Fresno City Council Candidate Rene Campos, a Registered Sex Offender, Enters District 7 Race

A registered sex offender convicted of possessing child sex abuse material is now running for Fresno City Council District 7 — and he has no plans to step aside. 

Rene Campos, a Fresno native, announced his candidacy for the District 7 seat (covering Old Fig Garden, East Central Fresno, and parts of Southeast Fresno) earlier this year. He plead no contest in 2021 to a 2018 misdemeanor charge of possessing child pornography and served two years of formal probation. He remains on the sex offender registry under California’s Megan’s Law requirements.

In interviews with local media, Campos has been remarkably upfront — not out of shame, but as a selling point. “I believe Fresno deserves leaders who are honest from the very beginning, not the end,” he told ABC30. “I’ve been given a chance to rehabilitate through the courts and go back into the system.” His campaign slogan? “You are not your past.” He claims his conviction gives him unique insight into “reforming the laws that we are trying to reform right now” and positions himself as the candidate who “knows the system from the inside out” to focus on “safety” and “protect the vulnerable.” 

Fresno County Clerk James Kus confirmed to reporters that California law imposes no barrier: registered sex offenders can run for office once they regain voting rights. 

The race for District 7, left open by term limits on incumbent Nelson Esparza, includes several other contenders. Among them is Nav Gurm, who has received endorsements from Mayor Jerry Dyer and local firefighters. Gurm has questioned whether Campos’ status should disqualify him, noting restrictions that limit where registered sex offenders can go, such as near schools. “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?” Gurm asked in local reporting.

Campos has not yet formally filed candidacy paperwork; the deadline for the primary is March 6. Other candidates in the field include AJ Rassamni, focusing on homelessness, and Ariana Martinez Lott, emphasizing neighborhood investment.

The candidacy has drawn attention nationwide. Discussions center on questions of eligibility, voter discretion, and the balance between rehabilitation and community safety.

This week, the California Globe reported on Gov. Newsom facing calls to resign after his “elderly parole program” moved to release David Funston, a convicted serial child abuser described by Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper as a “monster.” Meanwhile, LAUSD — under Democrat control — is borrowing another $250 million for sex abuse settlements on top of the $500 million borrowed last year, as predators continue slipping through the cracks in our schools. 

District 7 voters will ultimately decide the outcome in the primary and potential runoff. The California Globe will monitor developments in this and other local races.