An obscure 28-year-old Democrat who posted online about farting, skipping class, and leaving the toilet seat up has toppled the Republican leader in the California Assembly. The Associated Press projected Hipolito Cerros as the winner Friday after a closely contested election, as reported by The New York Post.

Cerros defeated Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo in the 33rd Assembly District, delivering an upset few expected after the June primary. He had trailed Macedo by 22 percentage points during that earlier contest.

The Democrat’s old social media posts began resurfacing while votes were still being counted and Macedo’s prospects for another term appeared to fade. The posts offered voters a rather revealing look at Cerros’ previous online habits.

Orange County GOP Chair Will O’Neill drew attention to the material as Cerros moved closer to victory. “How is it possible that the Central Valley just voted to put this guy in office as a state legislator?” O’Neill exclaimed.

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In one 2019 post, Cerros wrote that he “accidentally farted in class but don’t even care at this point.” Cerros was attending the University of California, Davis, at the time.

He then replied to his own post with another detail unlikely to appear on a polished campaign biography. “I forgot to put on underwear” Cerros wrote, adding two laughing emojis.

These are real posts from a person about to be a state legislator in California: https://t.co/0mAXB3BAYT

— Will O'Neill (@RealWillONeill) November 11, 2026

Another post combined his approach to school, driving and bathroom etiquette in a single sentence. “I never go to class. I got a speeding ticket last week and I leave the toilet seat up after I pee,” Cerros wrote.

Cerros also posted a blunt message about law enforcement during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. In a screenshot, he wrote that “it is and has always been… f— the police!”

This is the cycle from hell.

This guy is about to become an Assembly Member in the State of California: https://t.co/ICTBF6MCso — Will O'Neill (@RealWillONeill) November 11, 2026

The California Post contacted Cerros for comment regarding the resurfaced material. Cerros appears to have since deleted the posts, while his X account showed one post from Friday celebrating his victory.

The election outcome represented a sharp reversal from the June primary, when Macedo finished 22 percentage points ahead of Cerros. Many had expected the Republican leader to secure another comfortable victory in the general election.

Instead, Democrats routed Republicans nationwide during the midterms, including in areas described as deeply Republican. That wave appeared to reach the Central Valley district, where President Donald Trump received 58.1% of the vote in 2024.

According to the latest results available Saturday, Cerros held 50.7% of the vote. He was approximately 1,500 votes ahead of Macedo, who had 49.3%.

Macedo, 32, issued a statement reflecting on her service after the result. “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,” she said.

Cerros appeared to benefit from the broader midterm wave that helped Democrats across the country. Some observers noted that he prevailed despite raising and spending relatively little money during the campaign.

Although Cerros was obscure in the Assembly contest, he was not entirely new to politics. The Lindsay native was appointed the city’s youngest mayor by the City Council in 2022, when he was 24.

His time as mayor did not last. Roughly two years later, the council removed Cerros from the position because of alleged inexperience and a lack of professionalism, according to the Sun Gazette.

Cerros now heads toward the California Assembly following a victory that combined a national Democratic wave with a startling reversal of the primary result. His resurfaced posts ensured the upset came with an online record full of bathroom talk, classroom confessions and hostility toward police.