Updated: Paul Fong, the Democratic legislator whose district shifted with redrawn California Assembly Districts, beat Los Gatos challenger Chad Walsh Tuesday night whose strong showing in the primary forced the runoff battle.
Fong carried 62 percent to Walsh’s 38 percent, or 74,584 votes to 45,765 votes in Santa Clara County.
Fong, who represented California Assembly District 22, never took for granted his incumbency. On Oct. 22 he posted this to his Facebook page:
“With redistricting, I lost 80 percent of my assembly district. I ask for your help in reaching out to voters in the last few weeks and need to raise a few more dollars to get our message out. http://www.facebook.com/events/281422268634987/”
Walsh changed party status from Republican to Independent fought to win a district 43 percent Democratic and 26 percent Republican, just slightly different from Fong’s District 22 representation of 45 percent Democratic and 21 percent Republican.
The new 28th District includes Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos and part of San Jose.
Walsh ran a formidable race forcing a run-off with Fong who won the June primary with 53.7 percent of the vote to Walsh’s 46.3 percent, but the margin wasn’t enough to move past California’s new open primary system.
I have personally spoken at length with both Chad and Paul prior to the elections and found Paul to be far less ambiguous on issues of education and the environment. Prior to talking to them I almost did not vote for Paul and had strongly considered voting for Chad based upon what I had read and some past experience. Thank goodness for the opportunity to talking to them and asking them both pointed and challenging questions.