Ceres resident Chad Condit was eclipsed in Tuesday’s primary election by fellow Democrat Jessica Self in their respective bids to win the seat for the newly created Assembly District 22, which encompasses Ceres. In unofficial results, Self is headed to a November runoff with Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Alanis, a Republican who received the most votes.
In the primary election, former Ceres City Councilman Jeff McKay lost his bid to take the State Senate District 4 race.
Democrat Adam Gray led the polls in the newly created U.S. Congressional District 13 race with Republican Tom McClintock leading in the new U.S. Congressional District 5 on the east side of Stanislaus County.
Assembly District 22 race
While the election count is not complete, Republican Juan Alanis appears to be the vote leader in the 22nd state Assembly District race. As of noon Wednesday, Alanis had collected 8,460 votes, or 32.1 percent, over Democrat attorney Jessica Self who amassed 7,407 votes at 28.1 percent. The two are likely headed to a runoff in the Nov. 8 primary election.
Edged out in third place was Democrat Chad Condit who picked up 6,522 votes (24.7 percent). Two others lagged farther behind – Republican Joel Gutierrez Campos with 3,042 votes, or 11.5 percent; and Republican Guadalupe “Lupita” Salazar with 947 votes (3.6 percent).
Condit, the son of former Congressman Gary Condit and father of Supervisor Channce Condit, had unsuccessfully run for Congress as an independent in 2012.
State Senate District 4 race
In the latest counts, Democrat Tim Robertson was leading in the state Senate District 4 with 27,190 votes, or 23.4 percent of the vote, followed by Democrat Marie Alvarado-Gil with 23,374 votes, or 20.1 percent. Trailing the Democrats was former Republican Congressman George Radanovich with 19,774 votes, or 17 percent of the vote; Republican Steven C. Bailey with 17,334 votes (14.9 percent); Republican McKay at 17,287 votes (14.9 percent); Republican Jack Griffith, 5,571 votes (4.8 percent); Republican Mike Gordon, 3,215 votes (2.8 percent); and in last place Republican Jolene Daly, 2,343 votes (2.0 percent).
Congressional races
Moderate Democrat and state Assemblyman Adam Gray led the polls in the race for the newly created Congressional District 13 which encompasses Ceres. Gray led the count with 11,029, or 33.2 percent of the vote. He faces a runoff with Republican John Duarte who collected 10,232 votes (30.8 percent). Results trimmed off three other candidates: Democrat Phil Arballo, 6,339 votes (19.1 percent); Republican David A. Giglio, 4,685 votes (14.1 percent); and Republican Diego Javier Martinez, 981 votes (2.9 percent).
Most of the eastern half of Stanislaus County, including Hughson, Waterford, Hickman and Oakdale, is being placed into the 5th Congressional District.
With the eastern section of Stanislaus County now in the new Congressional District 5, Republican Tom McClintock delivered a wallop to his challengers. The incumbent conservative congressman received 46,425 votes (43.7 percent) compared to his next closest rival, Democrat Michael Barkely who rounded up 38,904 votes (36.6 percent). Republican Nathan Magsig trailed with 12,477 votes (11.7 percent of the vote). Others who trailed far behind were: No Party Preference candidate Steve Wozniak, 3,610 votes (3.4 percent); Republican David Mann, 3,259 votes (3.1 percent); and Republican Kelsten Obert, 1,544 votes (1.5 percent).
The top pointy portion of Stanislaus County, which includes the rural areas around the Woodward Reservoir, and Eugene, will now fall inside of the 9th Congressional District now represented by Democrat Rep. Jeremy McNerney. Rep. Josh Harder led in that race, collecting 7,336 votes, or 36.5 percent. Republican Tom Patti received 5,816 votes, or 28.9 percent.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom cruised to an easy victory in Tuesday’s primary barely one year after surviving a recall attempt, advancing to the November general election where he will be an overwhelming favorite to defeat a little-known Republican state senator.
As of Wednesday, Newsom had received 1,913,657 votes, or 56.3 percent. Coming in second place is farmer and Republican state Senator Brian Dahle, who hails from the rural northeast corner of the state, with 572,472 votes (16.8 percent). The other wide field of candidates all received under four percent of the vote count.
Just a year ago, it looked as if Newsom could be on his way out as more than 1.7 million voters signed a petition to recall him. Dozens of Republicans lined up to challenge him in the September recall election, eager to take down the Democratic governor of the nation’s most populous state ahead of the 2022 midterms.
Instead, Newsom defeated the recall in such a decisive way that none of the major contenders from last year filed to challenge him for reelection this year.
“This is almost the definition of a noncompetitive race,” said Jessica Levinson, a political commentator and election law professor at Loyola Marymount University.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic incumbent Alex Padilla had an equally easy time advancing to a November runoff. He was appointed to the seat by Newsom last year after Kamala Harris resigned to become vice president.
Padilla was on the ballot twice — once to complete the final few months of Harris’ term and another in a race for a full six-year term that begins in January.
Early vote totals showed Republican attorney Mark Meuser was second in both races. Meuser’s work with the Dhillon Law Group has included 22 lawsuits against Newsom saying he overstepped his authority in imposing coronavirus restrictions.
Voter turnout in the state was light despite significant frustration by voters over record-high gas prices, rising crime and a homelessness crisis in cities large and small. The Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Office recorded a dismal 11.79 percent turnout of registered voters.
In the lieutenant governor race, incumbent Democrat Eleni Kounalakis ran away early with 1,729,315 votes (52.1 percent).
California State Attorney General Rob Bonta received 54.5 percent of the vote, clearly knocking out second-place finisher Republican Nathan Hochman, 18.5 percent.
All the Stanislaus County races were uneventful since there were no challengers for a single candidate. They were:
· Stanislaus County Assessor Don H. Gaekle.
· County Auditor-Controller Kashmir Gill.
· Donna Linder, the county clerk-recorder.
· Criminal prosecutor Jeff Laugero for Stanislaus County district attorney.
· Superintendent of Schools Scott Kuykendall.
· Sheriff Jeff Dirkse.
· Treasurer-Tax Collector Donna Riley.
For the most up-to-date election results, visit: https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/
