RAFU STAFF REPORT
Following are results for AAPI candidates in the Nov. 3 election for California statewide offices and the State Legislature.
Lieutenant Governor: Democrat Fiona Ma defeated Republican Gloria Romero, 3,685,002 votes (62.9%) to 2,168,883 (37.1%). The current lieutenant governor is Democrat Eleni Kounalakis, who successfully ran for state treasurer. Ma previously was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization. She announced in 2019 that she was running for governor but switched to lieutenant governor in 2023.
Attorney General: Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta defeated Republican challenger Michael Gates, 3,678,032 votes (64%) to 2,070,705 (36%). The first Filipino American member of the Legislature when he served in the Assembly, he chaired the California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. He was appointed attorney general by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, becoming the first Filipino American to hold the office, and was elected to a full term in 2022.
Insurance Commissioner: In a contest between two Democrats, Jane Kim emerged victorious over State Sen. Ben Allen, 4,738,776 votes (53.3%) to 4,140,517 (46.6%). The current insurance commissioner, Democrat Ricardo Lara, did not seek re-election. Kim became the first Korean American elected official in San Francisco when she served on the Board of Education. She served on the Board of Supervisors and unsuccessfully ran for State Senate and mayor. She was California political director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
State Senate District 10: Democrat Scott Sakakihara defeated Republican Linda Price, 105,980 votes (72.4%) to 40,465 (27.6%). Sakakihara served on the Union City City Council and is an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. The district is currently represented by Democrat Aisha Wahab, who won a special election to replace Eric Swalwell after his resignation. The district covers parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties, including Fremont, Hayward, Milpitas, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara.
6th Assembly District: Incumbent Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento) defeated fellow Democrat Jagtar Singh, 57,923 votes (83.4%) to 11,503 (16.6%). Singh, a caregiver and business owner, was also Krell’s lone opponent in the June primary.
8th Assembly District: Incumbent David Tangipa (R-Fresno) ran unopposed for re-election, receiving 94,533 votes. Tangipa, a Tongan American, played football for CSU Fresno and worked as a field representative for Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig. The district includes Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne counties.
9th Assembly District: Incumbent Stephanie Nguyen (D-Elk Grove) defeated Republican challenger Vinaya Singh, a NASA scientist, 54,867 votes (72.3%) to 20,997 (27.7%). Nguyen, previously a member of the Elk Grove City Council, has serve in the Assembly since 2022. The district also includes part of Sacramento.
19th Assembly District: Incumbent Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) defeated Republican challenger Philip Wing, a financial advisor, 79,673 votes (81.2%) to 18,393 (18.8%).
24th Assembly District: Incumbent Alex Lee (D-Milpitas) defeated Republican challenger Max Hsia, former owner of a food and retail business, 49,179 votes (70.2%) to 20,858 (29.8%). At age 25, Lee was the Assembly’s youngest member when he took office in 2020, and the first openly bisexual member. As a student at UC Davis, he was an intern for several politicians, including Rep. Mike Honda. The district covers parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties, including Fremont, Newark and portions of San Jose.
25th Assembly District: In a contest between two Indian Americans, incumbent Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) defeated Republican challenger Himat Bainiwal, founder of Bainiwal Law, 47,912 votes (72.3%) to 18,398 (27.7%). Previously a member of the San Jose City Council, Kalra became the first Hindu and Indian American to serve in the Legislature when he joined the Assembly in 2016.
48th Assembly District: Incumbent Blanca Rubio (D-West Covina) defeated Republican challenger Dan Tran, vice president of Fidelity National Title, 101,637 votes (61.8%) to 62,880 (38.2%).
49th Assembly District: In a contest between two Chinese Americans, incumbent Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) defeated Republican challenger Long David Liu, an attorney and community leader, 60,627 votes (67.3%) to 29,420 (32.7%). Previously a member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, Fong was first elected to the Assembly in 2022. The district covers parts of San Gabriel Valley, including El Monte, Monterey Park, and San Gabriel.
52nd Assembly District: Incumbent Jessica Caloza (D-Los Angeles) defeated Republican challenger Andrea Lee Anderson, 90,320 votes (86%) to 14,673 (14%). Caloza, who became the first Filipina in the Legislature when she took office in 2024, previously served as deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Rob Bonta. The district includes the Los Angeles County communities of Angeleno Heights, Atwater Village, City Terrace, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, East Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Echo Park, El Sereno, Elysian Heights, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Hillside Village, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington, Silver Lake, South Glendale, and University Hills.
66th Assembly District: In a contest between two Democrats, Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Paul Seo defeated Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Board of Education President Sara Deen, 95,319 votes (60.2%) to 63,095 (39.8%). Seo, the son of Korean immigrants, is an Army veteran and previously served as deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County and deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice. Deen, a Pakistani American, owns a small urgent care in Torrance, is a family dentist, and serves on the board of the Southern California Regional Occupational Center.
The district encompasses the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, including Gardena, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Harbor City, Manhattan Beach, Palos verdes Estates, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills Estates, and Torrance. The district is currently represented by Democrat Al Muratsuchi, who is termed out.
67th Assembly District: Democrat Mark Pulido defeated Republican Paul Morales, 64,894 votes (62.3%) to 39,307 (37.7%). Pulled is mayor pro temper of Cerritos, where he was the first Filipino American to serve on the City Council and as mayor. He was previously a member of the ABC Unified School District Board of Education. The district covers parts of north Orange County and southeastern Los Angeles County, including Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma, Fullerton, Artesia, and Hawaiian Gardens. The district is currently represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva, who is termed out.
70th Assembly District: Incumbent Tri Ta (R-Westminster) lost to Democrat Paula Swift, 69,783 votes (51%) to 67,034 (49%). As a member of the Westminster City Council, Ta became the nation’s first Vietnamese American elected mayor in 2012. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2022. Swift is a small business owner from Seal Beach. The Orange County district includes Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Garden Grove, and Fountain Valley.
76th Assembly District: Incumbent Darshana Patel (D-San Diego) defeated Republican challenger Carrie Espinoza Villanueva, 100,078 votes (63.7% to 56,950 (36.3%). Patel, who has served in the Assembly since 2024, is the first Hindu woman elected to the Legislature. She was previously president of the Poway Unified School District and a member of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. The district includes Camp Pendleton, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, and Vista.