Former Republican Congressman George Radanovich is trying once again to re-enter politics at the state level, running a campaign for 8th Assembly District to succeed Asm. Jim Patterson (R–Fresno), who is termed out of office.
Radanovich spoke with The Sun for political podcast series, The Stump, airing on Sunrise FM .
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The big picture: Radanovich is a familiar face for those who live in Assembly District 8, which covers north Fresno and Clovis and spans from Inyo County to Calaveras County.
- When he served in Congress from 1995 to 2011 – coming from his hometown of Mariposa – his district overlapped with about 80 percent of Assembly District 8.
- Since he left Congress, Radanovich has been involved in a variety of ventures, including serving as the President of the California Fresh Fruit Association for three years.
- Radanovich tried to return to politics in 2022 when he ran for State Senate in District 4, but he was one of three Republicans that split the vote to allow two Democrats to advance to the November election.
What they’re saying: Radanovich said he wants to return to politics because of the sorry state of California, something that he feels he has the experience to fix.
- “It’s not a lot of people that go from federal office to Sacramento, in that direction,” Radanovich said. “When I was elected from Mariposa in 1994, I went straight from my hometown to Washington, but I think the experience that I can bring to Sacramento doesn’t happen very often. So I hope to bring some type of wisdom and experience to a Legislature and the state offices that are in sore need of that. There’s got to be a return to some real common sense.”
- Democrats hold a supermajority in the California Legislature, making it difficult for Republicans to navigate and actually make a difference in Sacramento. But Radanovich said he has a great reputation of reaching across the aisle to work on issues that are important for his district and will continue to do so.
- One such issue that he feels he will find bipartisan support in is what he calls ACE Legislation. ACE – standing for Adverse Childhood Experiences – is what Radanovich believes to be the root of many of the issues currently plaguing California.
- Radanovich proposes a state law that requires law enforcement, education and health providers to coordinate with citizen advisory groups to produce community plans to strengthen families.
- “Most of the problems in California – crime, drug abuse, poor education standards – those, I think, can be traced back to the breakdown of families, not only in California but in America,” Radanovich said. “And I have a unique plan to bring law enforcement, the faith community, educators and health providers together to attack the problem.”
