California Republicans Poised to Gain Seats in State Senate & Assembly
Republicans will add two seats in the California State Assembly and one seat in the State Senate if current election results are finalized by the Secretary of State. These results would increase the number of Republicans to 20 in the State Assembly and 10 in the State Senate.
If current results hold, Republicans will flip two Democrat-held Assembly seats.
In the 36th Assembly district covering significant portions of Riverside and Imperial counties, pastor, business owner and 21-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jeff Gonzalez leads his Democrat opponent 51.7% to 48.3%. This 70% Latino district has a Republican registration of 28.7%, which Gonzalez is exceeding by 23 points!
In the 58th Assembly District, Leticia Castillo currently leads her Democrat opponent by just 641 votes. She would be an upset winner in this largely Riverside County district having spent just $78,000 on her race according to Cal Matters. Republican registration is 28%. Her top three issues were:
-
- Protect Parental Rights
- Restore Public Safety
- Make Living Affordable
In order to gain seats, Assembly Republicans had to successfully defend several highly contested incumbents. Josh Hoover narrowly unseated a powerful Democrat incumbent in 2022. This time, his Sacramento area constituents have given him a lead of over 15,000 votes. Greg Wallis won his 2022 race by 85 votes in this Riverside and San Bernardino County district. He currently leads his Democrat opponent by over 5000 votes. In Orange and San Diego Counties, Laurie Davies appears to have survived a spirited challenge and is ahead by almost 6,000 votes.
In the California State Senate, former GOP Assemblyman Steven Choi leads incumbent Democrat Josh Newman by about 6,000 votes. Choi’s win flips the seat and adds the second vote to the Republican Senate Caucus in less than a year after Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil switched parties last August.
Again, Senate Republicans had to hold highly contested seats in order to increase their numbers. Former Assemblywoman Suzette Valladares has won the LA-San Bernardino County seat currently occupied by retiring GOP State Senator Scott Wilk. Also, Sen. Rosalicie Ochoa Bogh held her Inland Empire seat and currently leads her Democrat opponent by almost 10 percentage points.
These election results highlight the opportunities for Republicans in future election cycles as there are multiple districts similar in demographics and party registration to the ones won by Gonzalez and Castillo. Quality GOP candidates backed with resources, volunteers and party support can continue to increase our numbers and our voice in the California State Legislature.
California Republicans Poised to Gain Seats in State Senate & Assembly
Republicans will add two seats in the California State Assembly and one seat in the State Senate if current election results are finalized by the Secretary of State. These results would increase the number of Republicans to 20 in the State Assembly and 10 in the State Senate.
If current results hold, Republicans will flip two Democrat-held Assembly seats.
In the 36th Assembly district covering significant portions of Riverside and Imperial counties, pastor, business owner and 21-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jeff Gonzalez leads his Democrat opponent 51.7% to 48.3%. This 70% Latino district has a Republican registration of 28.7%, which Gonzalez is exceeding by 23 points!
In the 58th Assembly District, Leticia Castillo currently leads her Democrat opponent by just 641 votes. She would be an upset winner in this largely Riverside County district having spent just $78,000 on her race according to Cal Matters. Republican registration is 28%. Her top three issues were:
-
- Protect Parental Rights
- Restore Public Safety
- Make Living Affordable
In order to gain seats, Assembly Republicans had to successfully defend several highly contested incumbents. Josh Hoover narrowly unseated a powerful Democrat incumbent in 2022. This time, his Sacramento area constituents have given him a lead of over 15,000 votes. Greg Wallis won his 2022 race by 85 votes in this Riverside and San Bernardino County district. He currently leads his Democrat opponent by over 5000 votes. In Orange and San Diego Counties, Laurie Davies appears to have survived a spirited challenge and is ahead by almost 6,000 votes.
In the California State Senate, former GOP Assemblyman Steven Choi leads incumbent Democrat Josh Newman by about 6,000 votes. Choi’s win flips the seat and adds the second vote to the Republican Senate Caucus in less than a year after Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil switched parties last August.
Again, Senate Republicans had to hold highly contested seats in order to increase their numbers. Former Assemblywoman Suzette Valladares has won the LA-San Bernardino County seat currently occupied by retiring GOP State Senator Scott Wilk. Also, Sen. Rosalicie Ochoa Bogh held her Inland Empire seat and currently leads her Democrat opponent by almost 10 percentage points.
These election results highlight the opportunities for Republicans in future election cycles as there are multiple districts similar in demographics and party registration to the ones won by Gonzalez and Castillo. Quality GOP candidates backed with resources, volunteers and party support can continue to increase our numbers and our voice in the California State Legislature.
