# Jim Patterson (California politician)

James Norwood Patterson (born February 18, 1948) is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly from 2012 to 2024. He represented the 8th district, which encompasses eastern Fresno County, including the cities of Fresno and Clovis, and a small slice of Tulare County. A Republican, he is the former Mayor of Fresno.

## Early career

Prior to being elected to public office, he was a business executive and broadcaster owning and operating radio stations in California and Idaho.

## Mayor

Patterson was Mayor of Fresno between 1993 and 2001, defeating incumbent Democrat Karen Humphrey for reelection by a landslide, and being succeeded by Alan Autry.

## 2002 Congressional election

Patterson ran for the Republican nomination in California's 21st congressional district, a district with new boundaries created through reapportionment after the 2000 United States census. His opponents were State Assemblyman Mike Briggs and Devin Nunes, the California State Director for the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development section. Patterson came in close second place to Nunes, who would eventually win the general election.

## 2010 Congressional election

Patterson ran for the Republican nomination in California's 19th congressional district, to take over the seat of retiring Congressman George Radanovich. He finished second in the June 8, 2010 primary to state Senator Jeff Denham, who won the general election.

## Political positions

In the wake of a 2018 shooting spree in Tulare County by an illegal alien, Patterson called on his fellow legislators to change California Sanctuary Law SB54 to allow local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

## 2024 election

Patterson is barred by term limits from seeking reelection to the state Assembly. He's announced that he plans to run for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors in 2024.

## Electoral history

1996 Fresno mayoral election :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Jim Patterson (incumbent) | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 36,281 | 53.0 |
| Michael Erin Woody | Michael Erin Woody | 24,531 | 35.8 |
| James "Jim" Lanas | James "Jim" Lanas | 2,125 | 3.1 |
| Lewis A. Jackson | Lewis A. Jackson | 1,901 | 2.7 |
| Randy Risner | Randy Risner | 1,201 | 1.7 |
| Johnny Nelum | Johnny Nelum | 1,068 | 1.5 |
| Michael Eagles | Michael Eagles | 763 | 1.1 |
| Lawrence A. Cano | Lawrence A. Cano | 558 | 0.8 |
| Mauro Buzz Gugliemo | Mauro Buzz Gugliemo | 2 | 0.0 |
| Frank Ramirez | Frank Ramirez | 0 | 0.0 |
| Unqualified write-ins | Unqualified write-ins | 20 | 0.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 68,450 | 100 |
2002 California's 21st United States House of Representatives district Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Devin Nunes | 21,438 | 37.1 |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson | 19,099 | 33.0 |
| | Republican | Mike Briggs | 14,864 | 25.7 |
| | Republican | Tom Wright | 1,413 | 2.5 |
| | Republican | Nathan Short | 436 | 0.7 |
| | Republican | Richard Morgan | 369 | 0.6 |
| | Republican | Greg Ingles | 258 | 0.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 57,441 | 100 |
2010 California's 19th United States House of Representatives district Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jeff Denham | 26,594 | 36.3 |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson | 22,355 | 30.6 |
| | Republican | Richard Pombo | 15,196 | 20.7 |
| | Republican | Larry Westerlund | 9,126 | 12.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 73,271 | 100 |
2012 California's 23rd State Assembly district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson | 30,827 | 39.4 |
| | Republican | Bob Whalen | 19,992 | 25.5 |
| | Democratic | Richard Rojas | 17,690 | 22.6 |
| | Republican | Vong Mouanoutoua | 5,487 | 7.0 |
| | Republican | David DeFrank | 4,278 | 5.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 78,274 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Jim Patterson | 83,817 | 54.7 |
| | Republican | Bob Whalen | 69,457 | 45.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 153,274 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2014 California's 23rd State Assembly district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 55,914 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 55,914 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 82,417 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 82,417 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2016 California's 23rd State Assembly district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 73,686 | 77.4 |
| | Republican | Gwen L. Morris | 21,522 | 22.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 95,208 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 125,123 | 75.9 |
| | Republican | Gwen L. Morris | 39,656 | 24.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 164,809 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2018 California's 23rd State Assembly district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 58,927 | 64.9 |
| | Democratic | Aileen Rizo | 31,902 | 35.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 90,829 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 98,789 | 59.4 |
| | Democratic | Aileen Rizo | 67,443 | 40.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 166,232 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2020 California's 23rd State Assembly district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 85,465 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2022 California's 8th State Assembly district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 91,237 | 100% |
| | Libertarian | Thomas Edward Nichols (write-in) | 15 | 0.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 91,252 | 100% |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Jim Patterson (incumbent) | 128,124 | 74.2 |
| | Libertarian | Thomas Edward Nichols | 44,451 | 25.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 172,575 | 100% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |