Challenger bests first-term incumbent in primary
Atwater auditor Joanna Garcia Rose surprised incumbent District 27 Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria by getting more primary votes in the March primary election. The Republican finished just two percentage points, or 1,055 votes, ahead of the Democrat serving in her first term, in a district that includes Los Banos and encompasses Merced, Madera and Fresno Counties.
According to Ballotpedia, Garcia Rose was born in Concord, CA and earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business from Cal State Fresno in 2008 and a law degree from San Joaquin College of Law in 2013. During her career she has worked as a farmer, contractor, tax auditor, real estate broker and accountant.
In August she was appointed as co-chair of the Proposition 36 campaign for Assembly District 27 which, if passed, will repeal the $950 shoplifting threshold of misdemeanors in Prop. 47 and toughen penalties and sentencing for serious drug crimes.
Garcia Rose has been endorsed by Congressman John Duarte, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke and Los Banos District 4 Councilwoman Deborah Lewis among other elected leaders in the Central Valley
Soria is a former Fresno City Councilwoman and was elected in 2022 having beat former Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin.
During her two years in Sacramento, Soria has voted for some controversial legislation including a bill to give $150,000 home loan assistance to illegal immigrants which was vetoed by Gov. Newsom; a bill that expands the Menstruation Equity for All Act adding elementary schools to the public schools that must offer a free and adequate supply of menstruation products in all-gender bathrooms, girls’ restrooms and at least one boys’ restroom on each campus; and the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth, or SAFETY Act, which prohibits California school boards from passing resolutions that require teachers and staff to notify parents if they believe a child is transgender.
Soria was touted by Los Banos city leaders for delivering $1 million for the proposed improvements at the Colorado Ballpark. Her other accomplishments she claims include she, “Delivered $4 million to the City of Merced for a new state-of-the-art Fire Station and Emergency Operations Center; spearheaded a $100 million investment in the Promise Housing Project, fostering collaboration between UC Merced and Merced College to enhance educational opportunities for students that could not otherwise afford housing; and empowering Merced with tools for economic development through the establishment of an Enhanced Infrastructure & Financing District.
Garcia Rose says, “California is on the wrong track, and it’s time we send a professional auditor to Sacramento. We need someone who will carefully examine the laws and the state’s finances so we can start turning things around.”
Soria claims she’s “Fighting for the Valley.” The former professor of Latino Politics and Judicial Reasoning at Fresno City College for over 9 years has been endorsed by State Senator Anna Caballero and other elected leaders in the Central Valley, multiple law enforcement organizations, unions and Planned Parenthood.
Learn more about Garcia Rose at http://joannaforthevalley.com, http://www.facebook.com/joannaforthevalley or http://ballotpedia.org/Joanna_Garcia_Rose or email her campaign at [email protected]
Learn more about Soria’s campaign at https://soriaforcalifornia.com or www.facebook.com/esmeraldaforcalifornia or email her campaign at [email protected].