LIST OF UPCOMING GOP EVENTS
- San Mateo GOP: Winter Evening Social
Sunday, December 29, 2024 / 6:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Redwood City
- Verb™ Presents: The Final Frontier with Former Space Force CTO Preston Dunlap
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Online (Via Zoom), ,
- Mt Diablo Republican Club: Homelessness and Its Solutions featuring Mary L. G. Theroux
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Alamo Womens Club , 1401 Danville Blvd, Danville
- Santa Cruz RWF: January Coffee Talk and Social
Thursday, January 9, 2025 / 10:00 am – California Coffee, 9105 Soquel Drive, Aptos
- Tri-Valley Republicans: Reliable Solutions for Common Preparedness Issues featuring John Yegge
Thursday, January 9, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Pleasanton
- Liberty Forum of Silicon Valley: Economic Warfare and Financial Terrorism featuring Kevin Freeman
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 / 6:15 pm – IFES Portuguese Hall, 432 Stierlin Road, Mountain View
- Villages Republican Club: Inauguration Watch Party
Monday, January 20, 2025 / 9:00 am – Foothill Center, Villages Fairway, San Jose
- Sonoma County GOP: Inaugural Ball Dinner and Dance
Monday, January 20, 2025 / 6:00 pm – Doubletree, One Doubletree, Rohnert Park
- Hoover Institution: Challenges Facing the US Economy
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 / 9:30 am – Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building , 426 Galvez Mall , Hoover Institution, Stanford University
- Napa GOP: January Speaker Series featuring Corrin Rankin
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 / 6:30 pm – Napa Sport Steakhouse , 145 Gasser Dr Ste A , Napa
- Tri-Valley Republicans: A Shift in the Political Winds… What’s Next? Featuring Brian Sussman
Thursday, February 13, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Pleasonton
- Pacific Research Institute: Seventh Annual California Ideas in Action Conference featuring Scott Rasmussen
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 / 10:00 am – The Sutter Club, 1220 9th Street, Sacramento
Bay Area Republicans Win Local Races
By Roger Riffenburgh
With election results only days away from certification, it is clear that Republicans won local government races across the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas. One particular bright spot is Morgan Hill, where incumbent Mayor Mark Turner ran a reelection campaign with broad bipartisan support and won a 58% victory. In addition, Soraida Iwanaga won a city council seat. Along with current councilmember Marilyn Librers, Republicans will have a majority on the new council.
Two Republicans, Craig Eicher and Matt Gaidos, won seats on the Pleasanton city council. Also in Alameda County, Cindy Rocha won for San Leandro Unified School District, and Deena Kaplanis won for Livermore Valley USD. And of course the big victories in Alameda County were the successful recall by wide margins of both progressive Alameda County District Attorney Pam Price and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
There was a lot of success in Monterey County as Mary Ann Carbone was reelected Sand City Mayor while in Gonzales Jose L Rios was reelected Mayor, and Scott Funk was reelected to the council. Mike Burger was elected to the Del Rey Oaks city council, and Marcy Jones was elected to the Greenfield council. Mindy Hunt and Jake Odello were elected to school boards. Wayne Holman, Stacey Fritz-Smith, Maria Schell, and Rosemary Guidotti were elected to various fire, water, and healthcare districts.
In Contra Costa County, two GOP candidates won city council seats: Faye Maloney in Brentwood and Renee Morgan in Danville. In Clayton Jim Diaz leads by 13 votes as of this writing. Carolyn Graham was reelected to the Discovery Bay Community Services District board. Contra Costa’s most prominent Republican officeholder, Supervisor Candace Andersen, got an early start and won her fourth term unopposed in the March primary. In Solano County GOP Chair and Vacaville Unified Trustee Michele Guerra, Dixon Mayor Steve Bird, and County Board of Ed member Amy Sharp all won reelection.
In Santa Cruz County Donna Lind and Steve Clark both won election to the Scotts Valley Council. Ron Whittle won a seat on the Scotts Valley Fire District board. In San Mateo County Nadia Flamenco was the top vote-getter for the Jefferson Elementary School District in the Daly City area. Former county chair Christina Laskowski won election to the San Mateo-Foster City School Board but tragically passed away.
Other victors in Santa Clara County include Terry Hines for Campbell City Council and Terence Fugazzi for Gilroy Council. The following won school district trustee races: Nicole Gribstad in San Jose Unified, Otila Salazar Torres in Oak Grove SD, and Karl Jacobson in Orchard Elementary. John Zoglin won reelection to the El Camino Healthcare Board.
All candidates, win or lose, deserve a big thank you for entering the arena to bring Republican ideals to improve their community.
California Citizens Redistricting Commission – District Viewer
The Commission has developed a district viewer that allows you to more easily navigate visualizations and zoom in and out of geographic areas while layering congressional, State Senate and Assembly boundaries.
