Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Tracy, has won reelection to California State Assembly District 13, defeating former San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti in the Nov. 3 general election.
The Associated Press declared Ransom the winner Wednesday evening.
Unofficial results from the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters showed Ransom leading with 41,282 votes, or 65.4%, compared with Patti’s 21,872 votes, or 34.6%, as of Thursday. All 171 precincts have reported, but the ballot count is ongoing.
The results remain unofficial as the county continues tallying vote-by-mail, provisional and other ballots. San Joaquin County expects to certify the election results after 5 p.m. Nov. 25, the earliest date allowed under state law.
Ransom’s victory secures her a second two-year term representing Assembly District 13, which includes Stockton, Tracy, Mountain House and portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
In a statement, Ransom thanked voters across the district and said she was encouraged by the support she received.
“I’m grateful for everyone across District 13 who has stood with us and believed in the work we’re doing,” Ransom said. “As votes continue to come in, I’m encouraged by the support we’re seeing and proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past two years.”
She said she plans to continue working on behalf of district residents.
“At a time when families are struggling to get the help they need and the systems they depend on are being dismantled, we’ve stood in the gap and delivered results that have made a difference in people’s lives,” Ransom said. “There’s more work ahead, and the people of this district can count on me to keep showing up, standing with them and doing the work.”
Legislative highlights and priorities for next term
Before her election to the Assembly in 2024, Ransom served on the Tracy City Council and the Tracy Planning Commission. She also was a member of the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury and co-founded Sow A Seed, a nonprofit that provides support to at-risk youth in the county.
During her campaign, Ransom emphasized her legislative record and efforts to secure state funding for the Central Valley, saying she wanted to continue advocating for a region she believes is often overlooked by state government.
“I strongly believe that our community deserves effective leadership that is going to put our community first and deliver results,” Ransom said in an interview with Stocktonia before the election.
She identified affordability and sustainability, expanding educational and workforce opportunities, and advocacy for the Central Valley as her priorities for a second term.
Ransom said 17 bills she supported during her first term were signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Among them was Assembly Bill 899, known as the “Buy California Glass” bill, which aimed to protect California’s wine industry and more than 1,000 union jobs amid competition from imported glass.
She also authored Assembly Bill 2032, the Golden Mussel Response Act, which passed as an urgency measure in September. The legislation gives California water agencies additional tools to respond to the invasive species threatening the state’s waterways and water infrastructure. It builds on $6 million Ransom secured in the 2026-27 state budget for Delta decontamination control sites.
She also advocated for expanded career technical education opportunities, noting that she helped secure additional state funding for San Joaquin County schools. Schools in Assembly District 13 received about $4 million following changes to the state’s funding formula.
Her legislative agenda included efforts to address high utility costs and expand access to E85, an ethanol fuel blend that can cost less than conventional gasoline. Assembly Bill 2046, her proposal to allow vehicle owners to convert their cars to run on flex fuel, was held under submission.
Ransom described her leadership style as collaborative, saying she has worked across party lines to advance legislation and address issues including homelessness, youth mental health and human trafficking.
“I am not divisive,” Ransom said. “That is not how I get things done in our community.”
Patti pushed for lower taxes, less regulation
Patti, a Republican from Stockton, campaigned on lowering taxes, reducing regulations and addressing California’s cost of living.
He worked alongside his father to grow the family business, Delta Cranes, which serves the San Joaquin Valley. Patti later entered local politics, representing District 3 on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors from 2017 to early 2025, when he reached his term limit.
His campaign for the Assembly followed an unsuccessful bid for Stockton mayor in 2024, when he lost to Christina Fugazi.
During the Assembly race, Patti criticized state fees and regulations, arguing they increase costs for residents and make it harder for businesses to operate in California. He called for reducing government spending and easing regulatory requirements affecting housing, energy and other industries.
“One of the top priorities would be hunting down, stopping and reducing government waste in the state of California,” Patti said in an interview with Stocktonia before the election.
He also identified public safety, career training and improving coordination between state lawmakers and county governments as priorities.
Patti pursued public-private partnerships to address housing needs, support veterans and combat homelessness during his time as a supervisor. He also spearheaded the “1,000 Jobs for 1,000 Students” initiative, which allocated $500,000 in county funding to San Joaquin Delta College’s Excel internship program in 2024.
On immigration, Patti called for a bipartisan approach that would create pathways to legal permanent residency for immigrants who have lived in the country illegally for years, supported themselves and maintained clean criminal records.
He said his experience as a business owner distinguished him from Ransom, arguing that California needed leadership focused on creating jobs and improving economic conditions.
Patti remains ‘committed to community’
When initial results came in Tuesday night, Patti said he expected early returns to favor Democrats because of early voting trends. He said he was watching subsequent results to see whether the gap would narrow.
“The most important thing is going to be the trend,” Patti said. “If there’s a trend in my direction, and we start to narrow the gap, then, ‘Oh, this is exciting.’ Now, if it goes the opposite way, you’re like, ‘Wow, OK, this is not even close to breaking the way we would need it to break.’”
He said he decided to run after a poll taken following the primary showed him in a statistical tie with Ransom. Patti said he felt good about his campaign and thanked supporters for their trust during his time on the Board of Supervisors.
He also criticized what he described as misleading campaign attacks, including advertisements linking him to increases in gas prices and the cost of living. Patti said county supervisors do not have authority over those costs.
“To accuse me of raising healthcare costs, the cost of living and cost of gas — supervisors don’t have that authority,” he said. “Not even close to that.”
After the AP declared Ransom the winner Wednesday evening, Patti again thanked his supporters and criticized the state’s political leadership.
“First, I’d like to thank my supporters and those that participated in this election,” he said. “The outcome unfortunately leaves in place a one-party state that has policies, taxes and regulations that make California unaffordable, and unless they bring forward new ideas, we will be stuck with more of the same.”
Patti said he entered the race because he believed California needed a more balanced political approach.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have made that case and remain committed to our community,” Patti said.