There’s still several thousand votes to count, but the frontrunners in the local state senate and assembly races are beginning to make plans.
Democrat Rhodesia Ransom declared that she has seen enough from the primary results to declare that she will be advancing to the general in the contest for the California Assembly District 13 seat. In the California Senate District race, Republican Jim Shoemaker is confident enough to state he has rented a campaign office for the Fall campaign.
Ransom’s campaign released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying that she is confident she is moving on.
“As votes continue to trickle in, it is clear that we will advance to the general election,” Ransom said. “I’d like to thank all of the organizations, community leaders, and volunteers who stood beside me and against special interests. I’m looking forward to the next steps of this journey.
With 69 percent of the vote counted, Ransom, a former member of the Tracy City Council, leads at 42.37% (20,629 votes). Republican Denise Aguilar Mendez is second at 36.24% (17,653) and Edith Villapudua is third at 21.39% (10,420).
If Ransom wins the general election, she will make history by becoming the first Black woman elected to represent San Joaquin County in California’s state legislature.
Shoemaker, a businessman from Clements, sits at 41.7% (47,552) in the senate primary returns, where he is outpacing two Democrats – former Congressman Jerry McNerney at 34.3% (39,120) and current Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua at 24% (27,367).
“I’m in very good shape. We know we’re going to November,” Shoemaker said. “We’re making plans and opening a campaign office in Stockton.”
The voter registration makeup of the local state legislature districts indicate it will be challenging for the Republican candidates. Of the state senate district’s nearly 600,000 registered voters, Democrats makeup the largest voting block at about 44%. Republicans come in second at just about 27%. The gap between Republicans and Democrats is even wider in the assembly district (49-22).
In the U.S. Congress District 9 primary, the general election positions are all but locked up. Democratic incumbent Josh Harder (52%, 44,994) and Republican Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln (28.5%, 24,339) are far ahead of the other contenders.
For full county results, please go to the registrar’s website.