Soria seeks second term for 27th Assembly, but a Republican challenger stands in her way

Esmeralda Soria made the jump from the Fresno City Council to the California State Assembly in 2022, winning a tightly contested election over former Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin.

Soria, a Democrat, is seeking re-election this year, but faces a challenge from Joanna Garcia Rose, an auditor from Avenal who is running as a Republican. The Nov. 5 general election is a repeat of the March primary, in which Garcia Rose edged out Soria with about 51% of the vote to Soria's 49%.

The 27th Assembly District includes parts 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, 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.

After winning her first Assembly race in 2022, Soria was appointed in 2023 to chair the Assembly's Agriculture Committee, among other committee assignments.

García Rose, 39, 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.

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.