SAN DIEGO — San Diego County incumbents led comfortably in several races for seats in the state Senate and Assembly today, though the race for the 75th Assembly District remained tight.
State Senate race
In the lone state Senate race in the county, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, held nearly 70% of the vote against Republican Linda Blankenship in District 39, which stretches from Solana Beach to southern San Diego, and east into San Pasqual Valley.
Atkins was running unopposed in the March primary until Blankenship emerged as a write-in candidate.
Blankenship, a Carmel Valley resident and business owner, has worked as a consultant, among other roles, on "every level of political campaigns from school board to presidential races," according to her campaign.
Atkins, California's first female and LGBTQ Senate President Pro Tem, formerly served on the San Diego City Council. She was elected to the state Assembly in 2010, and was eventually chosen as Assembly Speaker.
71st Assembly District
In the 71st Assembly District, incumbent Randy Voepel, R-Santee, held nearly 56% of the vote against Democrat Elizabeth Lavertu.
Voepel and Lavertu were the only two candidates in the March primary, with Voepel taking more than 60% of the vote
Voepel served as Santee's mayor from 2000 until 2016, when he was elected to represent the 71st District, which encompasses a large portion of eastern San Diego County, as well as portions of Riverside County.
The two-term Assemblyman says public safety, lowering taxes and opposing the state's cap-and-trade program are among his priorities. He also cites his two combat tours in Vietnam as contributing to his insight into veterans' issues.
75th Assembly District
In the 75th District, Assemblywoman Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, held a narrow lead in her reelection bid against behavioral health care provider Karen "Kate" Schwartz.
Early results showed Waldon holding a 50.9% to 49.1% lead over Schwartz, but by midnight, the margin had widened to a 51.3% to 48.7% lead.
Waldron was first elected in 2012 and began serving as Assembly Republican leader in 2018. She previously served on the Escondido City Council.
Waldron took about 56% of the vote during the March primary, versus Schwartz, who earned nearly 38%.
Schwartz sits on the Fallbrook Regional Health District Board and has worked as a behavioral health care provider for the past 35 years, according to her campaign website.
The 75th District covers much of northern San Diego County, including Escondido, Fallbrook, and San Marcos, and also covers Temecula in Riverside County.
76th Assembly District
In the 76th District, Tasha Boerner Horvath, D-Encinitas, was leading comfortably against Republican challenger Melanie Burkholder, a mental health counselor and former Secret Service agent.
Early numbers had Boerner Horvath holding nearly 60% of the vote.
Boerner Horvath was elected to the Encinitas City Council in 2016, then won the 76th District seat two years later. The Assemblywoman won 57.5% of the vote in the March primary, with Burkholder covering the other 42.5%. She said the health and economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic will be her focus, if re-elected, while Burkholder says repealing Assembly Bill 5, combating homelessness and championing public safety are among her priorities.
The North County District covers the Camp Pendleton area south through Encinitas.
77th Assembly District
In the 77th District, Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, D-San Diego, was leading with 59.3% of the vote against Republican June Cutter, who held 40.7%, according to early results.
Maienschein, who was elected to the seat in 2012, is seeking re-election two years after switching parties. He previously ran as a Republican in every election, but shortly after being re-elected in 2018, announced he was changing his party affiliation, partly due to disagreements with President Donald Trump's leadership.
Prior to being elected, Maienschein served on the San Diego City Council and as the city's first commissioner on homelessness. He took 57.5% of the March primary vote, with Cutter taking 42.5%
The 77th District covers northeastern San Diego, and Poway and Rancho Santa Fe to the north.
78th Assembly District
San Diego City Councilman Chris Ward was enjoying a healthy lead in the race for the 78th Assembly District race against healthcare worker Sarah Davis.
The two Democratic candidates are seeking the seat vacated by Todd Gloria as he vies to become San Diego's mayor.
At midnight, Ward held 58.5% of the vote, against 41.5% for Davis.
Ward has been on the city council since 2016. He serves as chair of the council's Land Use and Housing Committee and previously served as chair of the Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. He also previously served as chief of staff to state Sen. Marty Block, who represented the 78th District.
In his campaign statement, Ward cites his work on the council aimed at increasing homeless services, his authoring of the city's Equal Pay Ordinance, and the creation of its rental assistance program amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 78th District covers coastal San Diego County from Solana Beach to the U.S.-Mexico border.
79th Assembly District
In the 79th District, incumbent Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, held a healthy lead over Republican challenger John Moore.
At midnight, results showed Weber with 68.3% of the vote.
Weber has held the seat since 2012 and took nearly two-thirds of the vote in the past two elections against Moore.
According to Weber's campaign, her legislative priorities include strengthening civil rights, protecting people with disabilities and increasing educational opportunities, which she described as a "lifelong commitment," stemming from her work as a board member for the San Diego Unified School District, and as a San Diego State University professor.
The 79th District stretches from Mission Valley to La Mesa, then south into Chula Vista.
80th Assembly District
In the 80th District, covering City Heights to the north and stretching south to the U.S-Mexico border, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, was also leading comfortably in her bid for reelection.
By midnight, numbers had Gonzalez Fletcher taking 72.8% of the vote, with 27.2% of votes for Republican John Vogel.
Gonzalez Fletcher was first elected to the Assembly in 2013, and previously worked as a senior adviser to then-Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.
