California’s Portuguese-American delegation is changing after the November 3 election. Republican David Valadão lost his Central Valley seat in Congress, while Republican Alexandra Macedo trailed in her bid to return to the State Assembly. Democrat Brian Pacheco won an Assembly seat in the Fresno area, joining returning Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.
Valadão, who is of Azorean descent, lost to Democrat Randy Villegas in California’s 22nd Congressional District. In the 33rd Assembly District, which includes Hanford, Tulare and Porterville, Democrat Hipolito Cerros, a former mayor of Lindsay, led Macedo by 1,512 votes in the November 13 update. Cerros had 50.7 percent of the vote to Macedo’s 49.3 percent. Macedo, the Assembly Republican leader, is from Tulare and traces her family roots to the Azorean island of Terceira. California is scheduled to certify the election results on December 11.
Pacheco, a Fresno County supervisor and fourth-generation dairy farmer of Azorean descent, defeated Republican Mike Murphy in the 27th Assembly District. Aguiar-Curry, a Democrat who also has Azorean roots, won reelection unopposed in the 4th Assembly District, which includes Davis. In the State Senate, Democrat Henry Stern, who is of Portuguese descent on his mother’s side, continues to represent the 27th District.
Two California Democrats of Portuguese descent will return to the U.S. House. Jim Costa won reelection in the Central Valley’s 21st Congressional District, and Sam Liccardo, a former mayor of San José, won reelection in the 16th District.
Based on news reports. The photo os from the California State Assembly.