Updated at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5

Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, said Wednesday he was humbled by his victory in the 33rd Congressional District race and looked forward to continuing the work of retiring Rep. Henry Waxman, who has represented the district for nearly 40 years.

Lieu defeated Republican gang prosecutor Elan Carr in Tuesday’s election to win the seat, which represents an affluent Westside-South Bay-San Fernando Valley area.

“Yesterday’s election was a difficult one for Democrats across the country, and it’s more critical than ever that members of Congress stand up for our core values, including defending a woman’s right to choose and protecting Social Security and Medicare,” Lieu said. “I’m going to Washington to take on these fights.”

Waxman, D-Beverly Hills, has held the seat since 1975, and he endorsed Lieu.

“I’ve been particularly honored during this campaign to have the support and guidance of Congressman Henry Waxman, whose legacy is his record of extraordinary service and accomplishment for this district and our country,” Lieu said.

Carr surprised some by finishing atop a crowded field of candidates in the June primary election with 21.5 percent of the vote. But Carr benefited from the splitting of Democratic votes among a list of candidates that included former Los Angeles City Councilwoman and City Controller Wendy Greuel.

The 33rd District is one of the most affluent in the nation, including such areas as Santa Monica, Malibu, Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Palos Verdes.

Lieu is a graduate of Stanford University and the Georgetown University Law Center. He served in the U.S. Air Force, serving at one point in Guam and helping airlift Kurds out of northern Iraq. He later worked as a clerk at the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and practiced civil law. He was elected to the Torrance City Council in 2002, the Assembly in 2005 and the state Senate in 2011.

Lieu said he has fought to protect the environment, seniors, children and “those without a voice.” He said he hopes to strengthen the Affordable Care  Act, boost education spending and fight to raise the minimum wage.

Carr is a U.S. Army veteran, joining the service just months before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was eventually deployed to Iraq, served as a prosecutor of insurgents who attacked American troops and helped train Iraqi judges on constitutional and criminal law. He joined the District Attorney’s Office when he returned from overseas, and has been a prosecutor for more than seven years.

He said he wanted to fight against “dysfunction” in Washington, target the national debt, bolster the economy, improve the education system and “stand strongly with our friends and allies around the world.”

“We ran a terrific campaign and we touched on themes that are deeply important, not only to me, but the American people, and the response has been tremendous,” Carr told ABC7 at his election-night party. “We’ve been able to unify so many Democrats and Republicans.”

— City News Service

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