EAST COUNTY LEGISLATORS AHEAD BY COMFORTABLE MARGINS

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Democrats regain supermajority in Congress

By Miriam Raftery

June 3, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Statewide, Democrats won a supermajority of two-thirds in both houses of the state Legislature, meaning enough to pass budgets and override a Governor’s veto on legislation. But it’s not as liberal a group as in the past, the Sacramento Bee reports, due to business interests backing more moderate Democrats over liberal-leaning opponents.

Locally, incumbent state legislators representing East County cruised to easy victories in the June primary, with 100% of precincts counted and only absentee and provisional ballots remaining to be tallied.  With the new top-two primary system, some races in November will leave voters with a choice only among two candidates in the same party.

Republican State Senator Joel Anderson drew 70.57% of the vote in the 38th State Senate District, over Democrat Frank Tsimboukakis with 29.43%.

 Democratic Senator Ben Hueso topped Democratic challenger Rafael Estrada 73.49% to 26.51% in the 40th district in San Diego County, though that doesn’t include a portion of the vote in Imperial County where Hueso also leads handily with nearly two-thirds of precincts counted, the Imperial Valley Press reports.  No Republicans ran in this Democratic stronghold that includes border regions in both counties.

In the Assembly’s 71st district, incumbent Brian Jones, a conservative Republican, drew 77.09% of the vote over moderate Republican Tony Teora’s 22.91% in San Diego. The district also includes a small portion of Riverside County, where Jones also won with over 65% of the vote.  There were no Democrats on the ballot in this race. 

Around the County, several members ran unopposed.  They are Republicans Patricia ‘Pat’ Bates in the 36th State Senate District,  Marie Waldron in the 76h Assembly District, and Rocky Chavez in the 76th Asesmbly District, as well as Democrats Shirley Weber in the 79th district and  Lorena Gonzalez in the 80th district.

Speaker Toni Atkins, a Democrat, won handily with 59% over two Republican challengers, Barbara Decker with 28.33% and Kevin Melton with 12.13%.

In the 77th district, Repubilcan Brian Mainschein, a former City Councilman, cruised to victory over Democrat Ruben  ‘R.J.’ Hernandez, 70.49% to 29.51%.


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