Pacheco Wins Assembly Seat, Brings Farm Voice

The Fresno County supervisor and fourth-generation dairy farmer won California's 27th Assembly District over Republican Mike Murphy.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Agriculture

Pacheco Wins Assembly Seat, Brings Farm Voice

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Democrat Brian Pacheco won the Assembly District 27 election with 63.3% of the vote over Republican Mike Murphy's 36.7%, with more than half of ballots counted. Pacheco left his Fresno County Board of Supervisors seat to run after a call from Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas.

Why it matters

Rivas told Pacheco there is not one bona fide farmer in the 80-member legislature, and Pacheco said his full-time farming perspective is the difference he would bring to Sacramento. The win adds a working agricultural voice to a state Assembly that Pacheco says lacks one.

Pacheco's 63.3% share compares to Murphy's 36.7% in the partial count, and Pacheco will take a pay cut of roughly $20,000 in the new position. Final certified totals were not reported in the source material.

The players

Brian Pacheco

A fourth-generation dairy farmer and moderate Democrat who served on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors before winning the Assembly seat.

Robert Rivas

The speaker of the California State Assembly, who called Pacheco to encourage him to run for the seat.

Mike Murphy

A Republican and former mayor of Merced who lost the Assembly District 27 race to Pacheco.

The details

Pacheco raises 1,500 cows outside Kerman and is a moderate Democrat, while Murphy is the former mayor of Merced. Fresno County supervisors are not subject to term limits, while state legislators can serve a maximum of 12 years.

November 5, 2026: Election results reported with partial ballot counts.
2026 midterm election cycle: Pacheco said he had no intention to leave the county board before deciding to run.

Market Landscape

Fresno County produced a record $9.6 billion in agricultural output in 2025 across 300 farm commodities and ranks as the No. 1 agriculture county in the U.S. Pacheco's win puts a farmer focused on agriculture and water into the state legislature, where he will serve as a surrogate for farmers outside his district.

Farm operators in Assembly District 27 and surrounding counties may see agriculture and water policy prioritized in Sacramento under Pacheco's representation. Residents in Fresno, Merced, and Madera counties will have a legislator with direct dairy-farming experience.

The takeaway

A single farming voice in the Assembly can shape how agriculture and water issues are debated in Sacramento, and voters in California's farm regions should watch how that perspective translates into legislation.