Andreas Borgeas (born March 7, 1974) is an American attorney, politician, and academic who served as a member of the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...

from the 8th district, which included parts of the Central Valley and the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

. Prior to being elected to the state Senate, he was a member of the

Fresno County Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most populous city in Cali ...

Board of Supervisors. He represented all or portions of Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne counties.

Early life and education

Borgeas is a native of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from

California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...

, a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from

Georgetown University Law School The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...

, and a PhD in international affairs from

Panteion University The Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences ( el, Πάντειον Πανεπιστήμιο Κοινωνικών και Πολιτικών Επιστημών), usually referred to simply as the Panteion University, is a university loc ...

. He conducted his PhD field research in, and published extensively on, China and the neighboring Central Asian republics.

Career

Academics and law

Borgeas conducted his PhD field research in, and published extensively on, China and the neighboring Central Asian Republics, receiving his graduate education at

Georgetown Law School The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and t ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and

(

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

) of Political Sciences. After graduating, Borgeas was a

law clerk A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person, generally someone who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significant ...

for Judge Oliver Wanger of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of California The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (in case citations, E.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appeal ...

. Borgeas then practiced law at Luce Forward. For over a decade he has been a professor in the fields of international law and security affairs at the San Joaquin College of Law in

Clovis, California Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The 2020 population was 120,124. Clovis is located northeast of downtown Fresno, at an elevation of 361 feet (110 m). History The city of Clovis began as a freight stop along the S ...

and is an adjunct professor at the

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), formerly known as the Monterey Institute of International Studies, is an American graduate school of Middlebury College, a private college in Middlebury, Vermont. Established ...

. As an educator, he has worked in numerous international professional and academic capacities; including, as a Fulbright Scholar, Contributing Fellow for the Woodrow Wilson Center, Policy Specialist Fellow at the U.S. Embassy in

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

and was appointed by House Minority Leader

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...

as commissioner on the

United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission (informally, the US-China Commission, USCC) is an independent agency of the United States government. It was established on October 30, 2000, through the Floyd D. Spence National Defe ...

Local politics

In 2008, Borgeas started his political career by running successfully for the

Fresno City Council Fresno City Council is the legislative body of Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley regi ...

. In 2012, Borgeas was elected to the

Board of Supervisors; he was re-elected in 2016.

California State Senate

In November 2018, Borgeas was elected as a Republican to the

, representing the 8th district. Borgeas defeated

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Paulina Miranda with 59.6% of the votes. Borgeas serves as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and vice chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. On January 11, 2022, Borgeas announced he would not seek a second term in the state Senate.

White House visit

In October 2019, Borgeas was invited by President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

to witness the signing of two executive orders at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

2022 congressional special election

After incumbent Congressman

Devin Nunes Devin Gerald Nunes (; born October 1, 1973) is an American businessman and politician who is chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). Before resigning from the House of Representatives and joining TMTG, Nunes was ...

announced that he would resign from California's 8th congressional district to become CEO of the

Trump Media & Technology Group Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), also known as T Media Tech LLC, is an American media and technology company founded in 2021 by former U.S. president Donald Trump. In October 2021, the company announced a merger agreement with Digital Wor ...

, Borgeas formed an exploratory committee to consider a campaign for the seat. On January 6, 2022, Borgeas announced that he was suspending his campaign for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

Political positions

Bipartisanship

Borgeas has been lauded for his bipartisan leadership when it comes to addressing regional issues on numerous occasions. The Fresno Bee has acknowledged Borgeas' objective and deft handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Borgeas also successfully spearheaded, with his Democratic colleague,

Anna Caballero Anna Marie Caballero (born April 18, 1955) is an American politician serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, she represents the 12th State Senate district, encompassing the Salinas Valley and part of the Central Valley. She previou ...

, a bipartisan effort to deliver $2.6 billion to small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Borgeas has been praised by ''The Modesto Bee'', ''The Fresno Bee'', and ''The Sacramento Bee'' for being one of the few Republicans to condemn the

2021 storming of the United States Capitol On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-United States President, U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election, 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol, U ...

. The Sacramento Bee noted: "...state Sen. Andreas Borgeas, R-Fresno, who is apparently the only one of California’s nine Republican state senators willing to directly say the truth."

CEQA reform

Borgeas has been a staunch advocate for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reform. In an op-ed Borgeas stated "...CEQA has morphed into a legal weapon for lawyers and activist groups to stall essential projects..." and narrowly passed Senate Bill 659 through the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Assembly Bill 5

Borgeas has been an opponent of California Assembly Bill 5, passed by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez in 2019. In a tweet, Borgeas claimed AB 5 "...limit an individual's ability for flexible employment and destroys entire industries across California. Independent contractors and small businesses are the backbone of a thriving California economy." He organized a town hall at Clovis Community College to discuss the bill's impact on freelancers and independent contractors.

Water

Borgeas has advocated for state and federal support to improve the Friant-Kern Canal, which is critical for water delivery to the agricultural industry in the San Joaquin Valley. Senate Bill 559 introduced by state Senator

Melissa Hurtado Melissa Hurtado (born March 6, 1988) is an American politician serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, she represents the 16th Senate District, which encompasses Bakersfield, Kings County, and parts of Tulare County. Prior to being ...

would have allocated $400 million in state funding to make necessary repairs to the canal as a result of subsidence from groundwater overdraft. Borgeas has also vocalized support for the federal government's plan to increase water deliveries to California farmers. During then-President Donald Trump's visit to the San Joaquin Valley in February 2020, Borgeas stated,"The ball is now in Governor Newsom's court to provide clean, reliable and ample water supplies to Valley farmers and communities. The state must ensure that infrastructure and storage are a top priority. It's simple: no water, no farms, and no food."

Taxes and the economy

Borgeas has received high marks from the

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is a California-based nonprofit lobbying and policy organization that advocates for Proposition 13 and Proposition 218. Officially nonpartisan, the organization also advocates against raising taxes in Cali ...

and the

California Chamber of Commerce California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Personal life

Borgeas and his wife, Anna, have two sons. Borgeas and his family live in

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...

. Borgeas has said growing up in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

helped shape his political views at an early age. Borgeas is known to be heavily involved in Fresno's Greek and Armenian communities. He is also known for his involvement with the Fresno Greek Fest and as an advocate for the recognition of the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

References

External links

*
Andreas Borgeas at ballotpedia.org

Join California Andreas Borgeas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borgeas, Andreas 1974 births 21st-century American politicians American people of Greek descent Republican Party California state senators California State University, Fresno alumni County supervisors in California Georgetown University Law Center alumni Greek Orthodox Christians from the United States Living people