A new frontrunner emerged in California’s 7th Assembly District race after election officials counted additional ballots from the primary held Tuesday.
Democratic candidate Amy Slavensky initially led with approximately 44% of the vote in the contest covering Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Citrus Heights. The Associated Press has called the race, with two candidates advancing to a November general election runoff.
The Candidates
Slavensky’s opponent secured enough votes to advance to the fall matchup under California’s top-two primary system. The winner of November’s race will represent the district in the state Assembly.
One candidate previously served as chief of staff to former Assemblyman Kevin Kiley and hosts a political podcast called “Point of Order.” The candidate also previously led the Amador County Unified School District as superintendent before retiring in 2021 and is active in bipartisan legislative efforts.
Statewide Election Results
Tuesday’s primary election brought several competitive races across California, with multiple contests heading to November runoffs. The Los Angeles mayoral race drew particular attention as incumbent Democrat Karen Bass failed to secure the 51% threshold needed to win outright, triggering a November runoff.
Republican Spencer Pratt and Democrat Nithya Raman competed for the second spot in the mayoral race. With roughly 62% of votes counted as of Wednesday evening, Pratt held 29.9% while Raman received 22.8%, positioning Pratt to face Bass in the general election.
Election Interference Allegations
Pratt filed a formal complaint against Bass alleging violations of California’s electioneering laws near polling locations. California prohibits candidates and campaign workers from soliciting votes within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes, a restriction Pratt said Bass violated.
The Republican candidate posted documentation of the complaint filing on social media and indicated he plans to pursue the matter. Bass’s campaign dismissed the allegations and questioned the credibility of Pratt’s complaint.