FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Rene Campos, the registered sex offender who has been making headlines nationally for announcing a run for Fresno City Council, officially filed paperwork on Friday.
He is running for the City Council District 7 seat, currently held by Councilman Nelson Esparza.
Campos issued a statement to the media on Friday morning. “I’m here now finishing the paperwork to place my name on the ballot.. I’m not available for questions today,” the statement read.” Please respect my privacy while I complete the filing.”
For transparency, I’ve completed the oath and am finishing the remaining paperwork now to place my name on the ballot. Thank you.
Shortly after filing, he released another statement.
I took the oath today, and it was a powerful moment. That oath is not about a headline or a label — it’s about the Constitution and the promise that in this country we don’t decide who belongs and who doesn’t. If I’m ever entrusted with office, I will uphold that oath with everything in me. Because the Constitution isn’t meant to protect the popular — it’s meant to protect everyone. Today it may be me. Tomorrow it could be you. And yesterday, it was someone else. That’s exactly why that oath matters.
The story of his intention to run for city council has stirred up controversy, both locally and nationally, showing up on Fox News and other news outlets.
“It has come to my attention and even hit national news that we have a registered sex offender who is currently running for Fresno City Council,” said Councilwoman Annalisa Perea. “While I respect anybody’s ability to serve our community, I find this quite disturbing.”
Councilmembers say they are considering legislation aimed at preventing registered sex offenders from holding public office.
Campos addressed the concerns by holding a news conference in front of St. John’s Cathedral on Mariposa Street in downtown Fresno.
The church sits directly across the street from Big Picture Elementary, which raised even more questions.
Councilwoman Perea issued a statement following the news conference, as did the Diocese of Fresno, which said it was not notified that Campos would be speaking in front of the church.
Big Picture Elementary also spoke out about the situation.
“At Big Picture Educational Academy, the safety and well-being of our students is our highest obligation. We are sharing this update to address a deeply troubling incident that occurred near our campus.”
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We are not taking this lightly. We are actively pursuing every available legal measure to safeguard our students and ensure no legal boundaries are crossed. Student safety is not a political issue; it is a fundamental right that we will defend without hesitation.