Fresno Nonprofit CEO Sandra Celedon Files to Run for Assembly

Local Elections

By David Taub, Senior Reporter

Published 4 months ago on

March 10, 2025

Building Healthy Communities CEO Sandra Celedon (center and pointing) shows state Attorney General Rob Bonta a mural at the Friends of Calwa building during the COVID-19 pandemic. (GV Wire/David Taub)

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Fresno nonprofit leader Sandra Celedon has filed to run for the state Assembly in 2026.

The District 31 seat is currently represented by Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, who said he is running for the Fresno City Council in 2026. The district covers much of Fresno, Sanger, and parts of the county.

Celedon, a Fresno Democrat, is the president and CEO of Fresno Building Healthy Communities, a social justice nonprofit that has collaborated in the past with government organizations. During the COVID pandemic, the city of Fresno paired with Fresno BHC for testing and quarantine support.

Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea also has filed paperwork to run for the AD 31 seat, according to the California Secretary of State’s website.

‘Bold Social Entrepreneur’

Celedon refers to herself as a “bold social entrepreneur” on her LinkedIn site.

Sandra Celedon

This is believed to be Celedon’s first run for public office, but she has held several appointments to local government boards. She served on the city of Fresno’s police reform commission in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd death.

She once tweeted in the aftermath of the riots in the Twin Cities, “burn it down. #BlackLivesMatter. No justice, no peace.”

Celedon’s group has also filed several lawsuits against government entities and businesses. A current lawsuit against Community Health System accuses the hospital of misspending Medi-Cal funds. The case is pending in federal court.

Her group successfully sued the city in 2018, declaring that Measure P — the city’s parks and cultural arts sales tax measure — garnered enough votes to pass.

Arambula has said that he will run for the District 3 seat now held by Miguel Arias, who terms out after the 2026 election.

In 2024, Arambula named Fresno BHC as his district’s nonprofit of the year.

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David Taub,

Senior Reporter

Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email