The daughter of hardworking immigrant parents, Melissa grew up in the Valley. She learned firsthand from her parents that hard work, a good education and perseverance is fundamental to success. Melissa is the first from her family to graduate from college. After graduating from Sacramento State University, Melissa returned home to the Valley to serve her community and build a better life for Valley families. She advocated for teachers, patients and working families — helping lead the fight for good wages, access to quality health care and retirement security.
Senator Hurtado has worked to expand access to affordable, quality healthcare in the Valley. Her priorities include bringing more healthcare professionals to rural communities, improving emergency care and protecting women’s reproductive healthcare. In the Senate, Melissa Hurtado has secured essential funding and passed important policies to help improve healthcare in the Valley:
Required insurance providers to cover reimbursement for adverse childhood experiences, an extremely important issue given COVID’s impacts on everyone, but especially young people.
Won a $2 million investment for the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical to support Valley Fever research.
Won $15 million to help ensure vulnerable communities have access to asthma prevention services, education and support.