Registered sex offender running for Fresno City Council fails to qualify for ballot

The registered sex offender who attempted to launch a bid for city council in Fresno, California, has failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Rene Campos will not appear on the ballot in the District 7 race after he was unable to obtain the 20 nomination signatures required before the filing deadline. In a public statement after the deadline passed, Campos acknowledged he would not qualify for the race.

“Today I was unable to obtain the required nomination signatures before the filing deadline, and I will not appear on the ballot for the Fresno City Council District 7 race,” he said.

“This campaign was a fight. There were attacks, pressure, and moments when standing up meant standing completely alone. But I stood anyway. I fought anyway. Again and again — because the Constitution is not defended when it is easy, it is defended when someone is willing to stand in the storm,” he continued. “I ran honestly and transparently. I spoke directly to the people. I met with those who supported me and even those who did not. And through it all, I kept fighting for what I believe matters most: dignity, equal rights, and the principle that no one should be told they do not belong.”

Campos announced last month that he planned to run for office despite a 2018 charge involving possession of child sexual abuse material. Last week, a Fresno elementary school filed a police report against Campos for holding a press conference near their school grounds.

Other candidates in the race criticized Campos’ campaign. Candidate AJ Rassamni called it Campos’ “15 minutes of fame.” Ariana Martinez, another candidate, said, “We will continue to stand against any kind of sexual predator.”

California Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria also celebrated Campos dropping out of the race. Soria had introduced legislation that would see sex offenders be barred from running for office.

“We are relieved to learn that a registered sex offender is no longer running for Fresno City Council. No other community should have to go through this,” she said, according to FOX 26. “That’s why this news changes nothing in our plans to amend AB 2753 to ensure a registered sex offender is ineligible to run for public office.”