LOCAL INCUMBENT DEMOCRATS HOLDING LEADS SO FAR

Only three of seven open state Assembly seats will be narrowed by primary

The field of candidates for only three of the seven open state Assembly seats in San Diego County — Districts 76, 79 and 80 — will be narrowed by Tuesday’s primary election.

Those three district races each have three or more candidates, and only the top two vote-getters in each will advance to the general election.

In District 76, incumbent San Diego Democrat Brian Maienschein,

with more than 52 percent of the vote in early unofficial returns, held a strong lead over his opponents, Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane with nearly 26 percent and Del Sur Republican June Cutter with nearly 22 percent.

Twice elected previously in District 77, Maienschein now is running in District 76 because of redistricting. The recently remapped boundaries include San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe and San Pasqual.

In District 79, which includes parts of East County, incumbent Akilah Weber, D-La Mesa, held just over 65 percent of the early results. Her two challengers, both Republicans, are Corbin Sabol with 23 percent and John Moore with 11 percent.

In District 80, Democrats David Alvarez and Georgette Gómez also appear headed for the November election over their Republican challengers. That district includes Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City, Barrio Logan and Logan Heights.

In San Diego County’s other Assembly districts, there were only two candidates each in Tuesday’s primary, and they will automatically advance to the general election.

In the 74th District, incumbent Laguna Niguel Republican Laurie Davies faces San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan, a Democrat, in a redrawn district that now stretches from lower Orange County south to Camp Pendleton, Vista and Oceanside. Duncan had 54 percent and Davies had more than 45 percent in the first release of ballots.

Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, first elected in 2012 to Assembly District 75, faces one opponent, Randy Voepel, R-Santee, first elected in 2016 in District 71. The recent redistricting placed Voepel’s home in the redrawn District 75, which covers Fallbrook, Valley Center, Ramona, Poway and Lakeside. Waldron had 63 percent and Voepel 37 percent in the earliest returns.

Tasha Boerner Horvath, D-Encinitas, served two terms in the 76th District and now finds herself running for re-election in the 77th

District because of the realignment. Her only opponent is Dan Downey, R-Point Loma, in an area stretching along the coast from Carlsbad to Coronado. Boerner Horvath had nearly 63 percent over Downey’s 37 percent in the initial returns.

Chris Ward, D-San Diego, is the District 78 assembly member, and his opponent is Eric Gonzales, RSan Diego. Ward had 69 percent and Gonzalez had nearly 31 percent in the initial unofficial returns. Ward was chief of staff to Marty Block for four years in the Assembly and four in the Senate. He also served on the San Diego City Council.