Senator Melissa Hurtado

Melissa Hurtado is a Democratic politician currently representing the 16th Senate District in the California State Senate. Her district encompasses Bakersfield, Kings County, and parts of Tulare County, encompassing California's Central Valley—a region home to some of the world's most fertile farmland, significant oil production, and working-class families.

Hurtado made history as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate when she took office in 2018. She is known as a thoughtful policymaker who works across party lines and is recognized as one of the more moderate members of the Democratic caucus.

Education

Hurtado was the first member of her family to graduate from college. She earned her degree in Political Science from Sacramento State University .

Political Experience

Hurtado's political career began on the Sanger City Council, where she served in 2016 before advancing to the state senate.

She was first elected to the State Senate in November 2018, defeating incumbent Republican Andy Vidak. In her 2022 reelection bid, she won her newly redrawn district by an extremely narrow margin of 22 votes with 50.01% of the vote, having been considered the most endangered incumbent in California at the state level.

In 2023, Hurtado filed candidacy for California's 22nd congressional district in the 2024 election but placed fourth in the March 2024 primary and did not advance to the general election.

As a senator, Hurtado focuses on rural community issues including access to clean air and water, food insecurity, environmental policy inequities, agriculture, and rural healthcare access. She co-sponsored the Food4All bill, which modernized the California Food Assistance Program to make it accessible to all Californians regardless of immigration status.

In 2020, she was appointed to the Biden Latino Leadership Committee, serving as one of only two California Latinas on the committee.