This year I skipped going downtown to watch the election results. Instead, I watched Ugly Delicious, Chef David Chang’s Netflix show putting the food we eat into a historical and cultural context. It was a lot more fulfilling than orbiting the floor at Golden Hall watching people waiting for election results.
And now that I think of it, the term ‘ugly delicious’ is an apt metaphor for the June 2018 primary results. I’m going to make today’s column a work in progress, posting the results as of Wednesday morning, updating them when it changes the outcome, and adding historical and cultural analysis until late in the afternoon. (So if you’re reading this in the morning and it seems sparse, come back later. I’ll be writing as fast as I can until the caffeine wears off.)
I’ll start with down-ballot contests and move up the political food chain as far as Congressional races, after a couple of general observations. Statewide races, I think, are well covered elsewhere.
- The worrywarts fearing a lockout of Democrats due to California’s jungle primary were w.r.o.n.g. Every one of the Congressional seats in districts performing well for Clinton in 2016 has a Democrat headed for the general election.
- Democrats will likely take a seat on the County Board of Supervisors in November, but only after Republican wage a scorched earth campaign.
- Two San Diego City Council (D2 & D4) incumbents ought to be looking over their shoulders come November.
The Rules: Top 5 candidates only; information via SDVote; as of 9am; *=incumbent –Results updated only when it changes the outcome; write-in candidates included only when relevant.
State Board of Equalization District 4
Total Votes San Diego + Orange Counties
Joel Anderson (R) 301,345
John F. Kelly (R) 165,173
Mike Shaefer (R) 164,913
Ken Lopez-Maddox(D)134,716
David Dodson (D) 133,543
Superior Court Seats
Office # 28
*Herbert J Exarhos 64.72%
Vicki Rothman 35.02%
Exarhos retains his seat.
Office # 37
*Gary Kreep 31.60%
Matt Brower 26.15%
Steve Miller 17.55%
Victor Torres 13.85%
Tim Nader 10.66%
There will be a runoff in November for this seat.
County Board of Education
No November runoffs
The candidates backed by State Charter School advocates and their billionaire lost.
3rd District
*Alicia Munoz 56.73%
Eric J Lund 43.07%
5th District
*Rick Shea 52.43%
Cheryl James-Ward 47.36%
Grossmont-Cuyamaca College District
Top two go to November runoffs
TA-1
Linda Cartwright 51.30%
Jonathan John Olsen 32.23%
*Edward Heil 16.30%
TA-2
*Debbie Justenson 60.39%
Bill Exeter 28.04%
Jonathan Bowman 11.34%
TA-5
Brad Monroe 41.11%
Teresa Rosiak 33.20%
Wesley Thomas Jr 25.40%
San Diego Community College
District A
*Maria Nieto Senour 43.52%
Diane Hickman 35.70%
Janette Williams 20.42%
District C
Craig Milgram 45.20%
Loren Casuto 19.18%
John B Watson 18.61%
Aviva Angel 16.25%
District E
David Alvarez 47.74%
Rafael Perez 20.63%
Sean Elo 20.07%
Allan Candelore 11.27%
San Diego Unified
A last-minute write-in campaign prompted by the GOP means there will be November run-offs
District B
*Kevin Beiser 91.57%
Write-In 8.43%
District C
*Michael McQuary 90.71%
Write-In 9.29%
Board of Supervisors
Top two runoff in November
District 4
A major victory for the Democratic party. A major defeat for the Lincoln Club and Micky Kasparian’s Working Families Council. The real contest here was between Fletcher and Saldaña. Expect the GOP and their friends in the Lincoln Club to continue their scorched earth campaign against Fletcher in the hopes of depressing voter turnout enough so Bonnie Dumanis has a chance. Omar Passons waged a terrific grassroots campaign; I can only hope this isn’t the last we see of him in San Diego politics.
Nathan Fletcher 28.88%
Bonnie Dumanis 27.52%
Lori Saldaña 21.66%
Omar Passons 17.37%
Ken Malbrough 4.45%
District 5
A few months back it seemed as though the November runoff (If it even happened) in this contest would be GOP vs GOP. I believe Democrat Gomez made it through thanks to the turn-out-the-vote campaign in the 49th Congressional District.