Bay Area Republicans Win Local Races
By Roger Riffenburgh
With election results only days away from certification, it is clear that Republicans won local government races across the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas. One particular bright spot is Morgan Hill, where incumbent Mayor Mark Turner ran a reelection campaign with broad bipartisan support and won a 58% victory. In addition, Soraida Iwanaga won a city council seat. Along with current councilmember Marilyn Librers, Republicans will have a majority on the new council.
Two Republicans, Craig Eicher and Matt Gaidos, won seats on the Pleasanton city council. Also in Alameda County, Cindy Rocha won for San Leandro Unified School District, and Deena Kaplanis won for Livermore Valley USD. And of course the big victories in Alameda County were the successful recall by wide margins of both progressive Alameda County District Attorney Pam Price and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
There was a lot of success in Monterey County as Mary Ann Carbone was reelected Sand City Mayor while in Gonzales Jose L Rios was reelected Mayor, and Scott Funk was reelected to the council. Mike Burger was elected to the Del Rey Oaks city council, and Marcy Jones was elected to the Greenfield council. Mindy Hunt and Jake Odello were elected to school boards. Wayne Holman, Stacey Fritz-Smith, Maria Schell, and Rosemary Guidotti were elected to various fire, water, and healthcare districts.
In Contra Costa County, two GOP candidates won city council seats: Faye Maloney in Brentwood and Renee Morgan in Danville. In Clayton Jim Diaz leads by 13 votes as of this writing. Carolyn Graham was reelected to the Discovery Bay Community Services District board. Contra Costa’s most prominent Republican officeholder, Supervisor Candace Andersen, got an early start and won her fourth term unopposed in the March primary. In Solano County GOP Chair and Vacaville Unified Trustee Michele Guerra, Dixon Mayor Steve Bird, and County Board of Ed member Amy Sharp all won reelection.
In Santa Cruz County Donna Lind and Steve Clark both won election to the Scotts Valley Council. Ron Whittle won a seat on the Scotts Valley Fire District board. In San Mateo County Nadia Flamenco was the top vote-getter for the Jefferson Elementary School District in the Daly City area. Former county chair Christina Laskowski won election to the San Mateo-Foster City School Board but tragically passed away.
Other victors in Santa Clara County include Terry Hines for Campbell City Council and Terence Fugazzi for Gilroy Council. The following won school district trustee races: Nicole Gribstad in San Jose Unified, Otila Salazar Torres in Oak Grove SD, and Karl Jacobson in Orchard Elementary. John Zoglin won reelection to the El Camino Healthcare Board.
All candidates, win or lose, deserve a big thank you for entering the arena to bring Republican ideals to improve their community.
California Citizens Redistricting Commission – District Viewer
The Commission has developed a district viewer that allows you to more easily navigate visualizations and zoom in and out of geographic areas while layering congressional, State Senate and Assembly boundaries.
LIST OF UPCOMING GOP EVENTS
- San Mateo GOP: Winter Evening Social
Sunday, December 29, 2024 / 6:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Redwood City
- Verb™ Presents: The Final Frontier with Former Space Force CTO Preston Dunlap
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Online (Via Zoom), ,
- Mt Diablo Republican Club: Homelessness and Its Solutions featuring Mary L. G. Theroux
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Alamo Womens Club , 1401 Danville Blvd, Danville
- Santa Cruz RWF: January Coffee Talk and Social
Thursday, January 9, 2025 / 10:00 am – California Coffee, 9105 Soquel Drive, Aptos
- Tri-Valley Republicans: Reliable Solutions for Common Preparedness Issues featuring John Yegge
Thursday, January 9, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Pleasanton
- Liberty Forum of Silicon Valley: Economic Warfare and Financial Terrorism featuring Kevin Freeman
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 / 6:15 pm – IFES Portuguese Hall, 432 Stierlin Road, Mountain View
- Villages Republican Club: Inauguration Watch Party
Monday, January 20, 2025 / 9:00 am – Foothill Center, Villages Fairway, San Jose
- Sonoma County GOP: Inaugural Ball Dinner and Dance
Monday, January 20, 2025 / 6:00 pm – Doubletree, One Doubletree, Rohnert Park
- Hoover Institution: Challenges Facing the US Economy
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 / 9:30 am – Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building , 426 Galvez Mall , Hoover Institution, Stanford University
- Napa GOP: January Speaker Series featuring Corrin Rankin
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 / 6:30 pm – Napa Sport Steakhouse , 145 Gasser Dr Ste A , Napa
- Tri-Valley Republicans: A Shift in the Political Winds… What’s Next? Featuring Brian Sussman
Thursday, February 13, 2025 / 5:30 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Pleasonton
- Pacific Research Institute: Seventh Annual California Ideas in Action Conference featuring Scott Rasmussen
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 / 10:00 am – The Sutter Club, 1220 9th Street, Sacramento