Is Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes Serving as an Elected State Senator or Not?

California State lawmakers and bureaucrats are appearing more and more like members of the Stalinist-era political elite in Eastern Europe, which enjoyed a gratuitous level of luxury, power and privilege.

Our lawmakers and appointed bureaucrats certainly are, as they snub requests for any government accountability. May 29, 2025 I sent a California Public Records Request to the Secretary of the State Senate Erika Contreras requesting information about Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Colton), Senate District 29, because she was not at the swearing-in session in December 2024, and has not shown up once since the beginning of the year – no committee hearings, no Senate floor sessions.

10 working days later, as required by the Legislative Open Records Act, I had not receive a response. I re-sent the records request, and received an acknowledgment. By 15 days, I re-sent the records request again. Finally I received a response to my request June 19.

Sen. Gomez Reyes’ official Senate website shows photos of her staff attending all kinds of district events, but not the Senator. Senate District 29 encompasses a large portion of San Bernardino County, including the cities of San Bernardino, Fontana, Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, and Upland.

I asked, “is the seat vacant?” Because all the information I have, including videos of committee hearings, is that Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes has never shown up for anything, including swearing-in, since swearing-in day, or the beginning of the year.

Every day the Senate Daily Journal has her absent. Her Senate seat in Senate Chambers is vacant. On swearing-in day Dec. 2, 2024, the Daily Journal says “absent due to family emergency.” It appears that she has never come to the Capitol since the election. All of the other days the Daily Journal says “absent due to illness.”

Was Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes even sworn-in?

I did not ask about the Senator’s health or medical information – just if she is serving or not. Senate Secretary Contreras pretty much blew off my request, attempting to hide behind the Senator’s right to personal privacy, and directing me to the Senate Daily Journal, which I already had. But Secretary Contreras’s response does not answer the question – every day the Daily Journal has her absent.

On swearing-in day Dec. 2 the Daily Journal says “absent due to family emergency.”  All the other days it says “absent due to illness.”

I asked, “Is Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes serving as an elected State Senator or not?” for which I did not receive an answer.

The Globe finds no evidence of Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes being at the Capitol or committee hearings at all in 2025. And it appears that she was not sworn in. We sincerely hope she is well, but there are 1 million constituents who are not being served if she is not serving as the elected State Senator.