Article By David Lindfield
California State Senator Scott Wiener helped kill a bill that would have barred registered child predators from running for or holding public office in the deep blue state.
Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat who chairs the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee, opposed Assembly Bill 2753 on Tuesday.
The bill had already passed the California State Assembly unanimously.
Authored by Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria of Merced, the legislation would have prohibited anyone required to register as a sex offender under California’s three-tier system from seeking or serving in state or local elected office.
That included offices such as the city council, school boards, and the state legislature.
The measure was introduced after registered sex offender Rene Campos announced a campaign for Fresno City Council.
Campos pleaded no contest in 2018 to a misdemeanor involving possession of child sex abuse material.
Bill Introduced After Sex Offender Ran for Office
Soria said she introduced the bill after promising her constituents she would act to stop registered sex offenders from seeking public office.
“It’s deeply disturbing that this issue is unfolding in my own backyard,” Soria said in a press release announcing the bill.
“The idea that a registered sex offender could run for public office in the City of Fresno is unacceptable.”
“This bill will ensure once and for all that registered sex offenders are prohibited from seeking public office in California, so voters can have confidence that those seeking to represent them meet the most basic standards of public trust,” she added.
The bill’s purpose was straightforward.
It would have kept registered sex offenders away from elected offices that make decisions affecting schools, parks, public safety, and local law enforcement.
Wiener Opposed Broader Ban
Wiener said he would support the legislation only if it were narrowed to apply solely to lifetime Tier 3 registrants.
Soria refused to accept that change.
The bill then died in Wiener’s committee.
Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty posted a video from the proceedings and said Wiener argued the bill was “dangerous” because the crimes “aren’t a huge deal” and that “some people just have flaws.”
Daugherty added, “This guy needs to be looked into.”
🚨 WTF?! California State Sen. Scott Wiener (D) just helped DEFEAT a bill that would've blocked registered s*x offenders from holding public office
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 1, 2026
Wiener said it's "dangerous" because the crimes aren't a huge deal, and that some people just have "flaws"
This guy needs to be… pic.twitter.com/tfdU1iTXKb
Soria expressed disappointment after the vote.
She said she was still processing what happened and vowed to continue fighting to keep registered sex offenders out of elected office.
The defeat of AB 2753 means registered sex offenders across California’s registration tiers can continue running for public office.
That includes offices with influence over schools, children, parks, and public safety.
Wiener Has Long Record on Sex-Offense Legislation
The bill’s defeat fits Wiener’s broader record of advancing policies that soften consequences for certain sex-related offenses.
In 2020, Wiener authored SB 145.
The bill, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, gave judges discretion to remove certain offenders from the sex offender registry in cases involving consensual acts between a 14-to-17-year-old and an adult no more than 10 years older.
Critics blasted the measure as the “pedophile protection bill.”
In 2017, Wiener authored SB 239.
That law reduced penalties for knowingly exposing others to HIV from a felony to a misdemeanor in many cases.
Wiener is now running for Congress in California’s heavily Democratic 11th District.
He is seeking to replace retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
In the June 2 top-two Democrat primary, Wiener finished first with roughly 40 percent of the vote.
He will face San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan in the November general election.
The political question is now unavoidable.
A bill to keep registered child sex offenders out of public office passed the Assembly unanimously.
Then it reached Wiener’s committee and died.
In California, even barring registered sex offenders from offices overseeing schools and children is apparently too much for some Democrats.
Be the first to comment