FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A registered sex offender has launched a Fresno City Council campaign to represent District 7, which includes Old Fig Garden, East Central Fresno, and parts of Southeast Fresno.
He would join a crowded field vying for the seat when Councilman Nelson Esparza’s term runs out.
“I believe Fresno deserves leaders who are honest from the very beginning, not the end. Going into this, I am putting my life out there,” says Rene Campos, potential City Council candidate.
Upfront about his status as a registered sex offender, Campos is not running from his past as he runs for office.
“I’ve been given a chance to rehabilitate through the courts and go back into the system,” he said.
Charged with being in possession of child sex abuse material back in 2018, the Fresno native says he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge.
Now launching his campaign to represent District 7 on the Fresno City Council, he says his focus is on safety.
“They say let’s choose somebody outside the box, somebody who knows the system from the inside out, because me, I’ve experienced the laws that we are trying to reform right now,” says Campos.
Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus says state law does not prevent a registered sex offender from running for office.
“Once you leave prison, you’re on probation, you actually are allowed in California to reapply and become a registered voter again, which would then make you eligible to run as long as you’re living in the proper jurisdiction,” says Kus.
Campos looks to enter a growing field of people vying for the seat, while another candidate says he shouldn’t join the race.
“I think it should be a disqualification to serve in public office. If I’m the next councilmember in District 7 and I can’t show up to a school site, how can I best represent the people in the neighborhoods I want to serve?” says Nav Gurm, potential City Council candidate.
Each candidate brings a different background and focus to the race. AJ Rassamni, a businessman who says homelessness is his priority.
“I never thought I was going to be in politics. However, I’m a business owner. I’m a community advocate, and I’m a problem solver,” says Rassamni.
Gurm, endorsed by Mayor Jerry Dyer and the firefighters’ union, says he represents the next generation of leadership.
“There’s a lot of basic amenities that our neighborhoods deserve, and quite frankly need, and that’s why I’m running,” says Gurm.
Ariana Martinez Lott, a mother, is calling for more investment in neighborhoods.
“I don’t have political aspirations. I am running to continue the work that we have been doing here locally as residents in our city,” says Martinez Lott.
Campos has not yet filed for the office. He and the other candidates have until March 6 to submit their paperwork.
The primary election is the first Tuesday in June.
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
