in 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.

Soria, 41, chairs the Assembly Agriculture Committee. She is also a member of the Banking and Finance, Business and Professions, Government Organization, and Jobs/Economic Development/Economy committees.

Her campaign has endorsements from more than 200 labor, business, public safety and local elected officials.

When Soria, an adjunct professor at Fresno City College, was endorsed by the California Teachers Association in September, she stressed the value of education.

“My story is proof of the power of education,” she said. “As the daughter of immigrant farmworkers, it was not clear my path would include higher education.

“But through opportunities provided me by California’s terrific public schools and universities, I am proud to have earned my law degree from UC Davis.”

Soria was wrapping up her second term on the Fresno City Council when she ran for the state Assembly in 2022. She raised $3.7 million for that race.

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.

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.