Melissa Hurtado

Senator Hurtado is the current Chair of the Senate Human Services Committee and an active member of Governance and Finance, Health, Veterans and Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services. In the Senate she fights to support working families, affordable housing and to reduce California's high poverty rate.  

State Senator Melissa Hurtado grew up in the Valley. As the daughter of immigrant parents and the first in her family to graduate from college, Melissa knows firsthand what it means to achieve the American dream. That is why she is serving in the State Senate – to advocate for access to healthcare, quality schools, good paying jobs and the opportunity for a better life.

After getting her degree at Sacramento State, Hurtado returned home to the Valley to serve her community and build a better life for Valley families. She served on the Sanger city council from 2016 until her election to the Senate in November 2018.

Before she served on the Council, Hurtado worked as a community organizer for public employees, where she helped lead the fight for good wages, healthcare coverage and retirement security.

On the Sanger City Council she helped create high-wage jobs, balanced the budget and built a reserve, all without raising taxes. In the Senate Melissa Hurtado will work across the aisle to improve the quality of life in the Valley and ensure Valley voices are heard at all levels of government.

Senator Hurtado is a proud resident of Sanger.