Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta backs this Fresno candidate for Congress over incumbent
Congressional candidate Esmeralda Soria picked up the endorsement of civil rights leader Dolores Huerta on Tuesday as both women said they’ll fight for the central San Joaquin Valley’s working families.
Soria, who sits on the Fresno City Council, faces incumbent Congressman Jim Costa for the 16th District, which covers parts of Fresno, Madera and Merced counties.
Huerta has been visible in the fight for workers’ rights for several decades and said she sees an ally in Soria. She pointed to the rich agricultural industry in the Valley, where so many families remain poor.
“In one of the richest areas in the state of California, we have the highest poverty populations,” Huerta said. “It has been so long that we have been longing and hoping to get somebody to represent us in Congress that will address the issues of poverty in our communities. We have been for so long ignored.”
“We can all breathe a big sigh of relief, because now we have a champion (in Soria),” she said.
The Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey poverty measure estimated that almost 210,000 Fresno County residents – about 21.5% – had incomes that fell below the poverty line. That was the fifth-highest rate in the state, and the rates in Merced and Madera counties hover around the same percentage.
Soria is the child of Mexican immigrant farmworkers and grew up in the Tulare County city of Lindsay. Earning her law degree from UC Davis School of Law, she teaches law as an adjunct professor and is in her second and final term on City Council.
Soria said she has been traveling the district to speak with voters.
“The common story is people are hurting. People haven’t been given a voice,” Soria said. “This campaign again, I stress, is about every single working family that have worked tirelessly for decades.”
Along with poverty, Soria stressed the importance of immigration reform. “We need to make sure that our families have a voice in Congress, that our immigration system is reformed and that we’re serious about it,” she said.
Costa defends his record
Reached by phone on Tuesday, Costa said he’s helped get funding for the Valley’s water and transportation infrastructure, which lays the groundwork for jobs. On top of that, he’s gotten money for training programs related to high-speed rail and efforts like those at Fresno Bridge Academy, an organization that aids people seeking long-term employment.
Unemployment levels in the Valley have historically remained stubbornly high, but in the past year have crept down to 5.8% or lower.
“We’ve got situations in Fresno, Madera and Merced counties, which I represent, where unemployment levels have dropped below 6%,” he said. “I think that’s a reflection of progress.”
Costa’s legislation for job training supports families that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or what was traditionally called food stamps. SNAP is a safety net for those who still struggle to find work, he said.
Funding like the dollars that are set to widen Highway 99 from Avenue 12 to Avenue 17 came to the Valley under Costa’s watch. He said the widening would only help the economy and provide jobs.
The congressman on Tuesday touted the bipartisan support for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, new legislation set for a vote on Wednesday that would provide legal status for guest workers.
“That would provide legal status for both seasonal and year-round farmworkers,” he said. “It’s really the most significant effort we’ve made in immigration reform in years.”
As many as 1 million workers could benefit from the program, according to Costa.
Election battle
Garnering the endorsement of a civil rights icon like Huerta could go a long way to strengthening her campaign, which already is likely the stiffest opposition Costa has faced in years.
Costa has beat out several Republican challengers – Brian Whelan, David Rogers, Johnny Tacherra and Elizabeth Heng — since winning his House seat in 2004. Before that he served 24 years in the state Legislature.
This time he faces a fellow Democrat in Soria.
In October, the state Democratic Party voted on an endorsement for either Costa, Soria or Kimberly Williams, another Democratic challenger. No candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote so the party so far has withheld its endorsement.
Costa has received the committee’s endorsement in past elections. He has touted endorsements in this race from Democratic state leaders like Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Kevin Cookingham, an educator retired from Clovis Unified, has said he’ll run as a Republican in the race. Merced Mayor Mike Murphy publicly mulled a run but ultimately did not file as a candidate.
The primary election is March 3. The top two vote-getters regardless of party advance to the November general election.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 1:37 PM.
