Fran Florez

Fran Florez (born in Bakersfield, California) is an American politician from California and a member of the Democratic party.

She is also the mother of Democratic State Senator Dean Florez, who has represented the area (which includes Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Kings counties) in the legislature since 1998.

Florez is a past member and president of the Shafter Chamber of Commerce. She won election to the Shafter City Council in 1996 and has served there everl since; she currently serves as Mayor.

Since 2002, she has also been a member of the California High Speed Rail Authority, serving as chairman in 2005.

In 2008, she was the Democratic nominee for the 30th District in the California State Assembly. The incumbent, Democrat Nicole Parra, had been feuding with her son, Dean Florez, for years and consequently endorsed Fran Florez' Republican opponent, former Assistant CHP Chief Danny Gilmore. In a mild surprise, she narrowly lost to Gilmore in the Democratic-leaning district [1].

In June 2010, Florez won the Democratic primary in the 30th Assembly District against Nicole Parra's father, Pete Parra. She faced Republican farmer David Valadao in the November general election. Valadao soundly defeated her by a 61% to 39% margin.