OAKLAND (KRON) – Voters on Tuesday will vote for a successor to replace Attorney General Rob Bonta in the state Assembly.
Bonta left the Legislature in April after Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him to fill the state’s top law enforcement post. His wife, Mia Bonta, is among the frontrunners for his old 18th Assembly District seat.
On Tuesday night, results show Mia Bonta taking a strong first-place lead, earning nearly 40% of the vote. This means she will advance to the August 31st special general election.
She released the following statement:
“I’m honored and humbled by the outpouring of support from the diverse coalition we built over the course of this primary campaign. While we did not reach the 50% threshold tonight, momentum is on our side and I know we are ready to continue reaching out to earn every single vote to win in August. We have the infrastructure and momentum to win this runoff on August 31st, and I’m confident that we will do so.
At a young age, public service became my dream. My parents were activists in their youth, and they would protest outside the halls of power, trying to make their voices heard. But they instilled in me the understanding that in order to truly create change, we had to be inside those halls of power. We had to be sitting there at the table and offering our voice so that people who looked like me and had shared lived experiences would not be ignored.
I want to thank the entire AD 18 community—thank you to my family, friends, supporters, volunteers, and everyone who got involved in this special election. Our community is one step closer to having a seat at the table. I am ready to get to work.
The pandemic laid bare the striking inequities in the systems throughout our state. I am ready to take on these inequities in Sacramento. We are going to address the root causes of homelessness through increased funding for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. We are going to ensure our students have the resources they need to succeed in school regardless of their ZIP code, family life, or immigration status. And, we are finally going to create more affordable housing for both low- and middle-income families so all members of our community can afford to stay in the East Bay.
I am going to Sacramento to represent all residents of the East Bay and will make myself accessible to YOU. I will lift up this community as it has always lifted me up.
I am energized and motivated to take on the challenges that lie ahead. Thank you all again for your support. Tonight we celebrate our primary victory, and tomorrow we get back to work!”
Eight candidates are vying to replace him, including six Democrats in the Alameda County district where 66% of voters are registered with that party. Republican Stephen Slauson and Joel Britton, no party preference, also are running.
Aside from Bonta, Democrats James Aguilar, Victor Aguilar, Eugene Canson, Janani Ramachandran and Malia Vella are seeking to represent the area that includes the cities of Alameda, San Leandro and most of Oakland.
If no candidate wins more than half the vote, a special runoff election will be August 31 with the top two vote-getters, regardless of their party affiliation.
To view the latest unofficial election results, visit the state website.
All results will be certified by July 8.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.