Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, maintained a comfortable lead Wednesday in the special election to fill a state Senate seat representing a large swath of Riverside County, but many votes still need to be tabulated.
Melendez was easily leading the five-candidate field in the 28th Senate District, with almost double the number of votes of her closest second — Riverside County Board of Education member Elizabeth Romero, but only one-third of ballots had been tallied as of Wednesday morning.
A 50% majority is required to avoid a May 12 runoff.
Former Sen. Jeff Stone resigned his position Nov. 1 to take the reins as the Trump administration’s western regional director for the U.S. Department of Labor, leaving the 28th District without a senator.
Melendez, who has represented the 67th Assembly District since 2012, is standing on her anti-tax record, public safety advocacy and pro-job growth positions in campaign literature.
The U.S. Navy veteran and mother of five says that if elected, she will seek improvements to the state’s water storage infrastructure and will “stand up to special interests to protect small businesses and push for more good paying jobs.”
According to Romero’s campaign, healthcare access and higher education opportunities will be among her top priorities if elected.
Businesswoman Joy Silver, who is closely trailing Romero, has vowed to make expansion of affordable housing top on her agenda if elected, and said solving the homeless crisis is of the utmost importance, as well as “strengthening (housing access) protections for working families, seniors, and veterans on fixed incomes.”
Registered nurse Anna Nevenic promises to “fight for education, health care reforms, the creation of well-paid jobs, making college tuition affordable and making sure that our senior citizens get the protection and security they deserve.”
Business owner John Schwab is foremost concerned with preservation of Second Amendment rights, as well as other fundamental freedoms.
The last special election for state Senate in Riverside County occurred in 2010, when the late John Benoit vacated his 37th Senate District seat to serve on the county Board of Supervisors, representing the Fourth District.
The 37th District was redrawn after the 2010 Census, and much of it was incorporated into what is now the 28th District, stretching from Rancho Mirage to the Temecula Valley.