Fresno community activist Sandra Celedon is eying a run for the California Assembly next year.
Celedon, who is the President and CEO of Fresno Building Healthy Communities, an advocacy group that led local battles in support of Fresno’s 30-year parks tax, Measure P, and against Fresno County’s transportation tax measure, Measure C.
The big picture: The campaign finance portal for the California Secretary of State’s Office shows that Celedon has filed paperwork for a new committee named “Sandra Celedon For Assembly 2026.”
Candidate background: Celedon serves as the President and CEO for Fresno Building Healthy Communities, a social justice nonprofit that previously served as a subsidiary of the insurance-funded California Endowment which bills itself as working to “foster and encourage thriving communities where all children and families can live healthy, safe, and productive lives,” according to the group’s website.
- Fresno Building Healthy Communities promotes that it is led by and works for the rights of people of color and that the group works “in solidarity with partners and allies who share our values across age, race, sexual orientation, class, gender, faith, language, and immigration status.
- Celedon would run in Assembly District 31, which is currently represented by Asm. Joaquin Arambula (D–Fresno). Arambula announced plans to forego a run at a final term in office to run for the Fresno City Council instead.
- District 31 spans much of the southern half of Fresno and extends east to Sanger and south to Selma.
- Democrats hold a significant edge in voter registration in the district at 44.4%, compared to 23.6% for Republicans and 23.1% for independent voters, according to data from the California Target Book.
Fiery flashack: In May 2020, Celedon caught local attention for commentary on the then-on-going riots in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd while serving as a member of Fresno’s Commission on Police Reform.
- Celedon retweeted a video of the police precinct on fire and wrote “Burn it down. #blacklivesmatter No justice, no peace. Enough is enough.”
- After The Sun’s initial reporting on the matte, Celedon later made her Twitter account private and deleted the post.
The state of the race: Celedon joins Fresno City Councilwoman Annalisa Perea as likely candidates for the seat.
