For voters in Assembly District 27, Esmeralda Soria’s public life follows a Central Valley route: raised in Visalia, elected in Fresno and then elected to the California State Assembly. She served on the Fresno City Council from 2015 to 2022 and was elected its president in 2018 before winning an Assembly seat in 2022. Along the way came an unsuccessful campaign for Congress and a pointed judgment about problems in Jim Costa’s district: “nothing had changed.” Soria is also an adjunct professor, and her background includes higher education and work in state and federal government before she entered elected office.
ROOTS
Soria was born April 22, 1982, and raised in Visalia. Her parents were immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico, who valued education and giving back to their community. Their values helped interest her in politics at a young age.
She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis, and attended Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Executive Leadership Program. After graduating from Berkeley, she began working at the California State Capitol. She later interned at the White House.
Those positions gave Soria experience in government before she held elected office. Her background also includes her current work as an adjunct professor.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Soria was elected to the Fresno City Council in 2014 and served from 2015 through 2022. She entered as the council’s only woman. In 2018, she was elected council president, becoming the first Latina council president in Fresno city history.
In 2020, Soria tried to move from City Hall to Congress. She challenged Jim Costa for the U.S. House, saying that she felt “nothing had changed” about the problems in Costa’s district since his election in 2004. She lost the primary to Costa and Republican Kevin Cookingham.
In 2021, as she was set to term out after the end of her City Council term, Soria said she was considering a campaign for the California State Assembly. She launched her campaign for the 27th district in January 2022. Soria and Mark Pazin advanced from the primary, and she defeated Pazin in the general election after a tight race. She has represented Assembly District 27 since 2022.
THE THROUGH LINE
Soria’s career has included work at the California State Capitol, an internship at the White House, service on the Fresno City Council and election to the California State Assembly. Her 2020 campaign for Congress also brought her before voters beyond her City Council constituency, although she did not advance from the primary.
Her governing experience is concentrated in Fresno City Hall and the California State Capitol. On the council, she entered as its only woman and later became the first Latina council president in Fresno city history. At the state level, she has represented the 27th district since defeating Pazin in 2022.
Education is also present in Soria’s background through her studies at Berkeley and Davis, her attendance at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Executive Leadership Program and her work as an adjunct professor. Her path to elected state office proceeded from early government work to municipal office and then to the Legislature.
- State Assembly · Assembly District 27 · 2022–present
For voters in Assembly District 27, Esmeralda Soria’s public life follows a Central Valley route: raised in Visalia, elected in Fresno and then elected to the California State Assembly. She served on the Fresno City Council from 2015 to 2022 and was elected its president in 2018 before winning an Assembly seat in 2022. Along the way came an unsuccessful campaign for Congress and a pointed judgment about problems in Jim Costa’s district: “nothing had changed.” Soria is also an adjunct professor, and her background includes higher education and work in state and federal government before she entered elected office.
ROOTS
Soria was born April 22, 1982, and raised in Visalia. Her parents were immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico, who valued education and giving back to their community. Their values helped interest her in politics at a young age.
She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis, and attended Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Executive Leadership Program. After graduating from Berkeley, she began working at the California State Capitol. She later interned at the White House.
Those positions gave Soria experience in government before she held elected office. Her background also includes her current work as an adjunct professor.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Soria was elected to the Fresno City Council in 2014 and served from 2015 through 2022. She entered as the council’s only woman. In 2018, she was elected council president, becoming the first Latina council president in Fresno city history.
In 2020, Soria tried to move from City Hall to Congress. She challenged Jim Costa for the U.S. House, saying that she felt “nothing had changed” about the problems in Costa’s district since his election in 2004. She lost the primary to Costa and Republican Kevin Cookingham.
In 2021, as she was set to term out after the end of her City Council term, Soria said she was considering a campaign for the California State Assembly. She launched her campaign for the 27th district in January 2022. Soria and Mark Pazin advanced from the primary, and she defeated Pazin in the general election after a tight race. She has represented Assembly District 27 since 2022.
THE THROUGH LINE
Soria’s career has included work at the California State Capitol, an internship at the White House, service on the Fresno City Council and election to the California State Assembly. Her 2020 campaign for Congress also brought her before voters beyond her City Council constituency, although she did not advance from the primary.
Her governing experience is concentrated in Fresno City Hall and the California State Capitol. On the council, she entered as its only woman and later became the first Latina council president in Fresno city history. At the state level, she has represented the 27th district since defeating Pazin in 2022.
Education is also present in Soria’s background through her studies at Berkeley and Davis, her attendance at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Executive Leadership Program and her work as an adjunct professor. Her path to elected state office proceeded from early government work to municipal office and then to the Legislature.
The record
3,467 events, each with its sourceDo pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Be adopted and re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 46 Nguyen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
SB 1139 Laird Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1437 Revenue and Taxation Consent Calendar Second Day
SCR 143 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SJR 13 Padilla Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 2285 Valencia Assembly Third Reading
SB 968 Becker Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1036 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Blanca Rubio
SB 1426 Housing Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 165 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day
ACR 194 Pacheco Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 219 Papan Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 220 Nguyen Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
ACR 223 Rogers Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 109 GABRIEL Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 110 Laird Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 122 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By TANGIPA Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
SB 122 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 125 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL Amend By DEMAIO Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By AGUIAR-CURRY
SB 125 B. & F. R. Senate Third Reading By GABRIEL
SB 1143 Caballero Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1189 Valladares Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 1428 Natural Resources and Wa Consent Calendar Second Day
SB 1433 Judiciary Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 113 Jeff Gonzalez Consent Calendar Second Day
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
AB 1795 Gipson Third Reading Urgency
Do pass as amended
SJR 11 Cervantes Consent Calendar Second Day
ACR 206 Stefani Consent Calendar Second Day
ACR 211 Celeste Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 151 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SCR 169 Gonzalez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session