Florez began work at Bank of America in 1964, became the first female loan officer in the Shafter branch in 1973, and became the branch manager in 1990.[1] She later worked as a consultant for the PG&E corporate contributions program.[1] She is also a past president of the Chamber of Commerce of Shafter, California.
Florez won election to the Shafter City Council in 1996 and served there through 2008; she served as mayor (a council position) for four years,[1][2] and was the first Hispanic mayor of Shafter.[3] While serving as mayor, she decided to run for the 30th District seat in the state Assembly.[4]
In 2008, she was the Democratic nominee for the 30th District in the state Assembly. The outgoing incumbent, Democrat Nicole Parra,[5] endorsed Fran Florez's Republican opponent, former Assistant California Highway Patrol Chief Danny Gilmore.[6][7] Florez narrowly lost to Gilmore.[8]
In June 2010, Florez won the Democratic primary in the 30th Assembly District by 13 percent of the vote against Nicole Parra's father, Pete Parra.[9][7][10] She faced Republican farmer David Valadao in the November general election.[10] Nicole Parra endorsed Valadao in a televised advertisement.[11] Valadao won by a 61% to 39% margin.
In March 2013, she announced her candidacy for the 16th Senate District of the California state Senate,[12] and soon after ended her campaign to help support candidate Leticia Perez and the prospects of the Democratic party by avoiding a contested primary.[13]
