It’s not illegal in Gavin Newsom’s California.
A registered sex offender is jumping into a heated race for District 7 on the Fresno City Council — and critics are sounding the alarm.
Rene Campos, a Fresno native, was charged in 2018 with possession of child sex abuse material and says he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge.
He is a registered sex offender.
“I believe Fresno deserves leaders who are honest from the very beginning, not the end. Going into this, I am putting my life out there,” Campos said. “I’ve been given a chance to rehabilitate through the courts and go back into the system.”
Now he says he wants to focus on safety, arguing his experience gives him insight into laws “we are trying to reform right now.”
“They say let’s choose somebody outside the box, somebody who knows the system from the inside out,” Campos said.
Here’s the legal twist: California law does not automatically bar a registered sex offender from running for office. California Election Code permits registered sex offenders to run for local office absent specific prohibitions, but Campos would face restrictions like bans on school grounds, fueling debates on redemption versus public safety in Democratic-led reforms.
Rival candidate Nav Gurm thinks Campos shouldn’t be allowed to run.
“I think it should be a disqualification to serve in public office. 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 in the neighborhoods I want to serve?” Gurm said.
Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus says eligibility comes down to voter registration and residency.
“Once you leave prison, you’re on probation, you actually are allowed in California to reapply and become a registered voter again, which would then make you eligible to run as long as you’re living in the proper jurisdiction,” Kus said.
Absolutely outrageous.
Watch the clip above
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