Leaders Emerge in State Senate and Assembly Contests
Assemblymember Tim Grayson is now well ahead of San Ramon City Councilmember Marisol Rubio for the State Senate District 9 seat. Both candidates are Democrats.
As of Friday, November 8 at noon, with all precincts reporting into Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, Grayson led Rubio with 156,871 total ballots in his favor compared to Rubio’s 119,421.
In Alameda County, Rubio garnered 16,730 ballots or 50.63 percent of the vote, whereas Grayson received 16,314 or 49.37 percent of the vote, making it a tight race. However, in Contra Costa County, Grayson received 140,557 ballots, or 54.49 percent of the vote, while Rubio received 102,691, or 45.51 percent of the vote.
Grayson is a former mayor and city councilperson in Concord. Rubio is a neurobiologist who was first elected to the San Ramon City Council in 2022.
In the March 5 Primary, Grayson led with 59 percent of the vote to Rubio’s 40 percent.
Castro Valley was part of the 7th Senate District, represented by Steve Glazer. However, following the 2020 Census, Castro Valley and San Leandro were reassigned to the 9th Senate District. The new 9th District heads east from San Leandro and San Lorenzo through Castro Valley before heading north to include most Contra Costa County communities in the east.
Ortega Maintains Lead in State Assembly
Meanwhile, incumbent Democratic Assemblymember Liz Ortega is holding a strong lead over her Republican challenger, Sangeetha Shanbhogue, in the race for the 20th Assembly District.
According to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters data and all 251 precincts reporting, Ortega secured 61,476 ballots or 70.05 percent of the vote. Sangeetha Shanbhogue received 26,282 or 29.95 percent of the vote.
Both candidates are first-generation immigrants. Ortega was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. at age 3, while Shanbhogue was born in India and came here when she was of college age.
Before being elected to the Assembly, Ortega was the executive secretary-treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council and the statewide political director for the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, the University of California’s largest employee union.
Shanbhogue had a professional career in software development, analysis, and project management and holds related degrees. In 2016, though, she transitioned to being a stay-at-home mom.
The 20th State Assembly includes Castro Valley, San Leandro, Cherryland, Ashland, San Lorenzo, and Hayward Acres.