Joaquin Arambula (born May 17, 1977) is an American politician and emergency department physician serving in the California State Assembly. A member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus and the California Legislative Progressive Caucus, he was elected in a 2016 special election to represent the same district previously held by his father, Juan Arambula. The special election was held following the resignation of Henry Perea, who resigned from the Assembly to work as a lobbyist for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. He is currently running for Fresno City Council in 2026.
Early life and career Joaquin Arambula was born on May 17, 1977 in Delano, California to Juan Arambula and Amy Rappaport. His father, Juan Arambula, pursued a career in politics, serving on the Fresno Unified School District Board, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, and in the California State Assembly from 1987 to 2010. His mother, Amy, is the daughter of lawyer Jerome Lyle Rappaport and the sister of Republican politician Jim Rappaport and adolescent psychiatrist Nancy Rappaport. His brother, Diego, multiple positions in schools in Fresno before being appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees in 2020. Arambula moved to Fresno for his education, attending Computech Middle School and Edison High School. He later studied at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and the University of Minnesota Medical School. For 20 years, he practiced medicine in the Central Valley, where he said he saw patients who could not afford prescriptions, inspiring him to run for office.
Political career In May 2015, Arambula announced his candidacy for the California State Assembly, aiming to succeed term-limited Democrat Henry Perea. He cited his experience as an emergency room doctor, saying he had seen too many people without access to primary care and was also concerned about public education. His father, Juan, advised him against running and encouraged him to remain in medicine. Perea resigned on December 31, 2015 to become a lobbyist, and a special election was held, which Arambula won.
He was re-elected in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 by large margins against Republican opponents, never receiving less than 60% of the vote. During his tenure in the California State Assembly, Arambula played a key role in efforts to expand Medi-Cal access to all residents regardless of immigration status. His legislative priorities centered on improving health care access and affordability, protecting safety net programs for working families, addressing the shortage of doctors and medical providers, and expanding workforce development programs.
In 2026, he announced his retirement from the State Assembly and said he would run for the Fresno City Council. During the primary, Solomon Verduzco, Arambula’s opponent in 2024, launched the website Joaquin Needs a Job, which attacked Arambula on his record. He finished first with about 30% of the vote and went into a runoff against Fresno Unified Trustee Keshia Thomas.
Personal life Arambula married his wife, Elizabeth, on January 22, 2011, having three girls with her.
Arambula was arrested on December 10, 2018, on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, a misdemeanor under California domestic violence statutes. The assemblymember thanked the teachers at his daughter's school and police officers “for doing their job” in starting the investigation. One of his daughters had alleged that her father hit her on the face while he was wearing a ring. During trial, photos were shown to jurors that showed a 1-inch bruise on the child's right temple. On the witness stand during his trial, his daughter largely described the incident as an accident. In May 2019, a Fresno jury found Arambula not guilty.
On January 7, 2026, Aarambula entered a voluntary inpatient rehabilitation program, and on January 26 his wife Elizabeth filed for divorce, accusing him of past substance abuse and gaming addiction. He completed the program on February 6, saying in his declaration that he “needed some help to adjust and to make sure that [he] did not become dependent on alcohol or marijuana,” and that he had no criminal or psychiatric history. By April, they told reporters that they had met and reached a temporary agreement while continuing their divorce, with him being allowed to see their children and Elizabeth providing financial support.
Electoral history
References
External links
Campaign website