McCarthy’s old seat remains unclaimed
The post-McCarthy era of congressional politics in Bakersfield began in earnest Tuesday, as thousands of voters districtwide lined up to vote on ballots that, for the first time in a long time, made no mention of him.
And the race to replace him: still undecided. As of Wednesday afternoon, the tallies show Bakersfield Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, with a commendable 14-point lead over his greatest challenger, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, R-Springville.
Boudreaux, who left for Sacramento Wednesday morning to attend a law enforcement association meeting, did not respond to immediate requests for comment.
But less than three points behind Boudreaux and keeping pace is Marisa Wood, a Bakersfield schoolteacher who has pronounced herself the lone Democratic contender.
Just as he expressed to supporters at the Speakeasy Bar and Grill the night before, Fong said Wednesday the race has played out exactly as he hoped.
“While there are still many ballots to count, voters have sent a clear message that they are ready for experienced, trusted, tested leadership in Washington, D.C.,” Fong wrote in a statement.
Fong added he’s confident in “continuing this momentum” as he and several others from the general primary head into the March 19 special election.
“I also want to thank each of my opponents for running spirited campaigns,” Fong wrote. “Together, we will work to fight for the Central Valley.”
While a 17-point difference between the three candidates is no small feat, in this race, the top-two vote-getters, regardless of party, will proceed to the November election.
About 54% of the votes have been counted, according to a New York Times analysis.
According to Jeffrey Cummins, a political science professor at Fresno
State, Fong is the clear front-runner going forward.
“Serving as district director for so long helped give Fong good name recognition, along with his McCarthy and Trump endorsements,” Cummins wrote.
While Boudreaux took an early lead upon initial returns, Fong quickly overtook. The two proceeded to enter a tit-for-tat throughout the night, with Fong ultimately coming out with a healthy lead.
Wood, who’s entered the race several times in past cycles, has so far netted 21.7% of the vote. She said in a statement Wednesday she is “encouraged by the overwhelming support.”
“As we await the final tally and official certification of the election results, we find ourselves optimistic and grateful for the current standings,” Wood wrote.
Wood also alluded to Fong’s questionable candidacy. Fong, ruled eligible in December to run for the 20th District Congressional seat and for re-election to the 32nd Assembly seat, is currently wrought in an ongoing legal battle over his dual candidacy. Without an update in his state appeals case, Fong will likely continue to the general election in November.
In her statement, Wood said her campaign foresees that “candidates vying for multiple races will soon face a judicial decision addressing the challenges of impracticality and potential voter disenfranchisement.”
Regardless of the court’s decision, Cummins said the voters made their decision on the matter.
“The uncertain status of his dual candidacy did not seem to bother voters much,” Cummins wrote.
Fong’s eligibility notwithstanding, the race at this point is between Boudreaux and Wood to secure the second slot.
And while ballots counted after Election Day have historically favored Democrats, Cummins continued, they would need to “tilt heavily in Wood’s favor” in order for her to surpass Boudreaux.
“It could be extremely close for the second-place finisher,” he wrote.
With a heavy reliance on mail-in ballots, and an extensive review process, results from the ballots cast by Tuesday night might remain uncertain for days, even weeks.
Lupe Villa, the registrar of voters for Kings County Elections, confirmed he will release more results “before noon” on Thursday. And Fresno County Registrar of Voters James Kus said his office would update results online at 5 p.m. the same day.
Kern County Elections said it anticipates releasing its next update by the end of Friday. Tulare County will provide nightly updates beginning Thursday night.