Merced native Mike Murphy is running for the open District 27 seat in the State Assembly in this year’s General Election to be decided in November. One advantage Murphy enjoys is the fact that he is very well known in the local area — the heart of District 27 — and has a successful leadership record here.
Murphy served on the Merced City Council for a total of nine years, and as mayor from 2016 to 2020. He also led community campaigns to improve the city, including the 2024 renewal of Measure C to support police and fire protection services.
Entering the State of California political arena, along with partisan campaigns, however, is a whole new ballgame, with a lot more intensity, to say the least. Murphy, a Republican, is facing off with Brian Pacheco, a Fresno County supervisor and a Democrat.
The Times recently met with the former mayor for a campaign update, and to see how he was holding up in the final weeks before Election Day on Nov. 3.
“My opponent has spent more money against me than has been spent in any Assembly race in the state,” Murphy says. “It shows that there’s desperation. And his attacks are pretty tone deaf because my record is one of always advocating for Merced and our region. So anything to the contrary is just pure fabrication. You don’t spend money like that unless you’re worried about the polling, and they’re concerned. Meanwhile, I continue to work hard and connect with voters and residents on the issues that are most important to this place and the Central Valley. Mostly, it’s about working families who are just trying to get by.”
The candidate continues, “Our state is headed in the wrong direction. And that’s not a partisan statement. We all know this. Republicans, Democrats, Independents alike … We all feel it. We’ve veered off course as a state, and we need more balance in the Legislature. That’s what I bring. I bring a common sense approach to problem solving, and one that is rooted in the experiences of people who live here, and work here, and are raising their families here.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work in Sacramento on behalf of our residents, and my commitment is that I will vote for the district every single time. I’m not beholden to party politics or partisanship. I will vote for the best interests of the district every time.
“Meanwhile my opponent is trying to buy the election. It’s clear. He’s spent millions and millions of dollars against me so far, and it just hasn’t worked. That has to be frustrating for him, but no amount of money can overcome a strong track record and a real connection with the community.”
Murphy says he’s confident with his campaign team which he says has enough resources “to get our message out in a smart way.”
“We’re more of a grassroots movement,” he says, “and there’s a lot of excitement from not only people here in Merced, but across the district, which also includes Madera County and Fresno County.”
The candidate says he is experiencing a broad coalition of support, that includes the endorsement of the Merced County Farm Bureau and the Central Valley Leadership Round Table.
“The Leadership Round Table is a group of Hispanic leaders in the communities that are mainly on the west side of the valley, in Merced County and in Fresno County. They’re members of local school boards, and city councils, and otherwise involved in the community, but they’re for the most part, dormer farm workers or the children of farmworkers who don’t always have the same viewpoint as farmers do. Well they endorsed me as well. And I am only the second Republican that the group has ever endorsed.
“It’s a broad coalition of people who are supporting me, and recognizing that a lot of the problems that we have here in California are not going to be solved through more partisan politics, but rather through problem solvers, and that’s what I continue to be.”
Murphy says he will be spending the final weeks before the election talking to as many voters as he can, while also deploying resources such as mailers, TV ads and digital streaming ads, as well as participating in candidate forums.
“This election race is important,” Murphy adds. “It’s one of the swing districts in the state. It’s one of the few swing districts in the state.”
That’s why, Murphy says, his opponent Pacheco is spending millions on the race.
Says Murphy, “Those millions are coming from outside the district. We looked at his public filings, and 96% of his money is from outside the district. Only 4% of his money comes from people who actually live in the area. It’s mainly Los Angeles and Bay Area and Sacramento dollars. He’s under the thumb of Assembly Speaker Rob Rivas, who is running his race. My contributions are the exact opposite. My contributions come from the district — from people who know me and can vote for me. And so I’m very proud of that.
“I think we’re ready for a new direction when it comes to representation in our area.”