Jim Desmond 45.07%
Michelle Gomez 22.15%
Jerry Kern 20.36%
Jacqueline Arsivaud 12.25%
Assessor/County Clerk/Recorder
No runoff
Strabone is a class act. “I embarked on this campaign because I believe in the need for positive change in our county government. I will never stop working towards that goal, and I look forward to supporting candidates, activists, and leaders of all kinds who share a vision for a San Diego County that cares the most for those with the greatest needs, that builds healthy, sustainable, and affordable communities for everyone, and that leads with compassion, always.”
*Ernie Dronenburg 63.52%
Matt Strabone 36.30%
District Attorney
No runoff
The sneering social media coming out of Stephan’s camp in the wake of their victory tells you all you need to know about what kind of human beings they are. Race and class divisions in the donor class of the Democratic Party made this an uphill climb for Jones-Wright; George Soros PAC intervention actually worked against her, IMO. I hope Geneviéve remains active in social justice causes; her voice is one that needs to be heard.
Statement from Geneviéve Jones-Wright:
We didn’t just change the conversation, we led the conversation. At the beginning of this race, my opponent was a tough-on-crime hardliner who thought she would just slide into her election on a silver platter. By the end she was positioning herself as a reformer, making promises she didn’t understand just to sound more reasonable.
We made real changes. We got rape kits tested. Programs that we proposed are becoming reality. And the community knows how to hold the District Attorney accountable to her promises.
This was never about me; it has always been about a movement. And the movement isn’t over. A progressive and restorative criminal justice system is the direction we need to go, and we will continue to challenge the status quo until we get there.
*Summer Stephan 63.67%
Geneviéve Jones-Wright 36.17%
County Sheriff
No runoff
It really doesn’t help your cause when the state’s top elected Democratic official (Gov. Jerry Brown) campaigns for a Republican. These down ballot races will continue to be difficult as long as the culture of County government is dominated by a reactionary view of the world we live in. I believe all these recent challenges to the status quo in San Diego County will have a cumulative effect. You can expect Gore to fire (or forcibly retire) the man who dared to challenge his incumbency. Small minds, y’know.
*Bill Gore 56.36%
Dave Myers 43.43%
Treasurer-Tax Collector
No runoff
*Dan McAllister 98.77%
Mark Lane 1.23% (Inside joke)
City of Chula Vista- Mayor
Correction. Earlier I sad there was no runoff. THe top two candidates will face each other in November.
EEEEEWW. Can it really be true that 17.35% of Chula Vista voters supported a neanderthal?
*Mary Salas 61.06%
Hector Gastelum 17.35%
Daniel Schreck 11.86%
Arthur Kende 9.47%
Chula Vista Council District 2
No runoff
Steve Stenberg 27.32%
Jill Galvez 25.78%
Patrick McFarland 16.00%
Steve Castenada 14.78%
Jesse Navarro 10.07%
San Diego City Council
Top two runoff in November
District 2
The bad news for incumbent Lorie Zapf is her less-than-a-majority margin in the primary. The good news is that the Lincoln Club has $300,000 or so at the ready to bolster her effort come November.
*Lorie Zapf 44.64%
Jennifer Campbell 21.32%
Bryan Pease 18.42%
Jordan Beane 9.01%
Danny Smiechowski 2.86%
District 4
City Council President Myrtle Cole should be stunned by this result. And challenger Monica Montgomery has made the case that the “same old, same old” isn’t working for District 4. Look for the Democratic party leadership to actively undermine the challenger; compliance is more important than community for them in this contest.
*Myrtle Cole 39.03%
Monica Montgomery 37.72%
Tony Villafranca 17.83%
Neal Arthur 5.26%
District 6
Incumbent Cate has a clear path to victory in November. His visibility in this district and service to constituents obviously overcame any ethics questions voters might have had. Hough is a great guy but needs to find an issue to gain traction.
