Hipolito Cerros, a little-known 28-year-old Democrat whose past posts included jokes about farting and urinating, has unseated California Assembly Republican leader Alexandra Macedo in a narrowly decided upset, the Associated Press projected Friday.
Cerros’ old social media posts resurfaced as ballots were counted and Macedo’s defeat in the 33rd Assembly District became increasingly likely.
“How is it possible that the Central Valley just voted to put this guy in office as a state legislator?” Orange County GOP Chair Will O’Neill wrote while drawing attention to the posts.
In one particularly crude 2019 post, Cerros wrote: “I accidentally farted in class but don’t even care at this point.”
He followed up by replying, “I forgot to put on underwear,” along with two laughing emojis. Cerros was attending the University of California, Davis, at the time.
In another post, Cerros appeared to boast about skipping classes and described several unflattering personal habits.
“I never go to class. I got a speeding ticket last week and I leave the toilet seat up after I pee,” he wrote.
In a separate screenshot, Cerros wrote that “it is and has always been… f— the police!” The post was published during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
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The California Post contacted Cerros for comment. The posts appear to have been deleted, and his X account now displays a single post from Friday celebrating his victory.
Cerros had finished 22 percentage points behind Macedo in the June primary, leading many observers to expect the Republican leader to win another comfortable term in the general election.
Instead, a midterm surge for Democrats that helped the party defeat Republicans nationwide—even in strongly conservative regions—appeared to extend into the Central Valley district, where President Donald Trump won 58.1% of the vote in 2024.
As of the latest results available Saturday, Cerros held 50.7% of the vote, roughly 1,500 ballots ahead of Macedo, who had 49.3%.
“Serving you in Sacramento has been the honor of my life, and I’m grateful to every voter, volunteer and supporter who stood with us. Fighting for the Valley has been, and always will be, my passion,” said Macedo, 32.
Cerros appeared to ride the Democratic wave despite raising and spending comparatively little money during the campaign.
He is not entirely new to public life. In 2022, at age 24, Cerros was appointed Lindsay’s youngest mayor by the City Council. He was born in Lindsay.
About two years later, however, the council removed Cerros from office over alleged inexperience and a lack of professionalism, according to the Sun Gazette.
