In a twist of events, Republican Jeff Gonzalez, who is a Republican candidate, has surprisingly emerged as the front-runner in the primary race to replace the Democratic Assembly member Eduardo Garcia in California Assembly District 36.
The latest California Secretary of State results indicate that Gonzalez has received 10703 votes, translating to 34.5% of over 30,000 votes. This contest, which involves many candidates, can be competitive as more votes are counted.
Republican Jeff Gonzalez: About California Assembly District 36
California Assembly District 36, which includes parts of eastern Riverside County, all of Imperial County, and east San Bernardino County and encompasses the eastern Coachella Valley, has historically been a Democratic stronghold.
This region’s representation in the California Legislature has been under scrutiny since Garcia Mahecha declared last year that he would not run again after years of commuting to Sacramento because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
The primary gave the leading, who had seven hopefuls for the seat – two were Republicans and five Democrats. However, regardless of their party affiliation, those who finish first and second in California move on to a general election.
This makes it more interesting since there are Democrats together. They make 55% of the votes, while Republicans are 45%.
Among Democrats, Jose “Joey” Acuña Jr. has garnered a total of 5,550 votes (17.9%), while Edgard Garcia is closely following him with 4,826 votes (15.6%).
The outgoing Garcia endorsed Acuña, one of the trustees of the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Education. His background and local political support puts him in a powerful position as he progresses through this campaign.
The other notable Democratic aspirants include Waymond Fermon, a council member of Indio City and the first black mayor the city has ever seen in 2022, who had 2592 votes, representing 8.4%. Tomas Oliva, an El Centro City Council member and senior field representative for U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, attracted 2,249 votes, translating to 7.3%.
Lastly, this Democratic contestant is joined by Eric Rodriguez, who is a former law enforcer but presently serving as a member of the board at Central Union High School District (Central Union High School District Board of Trustees), with only 1563 votes.
On the Republican side, Gonzalez’s margin is significant; a business owner and ex-marine, he was once unsuccessful in his bid against Garcia in 2018. His endorsements from Ken Calvert (U.S. Representative) and Chad Bianco (Riverside County Sheriff) are some among others that show that he is one of the most popular runners for this office.
The other candidate competing on behalf of Republicans is Kalin Morse, whose non-profit manager career got him polling at 10.9% or 3369 votes.
The California Assembly District voting record states that Democrats constitute 43.8% of registered voters, while Republicans constitute roughly 27.3%. Nevertheless, a significant % of the electorate, 21.3%, does not belong to any political party, leaving an opening for a change in voting patterns as the November 5 general election draws nearer.
As more votes are counted and tallied into election results, the race could shift dynamics with several Democratic candidates vying closely against each other for second position in advancing into general elections.
The outcome of this primary may suggest some change in California Assembly District 36‘s political tides, thus triggering months of highly anticipated public campaigns.
