Tracey La Monica, a former newspaper reporter and Tulare County Board of Supervisors aide, was promoted this week by state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, to head up his district office.

La Monica previously served as Ashburn's field representative for Tulare County. Now she will oversee operations at Ashburn's Bakersfield office, responsible for serving the far-flung 18th Senate District that covers parts of Tulare, Kern and San Bernardino counties and all of Inyo County.

She replaces Jeff Flores, who left Ashburn's office to take a management job with Rio Tinto Minerals/Borax.

Prior to joining Ashburn's office last year, La Monica worked for Tulare County as a representative for the county board of supervisors. Before that, she was a reporter with the Visalia Times-Delta.