July 1, 2026 - SACRAMENTO, CA – On Tuesday, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria’s legislation aimed at preventing registered sex offenders from running for any local or state public office in California has been rejected by the Senate Elections Committee. 

“I am deeply disappointed and disheartened after the Senate Elections Committee has failed to advance AB 2753, a bill that would have prohibited any registered sex offender in the State of California from running for local or state public office.” Soria said. “The bottom line is this: I was not willing to make additional amendments to this bill. I made a promise to my community that I would do everything in my power to ensure they would never have to go through something like this again. Accepting additional amendments to this bill would have jeopardized that promise.”

Currently, there exists no law or statute prohibiting registered sex offenders from running for any local or state public office in California. 

“This decision from the Senate Elections Committee is a gut punch for our community in Fresno,” said Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza. “I want to thank Assemblywoman Soria for doing everything she could to deliver a commonsense bill. This was a bill worth standing up and fighting for.”  

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Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria represents the 27th Assembly District, which includes communities in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties.

Facebook: @Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria

Instagram: @asmesmeraldasoria

BlueSky: @esmeraldasoria.bsky.social

Source: Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria