The three-time incumbent of the 61st District of California Jose Medina was re-elected to the California Assembly. He defeated challenger Hector Diaz (R- Moreno Valley).
Medina was initially elected to the Assembly in 2012 in the district that represents Riverside, Perris, Highgrove, and Moreno Valley.
In his first term as an assemblyman, Medina championed the effort to earmark $15 million of continuous funding from the state budget for the UC Riverside Medical School. Medina has also passed bills during his terms in office that helped small businesses in the district, aided senior citizens, and improved the movement of goods throughout the state of California.
Medina is a former high school teacher in the Riverside Unified School District serving nearly 40 years.
Medina resides in Riverside and graduated from UCR with a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and a master’s degree in history.