Brian Pacheco
Candidate for Assembly District 27
Brian Pacheco is running as the Democrat in this race for Assembly District 27. The general election is in November 2026. He is running against Republican Mike Murphy. Pacheco comes from Kerman, California, where his family has farmed dairy for four generations. He has served as a Fresno County Supervisor for District 1 since 2015. He graduated from Kerman High School. He also earned a degree in farm economics from UC Davis. There, he was chosen as commencement speaker. Before and during his time as supervisor, Pacheco held many local roles. He served 12 years on the Kerman Unified School District Board of Trustees. He was also board president there. He sat on the Community Regional Medical Center board. He also sat on the Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging board. He was past president of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. He was a former chairman of California Dairies, Inc. He has also served on two local water boards, the North Kings and McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. He advanced to the general election. He finished second in the June 2, 2026 top-two primary. He got 40.3% of the vote (29,581 votes), behind Murphy's 43.4% (31,802 votes), per the Statement of Vote. Democrat Japjeet Singh Uppal placed third. His campaign has been endorsed by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. It has also been endorsed by Esmeralda Soria, who holds the seat now. The California Democratic Party also backed him in this race. A labor group called the California Federation of Labor Unions AFL-CIO also backed him. The California Teachers Association backed him too, in this race. Home: Kerman, California, in Fresno County. Occupation: He works as the Fresno County Supervisor for District 1. He is also a fourth-generation dairy farmer. Prior office / incumbency: He now holds the seat of Fresno County Supervisor for District 1. He has held that seat since 2015. This is his first run for state Assembly.
On the issues
- Economy & Jobs
Pacheco says he will focus on lowering costs for working families and small businesses and opposes tariffs that he says hurt working families, while supporting farmworkers and first responders.
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Pacheco opposes tax increases on middle-class families and says he will work to lower the cost of living for Central Valley residents.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Pacheco supports fixing California's home insurance system and building more affordable housing to reduce cost pressures on families.
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Pacheco says he will fight for the Central Valley's fair share of state funding for public safety, describing local law enforcement as underfunded and stretched.
Source → - Health & Health Care
Pacheco supports expanding in-home health care and mobile clinics, including for farmworker families, to improve healthcare access in underserved Central Valley communities.
Source → - Education & Schools
Pacheco says he will fight for the Central Valley's fair share of state school funding, drawing on his 12 years serving on the Kerman Unified School District Board of Trustees, including as board president.
Source → - Water & Natural Resources
Pacheco supports protecting Central Valley water supply and quality, ensuring the region has a voice in state water policy, and sustainable groundwater management tied to agriculture; he has direct experience through service on local groundwater sustainability agencies.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Pacheco frames his candidacy as bringing steady, experienced local leadership to Sacramento rather than partisan politics, prioritizing Central Valley interests over political considerations.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.