Local Election Results Buck the National Anti-Incumbent Trend
CORONA / PERRIS - It is often said that ‘all politics is local’. The tsunami that tossed out historic numbers of incumbent politicians across the country on Tuesday did not apply to local Riverside County city council members seeking reelection. Nor does it apply to California’s statewide offices, as Democrats cruised to continued complete control for all of those elected positions from governor to comptroller.
How Did Redistricting Affect California's Congressional Delegation?
But the Gov. Gavin Newsom-authored gerrymander of the then Prop 50 voter-approved congressional districts in response to Texas kicking off the initiative that swept through more states nationwide did produce the intended result in the Golden State. The current California congressional makeup of 43 Democrats, 8 Republicans, and 1 independent will be no closer than 48 Democrats to 4 Republicans when all the ballot tabulations are completed. Of the seven undecided races, five are Democrat vs. Democrat. The other two have local Riverside County ties.
The redrawn 40th Congressional District pits the dean of California Republicans, Corona-based Ken Calvert, who seeks an 18th term, against Orange County-based Young Kim, who seeks her fourth term. The winner will guarantee a third Republican in the state delegation to Washington. As of press time, Calvert was leading with 54% of the vote, but a winner had not been declared.
The fourth Republican opportunity is the 23rd district that includes Lake Perris and part of Nuevo, where incumbent Republican Jay Obernolte leads with 51% of the counted votes versus Democrat Tessa Lynn Hodge. The Associated Press hasn’t called that race either.
Incumbent Candidates Lead Corona and Eastvale City Council Elections
In Corona, incumbent councilmembers Jacque Casillas (District 1) and Wes Speake (District 3) each enjoy strong leads for re-election with 58% & 59% of the vote, respectively. Karen Alexander enjoyed a commanding 60% of the vote for the open District 4 seat.
Eastvale District 1 city councilman, Todd Rigby, has 50% of the vote in a three-candidate race. Raul Gutierrez leads the three-candidate race for the open District 4 seat with 54%.
School Board Races Remain Tight in Several Districts
In a razor-thin contest for the Alvord USD TA4 seat, Norma O. Berrellez was leading Jamie Walden by just 5 votes, 974-969. In another tight race for TA2 on the CNUSD Board, Ramon E. Aguilar was edging Christopher Raahauge, 2,563-2,430 votes. Heidi Dodd leads the Lake Elsinore USD TA3 race, with 62.5% of the counted votes.
Perris, Menifee and Wildomar City Council Results
In Perris, District 3 incumbent David Starr Rabb has an 8% lead in a three-candidate race. Former city planning commissioner and mayoral candidate Lupe Gómez has a 16% lead in the three-candidate race for the open District 1 race.
Menifee District 2 incumbent Ben Diederich also leads by 8% in a three-candidate race, while Frank Sandoval enjoys a 40% edge in the open District 4 seat. Wildomar District 5 incumbent Ashlee DePhillippo has a commanding 29% lead in that city’s District 5 contest.
Local Measures and Bond Votes
Perris voters are approving the Perris Union High School District Measure AA with 55% of the counted vote, and the General Business License Measure C has a commanding near 80% approval. The countywide Measure A County Traffic Relief Measure is also headed for approval with 70% approval.
The countywide Measure A County Traffic Relief Measure is also headed for approval with 70% approval.
Statewide: A Democratic Sweep With Historic Firsts
Unsurprisingly, the statewide offices are a Democratic sweep, each in the neighborhood of 65-35. Former CA Attorney General and Biden administration Secretary of Health and Human Services, XavierBecerra, has been elected as the first Latino Governor of California, one of several “firsts” for newly elected governors.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is the first Black woman to be elected as a governor, ascending to the role in Georgia. And Deb Haaland, elected as New Mexico’s next governor, is the first Native American governor in U.S. History.