RAFU STAFF REPORT
Several AAPI candidates from both major parties, both incumbents and challengers, ran in the June 7 California legislative races.
In each race, the top two candidates, even if they are from the same party, will face off in the November general election. Following are the latest results.
State Senate
District 2 (Novato, Sonoma): Democratic incumbent Mark McGuire received 98,721 votes (75.6%) to Republican business owner Gene Yoon’s 31,860 (24.4%).
District 6 (Sacramento): Democrat Paula Villescaz, a health policy director, was the top vote-getter with 51,476 (46.7%), followed by Republican small businessman Roger Niello (44,597, 40.5%) and Republican physician and surgeon Michael Huang (14,092, 12.8%). The current senator, Democrat Dr. Richard Pan, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. He serves as chair of the API Legislative Caucus.
District 10 (Alameda and Santa Clara counties): Democrat Lily Mei, mayor of Fremont, was the top vote-getter with 35,918 (34.2%), followed by Democrat Aisha Wahab (29,367, 28.0%), a member of the Hayward City Council; Republican Paul J Pimentel (22,874, 21.8%), small business owner and pastor; Democrat Jamal Khan (8,055, 7.7%), an attorney; Democrat Raymond Liu (5,446, 5.2%), an engineer; and Democrat Jim Canova (3,390, 3.2%), a businessman and school trustee. The district is currently represented by Democrat Bob Wieckowski, who is termed out.
District 22 (San Gabriel Valley): Democratic incumbent Susan Rubio led with 38,213 (58.9%), followed by Republican Vincent Tsai (18,086, 27.9%), an L.A. County deputy sheriff; and Republican Kimo Mateo (8,606, 13.3%), an operations manager.
District 36 (Orange County-Los Angeles County border): Republican Assemblymember Janet Nguyen came in first with 101,307 (56.9%) to Democrat Kim Carr’s 76,683 (43.1%). Nguyen, who previously served in the State Senate and on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, is running in the newly drawn 36th Senate District, which includes Little Saigon and extends down the coast to the San Diego County border. Carr is a member of the Huntington Beach City Council.
State Assembly
District 10 (North Bay): Democrat Stephanie Nguyen, a member of the Elk Grove City Council, was in the lead with 15,580, 32.7%), followed by Democrat Eric Guerra (13,445, 28.2%), a member of the Sacramento City Council; Republican Eric M. Rigard (12,501, 26.2%), a retired businessman; Democrat Tecoy Porter (3,550, 7.5%), a pastor and nonprofit director; and Democrat Ben Thompkins (2,567, 5.4%), a retired emergency physician. The district is currently represented by Democrat Marc Levine, who gave up the seat to run for California insurance commissioner.
District 19 (San Francisco): Democratic incumbent Phil Ting received an overwhelming 84,704 votes (80.0%) to Republican industry analyst Karsten Weide’s 21,222 (20.0%).
District 20 (Hayward, Castro Valley): Democrat Liz Ortega, executive secretary of Alameda County, led with 16,748 (32.0%), followed by Democrat Shawn Kumagai (13,099, 25.0%), a member of the Dublin City Council and the only AAPI and LGBT candidate in the race; Republican Joseph Grcar (11,329, 21.6%), a retired laboratory scientist; and Democrat Jennifer Esteen (11,225, 21.4%), a psychiatric registered nurse. The district is currently represented by Democratic Assemblymember Bill Quirk, who did not seek re-election.
District 24 (Fremont, Milpitas): Democratic incumbent Alex Lee, who currently represents District 25, was in the lead with 22,022 (39.0%), followed by Republican Bob Brunton (11,918, 21.1%), a former member of the Ohlone College Board of Trustees; Democrat Kansen Chu (10,516, 18.6%), a Berryessa Union School District board member and former member of the State Assembly and San Jose City Council; Democrat Teresa Keng (7,452, 13.2%), a member of the Fremont City Council; and Democrat Lan Diep (4,616, 8.2%), a former Republican and former member of the San Jose City Council.
District 25 (Alameda and Santa Clara counties): Democratic incumbent Ash Kalra, who currently represents District 27, was far ahead of Republican Ted Stroll, a retired appellate attorney, 40,329 (71.6%) to 15,966 (28.4%).
District 26 (Cupertino, Santa Clara): Democratic incumbent Evan Low, who currently represents District 28, led with 40,269 (66.9%), followed by Republican businessman Tim Gorsulowsky (14,273, 23.7%) and Democratic software engineer Long Jiao (5,668, 9.4%).
District 32 (Bakersfield): Republican incumbent Vince Fong, who currently represents District 34, ran unopposed and received 44,134 votes.
District 40 (Inland Empire): Republican Suzette Martinez Valladares, who currently represents District 38, led with 39,705 (48.6%), followed by Democrat Pilar Schiavo (26,445, 32.4%), a nurse advocate and small business owner, and Democrat Annie E. Cho (15,507, 19.0%), a small business owner.
District 49 (San Gabriel Valley): Democratic incumbent Mike Fong led with 34,062 (69.3%) to Republican Burton Brink’s 15,055 (30.7%). In February, Fong won a special election to fill the seat of Democratic Assemblymember Ed Chau, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. Brink is a retired sergeant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
District 59 (Chino Hills): Republican incumbent Philip Chen, who currently represents the 55th District, ran unopposed and received 70,661 votes.
District 66 (South Bay): Incumbent Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) led with 57,425 (61.2%) to Republican business owner George Barks’ 36,399 (38.8%).
District 67 (Inland Empire): Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva, who currently represents District 65, led with 29,027 (47.7%), followed by Republican Soo Yoo (23,586, 38.8%), president of the ABC Unified School District Board; Democrat Param Brar (4,364, 7.2%) a defense contract manager; and Republican Sou Moua (3,866, 6.4%), a CAD designer.
District 70 (Santa Ana, Garden Grove): Democrat Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen, mayor pro tem of Garden Grove, led with 28,533 (39.6%), followed by Republican Tri Ta (15,354, 21.3%), mayor of Westminster; Republican Ted Bui (10,159, 14.1%), a member of the Fountain Valley City Council; Republican Kimberly Ho (9,932, 13.8%), a member of the Westminster City Council; Republican Emily Hibard (4,665, 6.5%), a business owner; and Republican Jason Gray (3,356, 4.7%), a city commissioner.
District 72 (northern Orange County): Democrat Judie Mancuso, a nonprofit founder and president, led with 53,111 (43.4%), followed by Republican Diane Dixon (52,168, 42.6%), a member of the Newport Beach City Council; and Republican Benjamin Yu (17,124, 14.0%), Lake Forest traffic commissioner. The district is currently represented by Republican Assemblymember Janet Nguyen, who is running for State Senate.
District 73 (southern Orange County): In a race pitting two incumbents against each other because of redistricting, Democrat Cottie Petrie-Norris (currently District 74) led with 38,189 (55.4%) to 30,685 (44.6%) for Republican Steven Choi (currently District 68).