Jim Shoemaker announced Monday he is seeking the California District Assembly 9 in the 2026 election cycle.

The seat is currently held by Republican Assembly leader Heath Flora who resides in Ripon.

“This decision wasn’t easy — especially with Proposition 50 looming over our entire state and the lawsuits, court filings, and uncertainty that come with it,” Shoemaker said. “But in moments of challenge, leadership matters most, and I refuse to walk away from the fight.”

Shoemaker has previously made runs for the California State Senate and Congress.

 Shoemaker emphasized that his roots, his family, and his commitments are firmly planted in San Joaquin County and across the Central Valley.

“This has been my home — the place where I raised my family, where I’m connected, and where I’ve invested my life. I have no interest in representing a district that encompasses an area I have nothing to do with, like the Bay Area.”:

Assembly District 9 includes the communities of Lodi, Manteca, Ripon, Escalon, Oakdale, Valley Springs, Ione, Galt, Rancho Murrietta, and surrounding areas.  

Shoemaker was born in San Pedro in Southern California.

As a teenager, he moved to South Dakota to work on his uncle’s farm after his father passed away when he was 10 years old. It was there that he learned to plant and harvest grain, operate tractors and combines, and run harvest operations from Texas to Canada.

 After returning to California, he worked as a truck driver and became a member of the Teamsters Union — experience that later inspired him to launch his own trucking company. Over the years, Shoemaker owned and operated multiple businesses in San Joaquin County and led the California Republican Assembly for over 20 years.

He has lived in the San Joaquin Valley for more than three decades.