New slate of representatives for Inyo, Mono

Prelim results for state, congressional races

Thanks to redistricting, three politicians new to the Eastern Sierra will represent the region in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C.

Preliminary election results indicate the region’s voters sent a Democrat and a Republican to the state legislature. If those preliminary results hold, it will be the first time in recent memory that Inyo and Mono counties will be represented by a Democrat in the California Senate. Following past trends, a Republican was sent to the state Assembly.

The new 3rd Congressional District had a familiar result, with a Republican polling ahead of a Democratic for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Election results from the California Secretary of State updated on Tuesday show Republican Kevin Kiley with a comfortable lead over Democrat Dr. Kermit Jones in the Congressional race. Kiley captured 53% of the vote and was leading Jones by about 10,000 votes. Close to 170,000 votes had been counted in the huge Congressional District which stretches from Death Valley in Inyo County through Mono County and Lake Tahoe then includes substantial portions of Sacramento County, before going further north to Plumas and Yuba counties.

In Inyo County, Kiley received 52% of the vote, while Jones got 48%. Mono County gave Jones 56% and Kiley 44%.

Most of the smaller, rural counties in the sprawling district were carried by Kiley. But his lead was secured in the larger counties or portions of larger counties. Placer County tallied about 76,000 total votes in the race, with 56% going for Kiley and 44% for Jones. The portions of Sacramento and El Dorado

counties in the district accounted for 43,000 votes, with the split in both counties going to Kiley by a 53-47% margin.

The only larger county carried by Jones was Nevada County, with 28,000 votes and Jones taking 56%.

A Democrat state Senator for the area was a foregone conclusion, since both candidates in the 4th State Senate District were Democrats. Marie Alvarado-Gil was leading with about 52% of the vote while Tim Robertson, had 48%. Inyo County gave Alvarado-Gil 53% and Robertson 47%. Mono County went for Robertson by a 61-39% margin. The district includes all or portions of 11 counties in the Eastern Sierra and Lake Tahoe and Gold Country.

The state Assembly race in the 8th District lacked much campaigning or drama. The Democrats did not field a candidate against Republican Jim Patterson, who earned 74% of the vote while Libertarian Thomas Edwards Nichols got 26%. Inyo County gave Patterson 66% and Nichols 34%. Mono County gave Patterson 58% and Nichols 42%.

Final results will be announced by the California Secretary of State later this month.