Republican, two Democrats still leading in races for state Legislature

From the What you need to know for Thursday, November 5 series

Mike Hodgson
Nov 4, 2020
Nov 4, 2020 Updated Nov 6, 2020

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Limón

Contributed Photo

Michaels

Staff file

Bennett

Contributed Photo

Cole

Contributed Photo

Cunningham

Addis

Contributed Photo

One Republican and two Democrats are still holding the lead in their races for the state Legislature, according to unofficial results posted Friday by the California Secretary of State’s Office.

In the contest for the 19th Senate District seat, Democrat Monique Limón is leading with 222,684 votes, or 65.6%, over Republican Gary Michaels, a telecommunications consultant from Santa Maria, with 116,904 votes, or 34.4%, according to the state elections website.

The 19th District includes all of Santa Barbara County and 61% of Ventura County, down to Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ojai, Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo.

Limón is currently the 37th Assembly District representative from Santa Barbara who decided to run for the state Senate when Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson chose not to seek reelection to the 19th District seat.

That opened up her 37th Assembly District seat, for which Democratic candidate Steve Bennett has garnered 139,431 votes, or 68.8%, over Republican opponent Charles W. Cole, who has pulled in 63,375 votes, or 31.2%.

Cole is a Santa Barbara businessman and media consultant, while Bennett is a member of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors.

The 37th Assembly District includes the south and east portion of Santa Barbara County encompassing the Santa Ynez Valley and Los Alamos, plus part of Ventura County down to Santa Paula, Fillmore and Ventura.

In the 35th Assembly District race, Republican incumbent Jordan Cunningham has collected 86,328 votes, or 52.0%, to lead Democratic challenger Dawn Addis, who has gathered 79,805 votes, or 48.0%.

Cunningham is a small-business owner from Templeton, while Addis is a Morro Bay teacher and a member of the Morro Bay City Council.

The heavily conservative 35th Assembly District consists of all of San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, including Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Orcutt, Cuyama Valley, Lompoc and Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Of the 25 Assembly members from the 35th District since 1898, only seven have been Democrats, with the first one not elected until 1942.