Maria Pacheco, Mayor of Kerman and Candidate for Fresno County Supervisor District 1

In this episode of Fresno’s Best, host Jordan Mattox sits down with Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco, who is now running for Fresno County Supervisor, District 1. Drawing from her lived experience growing up in poverty, raising children as a young parent, and navigating social services firsthand, Pacheco offers a deeply personal perspective on the systems that shape life in the Central Valley.

The conversation moves from education and mental health to housing, homelessness, and the challenges facing rural communities like Kerman. Pacheco makes a case for rethinking how the county invests in social services—especially mental health care—and argues that real change begins by listening to the people most affected by policy decisions. She also reflects on her time as mayor, the realities of rural infrastructure and transportation, and what it would mean to bring a more community-centered voice to county government.

Maria's County Supervisor Campaign Website

Books:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez