Calvert & Rollins Set for Rematch
Roth Appears Headed to Runoff in Supervisors Race
PERRIS – California’s senior congressman, Republican Ken Calvert, and former federal prosecutor, Democrat Will Rollins are headed for a re-match of their 2022 campaign, which was the closest challenge to the 16-term incumbent since 2008.
Polls that showed county resident Steve Garvey surging in the crowded U.S. Senate race to fill the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, proved accurate. He and Pasadena congressman Adam Schiff are headed to the top-two run-off in November. Schiff is the prohibitive favorite.
In the District One Riverside County Supervisor race to replace retiring Republican Kevin Jeffries, State Sen. Richard Roth a Democrat, appeared headed for the run-off, garnering 36% of the primary vote counted to date.
Former Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, was at 25%, and longtime civic activist Debbie Walsh and Western Municipal Water District Board of Directors member Gracie Torres were each
holding roughly 19% of returns.
With nobody expected to earn 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a November runoff.
In the District 3 Supervisors contest, incumbent Democrat, Charles “Chuck” Washington, 71, may avoid a run-off in November, with nearly 55% of the vote thus far.
Murrieta Mayor Jonathan Ingram, 58, held 25%, while former Cudahy Mayor and Temecula resident, Jack M. Guerrero, was just under 20% of the ballots counted.
In other congressional races either wholly or partially in Riverside County, Democrat incumbent Mark Takano and Republican David Serpa will face off in November in the 39th District, which includes Perris, Moreno Valley, the City of Riverside, and Jurupa Valley. Takano was leading by a dozen points in the Primary.
In the 35th District, primarily in San Bernardino and LA Counties, but including Eastvale, Democratic incumbent Norma Torres and Republican Mike Cargile will run in November, with Torres leading the Primary vote 48 to 39%.
Incumbent Republican Darrell Issa has a commanding lead in the 48th District, primarily in San Diego County but including Murrieta and Temecula. Issa was commanding 60% of the vote while two Democratic challengers, Whitney Shanahan with 15% and Stephen Houlahan with 13% trailed, competing for a spot on the November ballot.
Democrat incumbent Raul Ruiz was tallying more than 50% of the vote in the 25th District including Hemet and the desert areas. Two Republicans, Ian M. Weeks, 19.79%, and Ceci “Cecillia” Truman, 16.68 % are vying for the run-off slot.
Of all the races, Calvert v Rollins is the one garnering national attention as the party’s battle for control of the House of Representatives.
This rematch is the second contest in the newly drawn 41st district that stretches from Corona and Norco, across Lake Elsinore and Menifee to La Quinta. In 2022, the first-time candidate Rollins, lost by 11 thousand votes of the 236 thousand cast.
Two national race tracking organizations rate the race as “Lean Republican,” while a third, the Cook Political Report calls it a toss-up. With the keen national focus on the race, each candidate has raised more than $3.5 million as of the most recent reporting date. As of Valentine’s Day, Calvert had raised about 200-thousand dollars more, but Rollins had about 100 thousand dollars more “cash on hand.”
In the contest to replace the termed-out Richard Roth in CA State Senate District 31, Romoland School Board Member, Cynthia Navarro appears headed to the November run-off with 45%. Democratic Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes is the likely opponent, garnering 40%, while fellow Democrat, RUSD Board Member, Angelo Farooq has 15%.
For the 19th senate district which includes Perris Lake and Hemet, Republican Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh and Democrat Lisa Middleton will go another round in November, their Primary race too close to call.
In the local California State Assembly races, the open seat in the 58th Assembly District (Corona, Eastvale, Riverside, Jurupa Valley) looks to be a hot race in November. Republican Leticia Castillo leads the Primary with 47%, while two Democratic challengers are neck-and-neck to secure the second slot. Both Clarissa Cervantes and Ronaldo Fierro were drawing 26%, separated by only 5 votes as of this writing.
In the 63rd District, (Corona, Norco, Temescal Valley, Menifee Lake Elsinore, Lake Mathews) First-time Assemblymember, Republican Bill Essayli was garnering nearly 60% while Democrat Chris Shoults will be his November challenger, receiving 38% of the vote.
First-term incumbent Democrat Corey A. Jackson, 52%, leads two Republican challengers, Ron Edwards, 28%, and Hector Diaz Nava, 20% in the 60th CA Assembly District, (Perris Moreno Valley, Nuevo, Hemet).
Incumbent Republican Kate Sanchez, 63.5% has a healthy lead over Democratic challenger Gary Kephart, 34% in the 71st district, (Murrieta, Temecula, Winchester, Wildomar). They’ll compete again in November.
And the statewide Proposition 1, Bonds for Mental Health Treatment Facilities, is a nip-and-tuck contest, with the “Yes” vote in support of the measure, holding a slim 50.3 to 49.7% lead. Only 22,064 votes of 3,952,118 cast, separate the two positions as of this writing.
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