Elected to the California State Senate in November 2018 to represent the 30th Senate District, Archuleta represents portions of Los Angeles County and Orange County.

He currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and sits on the following committees- Business, Professions and Economic Development; Governmental Organization; Transportation; and the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management.

In August 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Senator Archuleta to the Governor's Military Council, which oversees more than 30 military bases in the state of California.

In 2012, Senator Archuleta was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy at West Point. As part of the Board, he made recommendations on the operations of the Academy as they related to curriculum, equipment, and other matters.

Senator Archuleta has served on the Los Angeles County Military Veteran Affairs Commission; the United States Army Advisory Board for Military Recruitment; and the Los Angeles County Library Commission. He is an Army combat veteran and former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and served with the Montebello Police Department. Senator Archuleta is married to his wife, Rose, has five children, and several grandchildren.