Morning Chronicle - Hipolito Cerros Wins California Assembly Seat Amid Resurfaced Social Media Posts

Hipolito Cerros, a 28-year-old Democrat who previously served as the youngest mayor in Lindsay’s history, has won a surprise victory in California’s 33rd Assembly District, toppling Republican leader Alexandra Macedo. The Associated Press projected the upset on Friday as vote counting continued, with Cerros securing approximately 1,500 more votes than his opponent.

The election result has triggered a renewed focus on Cerros’ past social media activity. As it became clear that Macedo was trailing in the race, old posts from his X account began to resurface, drawing criticism from political opponents and observers.

Among the highlighted posts is a 2019 tweet from when Cerros was attending the University of California, Davis, in which he wrote that he "accidentally farted in class but don’t even care at this point." He followed up with a reply stating, "I forgot to put on underwear," accompanied by laughing emojis. Another post from that period included the statement: "I never go to class. I got a speeding ticket last week and I leave the toilet seat up after I pee."

Additional scrutiny has been directed at a screenshot of a 2020 post made during the height of Black Lives Matter protests, in which Cerros wrote, "it is and has always been… f— the police!" Orange County GOP Chair Will O’Neill pointed to these posts on social media, asking, "How is it possible that the Central Valley just voted to put this guy in office as a state legislator?"

Cerros appears to have deleted the controversial posts following the election. His X account currently displays only one post from Friday celebrating his victory. The California Post reached out to Cerros for comment regarding the resurfaced content.

The outcome defied early expectations, as Cerros had trailed Macedo by 22 percentage points in the June primary. Many analysts anticipated that Macedo would secure a comfortable win in the general election. However, a broader Democratic wave during the midterm elections influenced the race, even in districts that heavily supported President Donald Trump in 2024, where he received 58.1% of the vote.

According to the latest results as of Saturday, Cerros held 50.7% of the vote compared to Macedo’s 49.3%. Macedo, 32, acknowledged the result in a statement, saying, "Serving you in Sacramento has been the honor of my life, and I’m grateful to every voter, volunteer and supporter who stood with us. Fighting for the Valley has been, and always will be, my passion."

Cerros’ victory is notable not only for its unexpected nature but also for his campaign’s financial profile. Observers noted that he won despite raising and spending relatively little money compared to traditional legislative campaigns.

While new to the state legislature, Cerros has prior political experience. He was appointed mayor of Lindsay by the City Council in 2022 at age 24, becoming the city’s youngest mayor. However, his tenure ended roughly two years later when the council removed him from office due to alleged inexperience and a lack of professionalism, according to reports from the Sun Gazette.

Cerros is now set to assume his role as Assembly Member for the 33rd District, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of California’s Central Valley.

M.F.Burton--MC-UK