FRESNO (KMJ) — There’s a new contender in the race for the 31st State Assembly District.
In the midst of downtown – with businesses starting the new week – a new candidate hoping to win the vote next year started his journey. Doctor Joaquin Arambula – surrounded by family and friends – revealed his intentions to run for the seat when incumbent Henry T. Perea terms out.
“I was born and raised here”, says Dr. Arambula. “This is my valley and I’d like to the voice for the valley”.
As well as trying to solve the ever present drought, he says he’d also like to bring a medical school to the valley to give people here better access to healthcare.
“When you look at public health, you base it off of number of physicians per thousand patients. In LA and the Bay there are 2.2 physicians per thousand. Here in the Central Valley it 0.9 physicians per thousand patients”.
He adds that his days as an ER doctor in Selma have shown him the need – and he wants to get that fixed.
However – he’s not the first Arambula to run for office. His father also served the 31st Assembly District between 2004 and 2010.
“I really hope to be independent of my father”, says the younger Arambula. “The apple does not fall far that from the tree but I will be my own person and I will be my own voice”.
The 31st Assembly District is made up of most of western Fresno County, and includes the cities of Coalinga, Firebaugh, Kerman, Kingsburg, Reedley, Sanger, Selma and parts of Fresno.
