UpdatedTue, Apr 6, 2021 at 9:01 pm PT
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The special election was prompted after Shirley Weber was appointed as California s secretary of state and the seat was left vacant. (Ashley Ludwig/Patch)
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA Polls have closed and voters have decided who should represent California s 79th Assembly District.
The special election was prompted after Shirley Weber was appointed as California s secretary of state and the seat was left vacant.
Four Democrats and one Republican competed for the seat, which encompasses southeastern San Diego, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and parts of Chula Vista, Bonita and National City. The candidates included:
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Contreras has 33.33% of the vote, the only other candidate with more than 9%. Tonight s win and these results are staggering, Weber said. I am deeply honored and humbled by the faith that the voters have placed in me. My campaign is focused on one mission creating healthier communities for everyone who lives and works in the 79th District. Although there are votes yet to be counted, I am eager to start that work restoring economic prosperity, expanding high-quality health care, investing in education, and protecting our environment. There are innumerable tasks ahead to create an equitable and prosperous California, but together I know that we can achieve these essential ambitions.
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La Mesa City Council member Akilah Weber speaks as she sits with other members of the panel during the Black Excellence in Public Service: Serving and Protecting Our Children forum held at the Skyline Hills Branch Library in San Diego, Saturday Feb. 23, 2019. Weber was one of five candidates running in the San Diego-area s 79th Assembly District after her mother, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, resigned in January 2021 to succeed Alex Padilla as the state s top elections official. (Hayne Palmour IV/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)Hayne Palmour IV/AP
San Diego
La Mesa Councilwoman Dr. Akilah Weber led a field of five candidates Tuesday evening, winning just over 52 percent of the votes counted in the race for the 79th Assembly District seat. In total, the county mailed out more than 300,000 ballots.
In second place was Republican business owner Marco Contreras with about 33 percent of the vote. His campaign manager Corey Uhden said he did not have a comment Tuesday night.
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Labor organizer Leticia Munguia held about 8 percent, teacher Shane Parmely had 5 percent, and community organizer Aeiramique Glass Blake held just over 1 percent.
The special primary election will determine who fills the seat vacated by Weber’s mother, Shirley Weber, who represented the district for the previous decade and left in January to serve as secretary of state. The 79th District includes parts of Southeast San Diego, Bonita, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and National City.
Dr. Akilah Weber nears victory in 79th Assembly District Special Election
Weber had 52.13% of the vote in the five-candidate field with 190 of 269 precincts fully reporting. Marco Contreras, the lone Republican, was second at 33.32%.
Credit: AP
La Mesa City Council member Akilah Weber (right) speaks as she sits with other members of the panel during the Black Excellence in Public Service: Serving and Protecting Our Children forum held at the Skyline Hills Branch Library in San Diego, Saturday Feb. 23, 2019. Weber was one of five candidates running in the San Diego-area s 79th Assembly District after her mother, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, resigned in January 2021 to succeed Alex Padilla as the state s top elections official. (Hayne Palmour IV/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)