Latinas Hurtado, Perea, Soria find a winning formula in Valley races
Here’s a look at what the June 7 primary election delivered, from A (Arias) to Z (Zanoni), that should be of interest to Latino voters.
This is based on what the Vida en el Valle editor rated as the most intriguing races.
1. Hurtado on way to re-election
State Sen. Melissa Hurtado is listed as the incumbent in state Senate District 16 race, but this is a very different territory from the current district she represents.
The plurality of the voters in the district – which includes the cities of Kingsburg, Dinuba, Woodlake, Hanford, Corcoran, Porterville, Avenal, Delano, Wasco, McFarland, Arvin and a chunk of east Bakersfield – decided to go with Republican David E. Shepherd.
The fourth-generation farmer – whose paternal great-grandfather immigrated from México – from Porterville picked up 44.7% of the vote, while Hurtado managed to get into the November general election with 30.1%.
Former Assemblymember Nicole M. Parra’s political comeback ended as she got 12.4% of the vote.
What to look for in November: This is a heavily Democratic district with a 53% to 16.2% registration edge over Republicans. Hurtado raised more than $770,000 in her re-election bid.
2. Fresno County sheriff’s race
Voters favored Fresno County Assistant Sheriff John Zanoni by a substantial margin, 59.26% to 40.71%, over Fresno Deputy Police Chief Mark Salazar to succeed Sheriff Margaret Mims.
This means that a streak of an incumbent or a candidate from within the sheriff’s ranks has won election since 1954 continues.
What to look for in November: Preparation for Sheriff-elect Zanoni as he takes over the largest law enforcement agency (by budget) in the San Joaquín Valley.
3. Assembly District 27
Termed-out Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria, a Democrat, showed her political prowess in finishing first in a four-candidate race for a district that is 43.2% Democratic and 27.2% Republican.
Soria picked up 40.2% of the vote to get into the November general election against former Merced County Sheriff Mike Pazin, a Republican who got 35% of the vote.
Soria even won the vote in Merced County, which could point to a need for Pazin to pick up his campaign.
What to look for in November: Expect a Soria victory. She amassed about $630,000 in campaign funds and a fistful of endorsements from key Democrats. A Soria win would increase the number of Latinos from the Valley in the Assembly to four should Leticia Pérez win in the 35th Assembly District. They would join incumbents Joaquín Arámbula from Fresno and Carlos Villapudua from Stockton.
4. Fresno City Council District 1
Annalisa Perea is now Fresno Councilmember-Elect Perea, thanks to a formidable showing in a four-candidate field seeking to replace the termed-out Esmeralda Soria.
Perea, who follows a family tradition of serving on the council (dad Henry R. Perea and brother Henry T. Perea have served time on the council, and both ran losing mayoral campaigns), avoided a November runoff by capturing 58.76% of the vote.
Second-place Gary Catalano, who lost a razor-thin race to Soria eight years ago, managed 23.9% of the votes.
What to look for in November: Perea has time to assemble her staff and prepare to leave her trustee role in the State Center Community College District.
5. 22nd Congressional District
The task for incumbent David Valadao, R-Hanford, and Assemblymember Rudy Salas was to get into the November general election.
Mission accomplished.
Salas picked up 44.9% of the vote in a four-candidate field. Valadao, whose $2.1 million campaign war chest dwarfs Salas’ $593,000, got 25.9%.
Redistricting has made the district more favorable to Democrats (43.1% registration to 26% for Republicans). About 60% of the residents are Latino.
What to look for in November: The question will center on Valadao’s track record to pull out wins in a Democratic-leaning district. If he can’t, expect to see Salas become the first Latino from the San Joaquín Valley to win a Congressional race.
6. Fresno City Council Districts 3, 5, 7
There was little drama about the re-election efforts by Fresno City Councilmembers Miguel Arias (District 3), Luis Chávez (District 5), and Nelson Esparza (District 7) due mainly to their huge advantage as incumbents.
All three appear to have avoided a runoff. Arias got 62.27%, Chávez 54.9%, and Esparza 66.02%.
What to look for in November: The Fresno council would have a Latino majority for the third time in history.
7. Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 4
Incumbent Buddy Mendes had to work this time around after facing no opponent four years ago. That appears to have paid off in avoiding a runoff with 54.11% of the vote against challengers José Ramírez and Daniel Parra.
Should Mendes remain above 50% when the final votes are counted, he won’t have another campaign until 2026 should he seek re-election then.
What to look for in November: No changes in a conservative board.
8. Tulare County Board of Supervisors District 4
Four years ago, Eddie Valero won outright in the primary. Tuesday, voters decided to test him in a runoff when they gave the Ivy League graduate 45.42% of the vote in a four-candidate field.
Valero will face fellow Dinuba resident Scott Harness, who garnered 30.47% of the vote.
What to look for in November: Valero will be tested by his mantra to always run a race as if it is his first race. He is looking to become the only Latino to win re-election in Tulare County. Former Supervisor Kuyler Crocker lost his re-election bid in 2020.
9. Kings County Board of Supervisors District 1
Martín Chávez, a 2016 UC Merced graduate, didn’t get more votes than incumbent Joe Neves, who has been on the board since 1995.
However, Chávez, a Republican, has forced Neves to a November runoff. Neves got 46.48% of the vote to Chávez’s 30.62%.
What to look for in November: A Chávez win would give the board its second Latino. Kings County is 55% Latino.
10. Assembly District 22
There is no incumbent in this redrawn district centered around Modesto. It is a true swing district with registration broken down to 40.4% Democrat, 32.9% Republican, and 19.3% no party preference.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Sgt. Juan Alanis, finished atop the four-candidate field with 36.3% of the vote. Alanis is a Republican.
Alanis will face Democrat Jessica Self, a Stanislaus County public defender and an LGBTQ advocate. Self got 26.9% of the vote, to get past fellow Democrat Chad Condit into the runoff.
What to look for in November: Alanis is a Republican, which would make him the first Latino with that party affiliation to be in the Assembly from the Valley.
Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 8 de junio de 2022, 3:08 p. m..