The Democrats have their candidate for a state Assembly seat representing Fresno, Madera and Merced counties.

Two-term Madera County Supervisor Leticia Gonzalez announced she is running for the Assembly District 27 seat, and she has the backing of legislative heavyweights.

For starters, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, is backing the campaign. So is the assemblymember who Gonzalez, D-Merced, wants to replace: Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno.

Soria is running for state Senate. And the lawmaker Soria wants to replace — termed-out state Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced — is also backing Gonzalez.

“I’m running for Assembly to keep fighting for the things every Valley family deserves: clean and plentiful water for our residents and farmers, safe neighborhoods, access to housing and health care, and the opportunity to get ahead,” Gonzalez said in a news release.

Former Merced Mayor Also Running

Although Gonzalez hasn’t opened a state financial account, she had $16,838 in her supervisorial account as of June 30.

One other candidate has an active campaign: former Merced Mayor Mike Murphy, R-Merced. He reported $191,417 cash on hand as of June 30.

Assembly District 27 is heavily skewed toward Merced County, where 53% of the district’s voters are registered. Fresno County has 28%, and 19% live in Madera County.

The district leans Democratic, by a 40% to 29% advantage over Republicans, as of February 2025. But, the numbers are trending GOP, with a 2% pickup in three years.

Macedo Named to GOP Leadership

First-term Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, is moving up the GOP leadership ladder. This week, new Republican Assembly Leader Heath Flora, R-Ripon, named her deputy Republican leader.

“It is an honor to serve as deputy Republican leader and to help lead a caucus that stands for fiscal responsibility, freedom, and a government that works for all its citizens,” Macedo said in a news release.

She won her first term representing Assembly District 33 in 2024, and announced she is running for re-election.

Who is Group That Gave $67,500 to a Local Committee?

A political action committee associated with a well-known Fresno political consultant received a sizable infusion of cash.

SPH Placements, LLC, filed with the Fresno County clerk on Sept. 12 contributing $67,500 to the Central Valley Council. Fresno political consultant Alex Tavlian is listed as the PAC’s principal officer.

In a filing earlier this year, Central Valley Council described itself as existing “to support candidates across the Central Valley of California.” It has yet to post any spending figures.

But why an Atlanta-based business is getting involved in Fresno politics is a bit of a mystery.

David Hanna is listed as the principal officer for SPH Placements. He is the executive chairman of the board of directors for Atlanticus, a publicly traded financial management company based in Atlanta. He is also the company’s former CEO.

In paperwork filed with the California Secretary of State, SPH Placements is controlled by Savannah Port DSJV, LLC, which lists a membership of Steven Richard Brock, J. Paul Whitehead, and two other entities — DKH Capital, LLC and Rainbow Trust Two.

Whitehead is a former CFO of Atlanticus, according to Bloomberg. He was also the registered agent for SPH Placements from its founding in 2022 until 2024, according to the Georgia secretary of state.

DKH Capital is a company controlled by Hanna, SEC documents show. It is registered in Nevada. There is also DKH Capital II, LLC, which is registered by Whitehead in Georgia.

More information about Brock or Rainbow Trust Two was not available.

Whitehead briefly spoke with Politics 101, but did not make a statement. Neither Tavlian nor Hanna returned messages.

Senators Secure Millions for Airport

United States Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, both Democrats, announced $12 million in federal funding for Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The money from the Airport Improvement Program will be used to reconstruct more than 9,500 of runway. In total, 46 California airports received $168 million.

The money is on top of a $20 million Airport Infrastructure Grant announced last month to expand the terminal. The airport is nearly finished with its “FAT Forward” expansion, with an expected new terminal opening in November.

Catching Up in Clovis

The Clovis City Council by consensus (no formal vote), agreed on Sept. 8 to send a letter opposing Proposition 50, the November special election ballot measure that would gerrymander congressional seats to the Democrat’s advantage.

Also at the Sept. 8 meeting, the council by consensus said it was willing to place the words “In God We Trust” in the chambers, as long as it is privately funded.

For the third meeting in a row, public commenters spoke on Sept. 15, complaining of the loss of a dance instructor at the senior center. Jim Ray left after a controversy over space — pickleball for a brief time taking over dancing. Most speakers wanted dancing back.