Man who spent two decades in prison announces run for California House seat

Francisco Carrillo, who spent nearly two decades in prison before his wrongful conviction was overturned in 2011, announced his campaign for a congressional seat in California on Wednesday.

Carillo, who was featured on the Netflix documentary series The Innocence Files, is running to represent the 27th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.

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“I know what it feels like to be ignored, marginalized, forgotten about,” Carrillo said in his announcement video. “There are people who abuse their power and benefit from the system. Then there’s the rest of us. We play by the rules and get screwed by the same exact system. This is why I’m running for Congress against Rep. Mike Garcia [R-CA].”

Carrillo was arrested following a drive-by shooting at the age of 16 after police mistakenly identified him in a different case, according to the documentary. He was convicted of murder and six counts of attempted murder in 1992 and sentenced to life in prison. However, Carrillo was exonerated in 2011 because most of the witnesses recanted their testimonies and other men confessed to the crimes.

The 27th District is considered a battleground district after it went to President Joe Biden in 2020 but voted for the more conservative Garcia in 2022. The district is a target for Democrats in 2024 as they attempt to regain the House next year.

Carrillo, who is on the Probation Oversight Commission of Los Angeles County, said his campaign will focus on criminal justice reform and economic justice.

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“[I want] to let them know that there are people who can endure, there are good people who will come to the aid of others,” Carrillo told CNN. “And ultimately, there are people who have been wronged by systems, and social justice can prevail. We definitely have to think about this no longer as punishment but more reform and be more compassionate with those who made a momentary mistake in most cases.”

Former NASA chief of staff George Whitesides has also announced a campaign for the Democratic nomination.