Two years ahead of the election, Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza has already received the backing of one of the Central Valley’s top Democrats in his bid for the State Senate.
Rep. Jim Costa (D–Fresno) announced his endorsement of Esparza on Thursday.
Driving the news: Esparza launched his campaign for Senate District 14 last week in the hopes of succeeding termed-out Sen. Anna Caballero (D–Merced) in 2026.
- Caballero won the district by over 12 points in 2022.
The big picture: Costa is already throwing his support behind Esparza, who is the only candidate in the race so far.
- Any other Democrats looking to enter the race will have to do so without the support of Fresno County’s Democratic establishment.
- Senate District 14 covers much of western Fresno County and parts of Madera and Merced counties.
What they’re saying: “I have confidence that Nelson Esparza will represent our Valley well and I am proud to endorse him for State Senate,” Costa said.
- Esparza thanked Costa for his support, saying he is looking forward to working together in the future.
- “You can’t talk about leadership in the Central Valley without talking about Jim Costa,” Esparza said. “He has represented every corner of our valley at one point or another throughout his distinguished career. It’s a tremendous honor to have the support of my Congressman as I run to represent Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties in the State Senate. I look forward to working with him to advance the interest of our Central Valley families at the State and Federal level.”
