s***y 发帖数: 379 | 1 The Democratic Party's bid for a new supermajority in the state Senate has
failed, thanks to Republican victories in a few key races, and it was on the
way to losing its supermajority in the Assembly onWednesday morning as
elections officials finished counting ballots in pivotal campaigns across
California.
Republicans prevailed in two races, one in the Central Valley and the other
in Orange County, that were viewed as crucial to preventing Democrats from
regaining a python's grip on the Senate.
State Sen. Andy Vidak, R-Hanford, defeated Democratic challenger Luis Chavez
, a Fresno Unified School District trustee, in the 14th district, which
includes all of Kings County and parts of Fresno, Kern and Tulare counties.
The district tilts Democratic among registered voters.
In the 34th district, where Republicans have a slight edge in voter
registration, Republican Janet Nguyen, an Orange County supervisor, crushed
Democrat Jose Solorio, a former assemblyman. Nguyen will replace termed-out
state Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana.
Leading up to the election, Democrats were expected to maintain their
supermajority in the Assembly. But Republicans emerged victorious on
Election Day in several closely watched Assembly races, including an Orange
County tilt in the 65th Assembly District, where Republican challenger Young
Kim took down the Democratic incumbent, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, D
-Fullerton.
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That defeat, and another in Southern California's 36th Assembly District,
left Democrats trailing in their attempt to retain their Assembly
supermajority early Wednesday morning.
Two close races will decide the Democrats' fate. If Republicans can hold on
to their leads in the 16th and 66th districts, where an unknown number of
mail and provisional ballots must still be counted, Democrats will be left
with 53 Assembly seats, one short of the threshold for a supermajority.
Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, was trailing Wednesday morning in his
re-election bid in Los Angeles County's 66th district with 48.6 percent of
the vote. Republican challenger David Hadley had 51.4 percent.
In the East Bay's 16th district, Republican Catharine Baker was in position
to score a rare Bay Area victory for her party. With 51.9 percent of the
vote, Baker had a solid lead over against Democrat Tim Sbranti.
The Democratic Party gained a supermajority in both houses in 2012 but lost
its two-thirds control in the Senate this year after three senators,
including Bay Area lawmaker Leland Yee, were brought down by corruption
scandals. Having a supermajority in both houses would allow Democrats to
pass legislation without Republican votes and prevent the GOP from blocking
Gov. Jerry Brown's appointments to boards and commissions.
The supermajority threshold is 54 in the Assembly and 27 in the Senate.
Going into Tuesday's election, the Democrats had 55 seats and 25 seats,
respectively, in those chambers.
In the Bay Area, a couple of Democrat-vs.-Democrat campaigns were tightly
contested.
In San Francisco, a pair of liberal supervisors, David Chiu and David Campos
, fought to replace Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who is being termed out of his
17th district seat. Chiu was on the cusp of victory early Wednesday with all
precincts reporting but an unknown number of mail and provisional ballots
still to be counted.
In the East Bay, former Richmond City Councilman Tony Thurmond defeated
Elizabeth Echols, regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business
Administration, in the 15th Assembly District. Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner
is being termed out of her seat representing portions of western Contra
Costa County, including Richmond, and northern Alameda County, including
Berkeley.
Democrats in safe seats on the Peninsula and in the South Bay cruised to re-
election, including Assemblywoman Nora Campos and Assemblymen Luis Alejo,
Rich Gordon, Mark Stone and Kevin Mullin. Democrat Kansen Chu won a race to
replace Assemblyman Bob Wieckoswki in the 25th Assembly District. |
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