Mike Murphy, the former mayor of Merced, announced this week his candidacy for the District 27 seat in the State Assembly.
The move comes a little over a week after current District 27 Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, tossed her hat in the ring for California’s 14th State Senate District in 2026.
The 45-year-old Murphy is out of the gate early with a campaign to fill what will be an open Assembly seat for this Central Valley region with a moderate Republican who seeks to bring about positive change in Sacramento.
The district includes most of Merced County, and parts of Madera and Fresno counties — from the City of Merced in the north, to Firebaugh and Mendota at the center, and Coalinga to the south.
“California’s Central Valley is the backbone of our state, and for too long we’ve been ignored and left behind by the politicians in Sacramento,” said Murphy in his official announcement. “I am running to be a champion for the Valley, to increase public safety, reduce the cost of living, improve transportation, increase access to quality healthcare, and create a secure water supply — because these are the issues that directly impact our families, businesses, and future generations.”
Known for coining the phrase “City on the Rise” — which became a popular slogan to symbolize growth in Merced as a university town — Murphy served a total of nine years on the City Council, from 2011 to 2020, including two consecutive terms as mayor. He is known for supporting public safety, UC Merced investment in town, and the redevelopment of the downtown arts and entertainment district. He has never lost an election, and he has successfully backed several ballot initiatives, including Measure C, the public safety initiative that was renewed by voters last year. Murphy led the citizens’ campaign for the measure known as “The Committee for a Safer Merced.”
This week, Murphy talked to the Times about his run for state office, his goals and the challenges he faces.
“In order to be effective in these races [for state office] it’s important that you have support both in the district and in Sacramento,” he said. “I expect to have both. I will be working hard over the next year and a half to make sure the voters know who I am, and the priorities that I have.
“There is a lot that is right about California. We have great geography. We have great climates, coastlines, mountain regions, and, of course, our valley. We have all these abundant resources and wonderful people who call the State of California home. I don’t think we have to take it for granted that we just get bad government. And the problem with California is Sacramento. … There are choices made in the Legislature, and policy decisions that we should change. We should be prioritizing water storage. We should be prioritizing law and order over criminals. We should be prioritizing housing affordability for our residents. And we should be working to improve educational outcomes. Those are all things that are within our control. We have the resources to do it. Now we just need the political willpower. I think people in this state are ready for that, but most importantly, they are ready for that here in the Central Valley.”
Murphy says his experience leading Merced as mayor puts him in a good position with voters who are concerned about electing quality candidates for representation. “Effective mayors are by their nature problem solvers. We solved a lot of problems when I was mayor. We did that by working collaboratively as a city council and with our residents — listening to them and crafting policy that was responsive to what they wanted and what was in their best interests.
“I will take the same approach to the State Assembly, and I will make sure Californians feel safe, and are safe. For too long, we have not prioritized law and order in the state, and it has had a real detrimental effect on families and businesses. … Residents are fed up with it, and we see this with the passage of Prop. 36 last fall. We are also tasked with making sure our residents have clean and reliable drinking water, and it’s important that we have a reliable water supply for cities and our agriculture industry. Also, the cost of living has to be a priority. … We need to focus on the pocket-book issues that really impact the day-to-day living of people. … We have to reduce the cost of gas. We shouldn’t just put up with the status quo, where our gas prices are among the highest in the nation, and our roads among the worst in the nation.”
It’s been many moons since a Republican from this local region has held a representative seat in the Assembly. Democrat Adam Gray of Merced was the Assembly member for a decade in what was the 21st District before redistricting. During that time, Gray twice defeated Republican challenger Jack Mobley, also of Merced. Last November, Assemblywoman Soria defended her District 27 seat by winning 53.9 percent of the vote, with Republican challenger Joana Garcia Rose of Atwater garnering 46.1 percent.
Nevertheless, Murphy points out that in 2026, there will be no incumbent on the ballot. It will be an open seat. He said most of the votes in District 27 are cast in Merced County, about 55 percent, whereas the other 45 percent are somewhat evenly split between Fresno and Madera counties. Republican voters have registered a strong turnout in the district, he adds.
Murphy can point to a long list of accomplishments he has been a part of as an elected leader. During his tenure at City Hall in Merced, there were a record number of housing starts, permitting was streamlined, cash reserves were boosted, and multiple major downtown redevelopment projects were put in motion (including the Tioga apartment building, the Mainzer Theatre and the Downtown UC Merced Campus Center). Murphy created a direct line with the current state governor and has traveled to the nation’s capital every year to meet with top federal officials. He was also invited by the Governor’s office to attend Governor Newsom’s first State of the State address along with a select group of mayors from California.
Mayor Murphy was the first Merced mayor to recognize the local LGBTQ+ community with a city resolution during Pride Week, and he was influential in the establishment of a Citizens Advisory Committee to explore procedures at the Merced Police Department.
As for his personal history, Murphy is a graduate of Golden Valley High School in Merced. He went on to study law at Georgetown University. Later in life, he helped open the Murphy & Brawley law firm in downtown Merced. He is currently practicing as a business attorney for a national firm.
Murphy and his wife, Heather, remain active in the Merced community and have four children.
For more information about Mike Murphy’s campaign, visit mikemurphy4assembly.com.