Former Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) issued the following statement to his supporters on Dec. 2, the day after Republican David Hadley was sworn in as the new representative of the 66th Assembly District.
The final count in the Nov. 4 election showed Hadley with 54,401 votes (50.3 percent) and Muratsuchi with 53,695 (49.7 percent), a difference of 706 votes.
=*=
Thanks to you, I had the privilege of representing the beautiful South Bay as a California State assemblymember for the past two years.
With all the votes counted, I came less than one percent short of re-election. While I am confident of my record, I could not overcome a historic low voter turnout in a competitive district, combined with an unprecedented $1.4 million smear campaign bankrolled by billionaire outsider Charles Munger and other special interests.
Regardless of the election outcome, I am proud of my record of working across party lines to focus on common sense priorities like jobs, education, the environment, and fiscal responsibility. Some highlights of my record:
• Delivering balanced budgets with over a billion dollars in reserves, without voting for a single tax increase
• Enacting job-creator laws such as AB 777, which cuts taxes to help the aerospace industry create jobs, and AB 2188, which streamlines regulations to incentivize solar energy and support small businesses
• As chairman of the Budget Subcommittee on education funding, restoring over $10 billion in funding for our schools, community colleges, and universities, and saving career technical education programs like the Southern California Regional Occupational Center
• Receiving the Legislator of the Year Award from the California Solar Energy Industry Association, American Veterans (AMVETS), Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Global Automakers Association, California Community College Association for Occupational Education, and the Boys and Girls Club of the South Bay
I could not have done all this without your support. I thank you with all my heart.
As for me, I’m not done fighting. I am preparing for a comeback in 2016, and I would appreciate your ongoing support.
Happy Holidays!