*Chris Cate 58.52%
Tommy Hough 16.00%
Matt Valenti 9.94%
Fayaz Nawabi 5.69%
Jerimiah Blattler 5.43%
District 8
Vivian Moreno’s primary victory is a testament to the power of termed-out David Alvarez’s incumbency; he really did go all in for her and it paid off. The general election isn’t going to be so simple. There are long-standing divisions (think Hatfield vs McCoy) in the Latino community transcending politics at play here.
Vivian Moreno 36.68%
Antonio Martinez 27.74%
Christian Ramirez 24.97%
Zachary Lazarus 10.00%
Measure A- City of Chula Vista ½% Sales tax
Yes 52.79%
No 47.21%
Measure B – National City Term Limits Repeal
Adios to Mayor Ron Morrison, whose hopes for another term in office were dashed in this election. Now chances are good National City will see a Latina Mayor in 2019, as Measure C prevailed by virtue of getting the most votes. And this result is another slap in the face for Mickey Kasparian, who backed Morrison mostly out of spite towards Councilwoman Alejandra Sotelo-Solis.
Yes 50.62%
No 49.38%
Measure C – National City Term Limits Preserve
Yes 54.38%
No 45.62%
State Legislature
Top two go to November runoff & that’s all I’m showing in this part.
State Senate 36th District (San Diego portion only)
Marggie Castellano 50.67%
Patricia Bates 49.20%
State Senate 38th District (San Diego portion only)
Brian Jones 58.70%
Jeff Griffith 38.71%
State Senate 40th District (San Diego portion only)
Ben Hueso 58.95%
Luis R. Vargas 40.80%
State Assembly 71st District (San Diego portion only)
Randy Vopel 45.54%
James Elia 31.19%
State Assembly 75th District (San Diego portion only)
Marie Waldron 62.17%
Alan Geraci 37.70%
State Assembly 76th District
Here’s a wowzer for ya. November’s election will see two DEMOCRATS vying for Republican Rocky Chavez’ old seat.
Elizabeth Warren 25.64%
Tasha Boerner-H 25.15%
State Assembly 77th District
Brian Maienschein 58.38%
Sunday Grover 41.49%
State Assembly 78th District
Todd Gloria narrowly beats out Lorena Gonzalez as San Diego’s most popular (by percentage) Democratic incumbent in the Assembly.
Todd Gloria 69.63%
Maggie J. Campbell 30.21%
State Assembly 79th District
Shirley Weber 61.46%
John Moore 38.35%
State Assembly 80th District
Lorena Gonzalez 68.21%
Lincoln Pickard 31.58%
House of Representatives
Top two go to a runoff in November; showing top 5 in each race
49th Congressional District
The biggest news in this race was Sarah Jacobs, coming out of nowhere to take third place. Call me impressed, and I hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of her. The total Democratic vote vs. total GOP vote for the 16 candidates in this contest was really close. (Oops. I was wrong) Levin’s going to want to make peace with Applegate’s supporters and that won’t be easy.
San Diego Results Total Votes SD+Orange
Diane Harkey 23.31% 28,494
Mike Levin 16.39% 18,868
Sarah Jacobs 16.63% 17,099
Doug Applegate 14.92% 14, 542
Kristin Gaspar 9.47% Didn’t make 5th place in Orange County
50th Congressional District
Hey folks, a candidate with the last name “Hunter” got less than 50% of the vote in this blood-red district. Democrats have to be hoping for an indictment to level the playing field come November. And one person who I’d just as soon see disappear from local politics is Josh Butner, who ran a really dirty campaign. He really belongs more on the Republican side of the aisle if that’s his idea of winning.
Statement from Ammar Campa-Najjar:
Let’s get straight to the point. First, we are a nation of laws. Nobody is above the law, not even a sitting congressman. Congressman Hunter Jr. is under FBI criminal investigation for misusing campaign funds, but what’s even worse is his misuse of taxpayer funds to pass a tax bill he admitted would hurt California families. It angers me that Hunter has been enriching himself at our expense, it should anger you too. It’s time to restore integrity and give this congressional seat back to its rightful owner: you the voters.
