Downey City Councilman Mario Guerra, a Republican insurance broker, jumped to an early lead Tuesday night in the race for the seat being vacated by termed-out Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, who is also facing federal corruption charges.
Guerra is facing Democratic former Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, a school teacher from Artesia, in the bid to represent the 32nd Senate district.
Although the district is considered heavily Democratic, the candidates have waged a big-money campaign, and it was unclear if the corruption scandal involving Calderon hampered Mendoza’s chances.
In the 26th Senate District, attorney Ben Allen had a strong early lead in the battle to replace Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, who is looking to move to the congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Henry Waxman.
Sandra Fluke, who gained national fame when she was insulted by radio conservative Rush Limbaugh over her push for health care coverage for contraception, was a distant second behind Allen. The district covers affluent areas stretching from the Hollywood Hills to Marina del Rey to Palos Verdes.
Assemblyman Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, is hoping to hold onto his seat representing the 57th District, which includes Norwalk and La Puente, but he was in a neck-and-neck battle with Republican Rita Topalian, a family law attorney. Democrats have a strong voter registration edge in the district, but Calderon may have been dogged by fallout from the federal legal troubles dogging his uncle — Ron Calderon.
In the 66th District, Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, is looking to retain his seat in the face of a strong challenge from Republican David Hadley. Hadley finished slightly ahead of Muratsuchi in the June primary, and early returns tonight showed the race in a virtual dead heat. The district also includes Manhattan Beach and parts of Palos Verdes.
— City News Service