Melissa Hurtado

Melissa Hurtado
Member of the California Senate
from the 16th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 3, 2018
Preceded byAndy Vidak
Constituency14th district (2018–2022)
16th district (2022–present)
Member of the Sanger, California City Council
In office
2016–2018
Personal details
Born (1988-03-06) March 6, 1988 (age 36)
Fresno, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationCalifornia State University, Sacramento (BA)
Websitemelissa-hurtado.com

Melissa Hurtado (born March 6, 1988) is an American Democratic politician currently representing the 16th Senate District, encompassing Bakersfield, Kings County, and parts of Tulare County, in the California State Senate. Prior to being elected to the State Senate, she served on the Sanger City Council.[1][2][3]

Hurtado was first elected to the State Senate in November 2018, defeating incumbent Republican Andy Vidak.[4][5]

On July 7, 2020, Hurtado was selected to serve on the then-candidate for U.S. president Joe Biden's National Latino Leadership Committee.[6] In 2022, Hurtado ran for re-election in the redrawn 16th district, winning with 50.01% percent by a margin of 13 votes.[7][8][9] Prior to the election, she had been considered the most endangered incumbent of any district at the state level in the state of California.[10]

In July 2023, Hurtado filed paperwork declaring candidacy for California's 22nd congressional district in the 2024 election.[11] She placed fourth in the March 2024 primary election and did not advance to November's general election.[12]

  1. ^ "Biography". Senate District 14 | Senator Melissa Hurtado. August 7, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "Melissa Hurtado". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  3. ^ Del Real, Jose A. (May 21, 2019). "They Grow the Nation's Food, but They Can't Drink the Water (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  4. ^ "Correction: Election 2018-California Legislature story". AP News. November 13, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Kotowski, Jason (October 2, 2018). "14th SD challenger Hurtado: What happened to Vidak's vision for the valley?". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  6. ^ Melero, Jr., Gabriel (July 7, 2020). "Joe Biden Picks Senator Melissa Hurtado for National Latino Leadership Committee". GV Wire. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  7. ^ Taub, David (December 30, 2021). "Exclusive: Why Sen. Hurtado Is Risking Her Political Career to Stay in Sanger". GV Wire. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "2022 Election Results". California Secretary of State.
  9. ^ Patrick, Lacey (January 20, 2023). "Hurtado secures her victory in senate district 16 election". The Sun-Gazette Newspaper. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  10. ^ Hoeven, Emily (October 21, 2022). "Inside California's overlooked political powerhouse". CalMatters. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  11. ^ Yeager, Joshua (July 29, 2023). "Sen. Melissa Hurtado files to run for congressional seat in 2024". KVPR Valley Public Radio. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  12. ^ Donegan, John (March 7, 2024). "State Sen. Hurtado suspends congressional campaign". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved March 10, 2024.