Second, to those who did not vote for me, know that if elected, I’ll be voting for you in Washington and will work with anyone to deliver results. I’m not running against Hunter Jr. or Trump, I’m running for you. That’s why over the next few months, I‘ll be focusing less on your personal politics and more on your personal health, personal safety and personal financial dignity. I pledge to explore unity in Congress rather than exploit division.
*Duncan Hunter 48.52%
Ammar Campa-Najjar 16.46%
Bill Wells 13.17%
Josh Butner 12.83%
Patrick Malloy 5.80%
51st Congressional District
*Juan Vargas 64.45%
Juan Hildalgo Jr 15.04%
John Renison 13.89%
Juan Carlos Mercado 3.07%
Kevin Mitchell 2.06%
52nd Congressional District
*Scott Peters 57.04%
Omar Quadrat 15.36%
James Veltmeyer 12.17%
Danny Casara 4.95%
Michael Allman 4.20%
53rd Congressional District
*Susan Davis 62.31%
Morgan Murtaugh 15.03%
Matt Mendoza 14.31%
Shawn Gino Kane 4.03%
Bryan Kim 2.13%
United State Senate (San Diego results only)
Kevin DeLeon has apparently placed second statewide over dark horse GOP candidate James Bradley.
*Diane Feinstein 42.22%
James Bradley 12.81%
Kevin DeLeon 8.41%
Arun Bumitra 5.33%
Paul Taylor 5.07%
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Lori Saldana says
For those who are angry about all the attack ads and negative mail that appeared in your mailboxes- read the return addresses, look up their funding and other information at the County website here, and take action:
https://www.southtechhosting.com/SanDiegoCounty/CampaignDocsWebRetrieval/
Please be sure to contact the proper campaigns that sent it to you, and don’t attribute blame to the wrong campaigns or candidates.
John Loughlin says
Doug, for the State Board of Equalization District 4 race the numbers you listed are just from San Diego County.
The LA Times lists the current totals, with Schaefer in 2nd place, ugh! http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-pol-ca-california-primary-election-results-2018/
Doug Porter says
Thanks John. It’s been updated.
Liz S says
Thank you for an excellent summary.
bob dorn says
Great summary. Especially because it provides these encouragements:
Duncan Hunter Jr’s continuing decline; Kristin Gaspar’s miserable finish (5th) in the 49th Congressional District, despite our Mad King’s endorsement of her when she visited the Pale House; and Campa Najjar’s forward-looking statement after squeaking into the final against Duncan Jr. Let’s hope Summer Stephens and Bill Gore begin to lose even more energy as they age awkwardly into their moneyed offices.
micporte says
gosh, I’m sorry Lorie Saldana didn’t make the play-offs., because she is great, but thankfully there are other valiant contenders in various races for the “people’s party.”. The “fake news” in San Diego is becoming ever faker, except for thankfully the San Diego Free Press. tried to get the news from the UT, but apparently they don’t have a worldwide network anymore, what a sad state of affaires…when you think that the Copley family was SO important, and they ended up out of competent inheritors, broke, selling everything , villa in LJ, condo on Portsmouth CT in MB.. they WERE San Diego, but now, lost LOST history.. and the UT? no international connection?, hell, the SDFP gets through…what is it with San Diego, the city without a past? No local cemeteries anywhere, you gotta wonder.. Mafia developers would like it like that… myself, a born and bred, I wonder ….?
Voting for Jennifer Campbell in District 2, THE BEACHES?!!! Lorie Z is a nice gal, but obviously under the influence of mafia developers… make a buck, make a buck…not surprising as her husband was convicted of realty fraud some years ago to the tune of 1 million dollars… used up all their savings from the Denver health food bar start-up I expect… oh, those newcomers to the golden city, California’s FIRST CITY… beautiful San Diego.. just go chill at the beach, y’all, and stop making deals with the mafia, thanks…
micporte says
correction: the Copley condo in Mission Beach was/is on Jersey Ct, ocean boardwalk Northside, my mistake,