BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Voters in Kern and Tulare counties will head to the polls on Tuesday to decide who will fill the vacant 32nd Assembly District seat.
- The 32nd Assembly District seat in California has been vacant since former Assemblyman Vince Fong vacated his position to pursue a run for Congress.
- Fong ultimately won both the Congressional and Assembly races but declined the Assembly seat, officially leaving the position vacant.
- Four candidates are in the running: Republicans Stan Ellis and Holli Willibey, Democrat Chris Cruz-Boone, and Libertarian William Brown Jr.
The 32nd Assembly District seat in California has been vacant since former Assemblyman Vince Fong vacated his position to pursue a run for Congress. Fong's departure set off a chain of events that led to the current special election.
The vacancy began in December 2023 when former Congressman and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced his resignation. At the time, Fong had already filed for re-election in the Assembly, but later also filed to run for McCarthy’s Congressional seat.
Fong’s decision to run for Congress, while still a candidate for the Assembly, led to a legal battle. Fong sued the Secretary of State’s office for the right to run for Congress after filing for re-election in the Assembly. Despite winning the lawsuit, Secretary of State Shirley Weber ruled that Fong’s name would remain on the Assembly ballot.
Fong ultimately won both the Congressional and Assembly races but declined the Assembly seat, officially leaving the position vacant.
This brings us to the special election. Voters in Kern and Tulare counties will head to the polls on Tuesday to decide who will fill the vacant 32nd Assembly District seat.
Four candidates are in the running: Republicans Stan Ellis and Holli Willibey, Democrat Chris Cruz-Boone, and Libertarian William Brown Jr.
Kern County Auditor-Controller and Registrar of Voters Aimee Espinoza noted that turnout for this special election is expected to be lower than usual since it does not overlap with a presidential primary.
“The turnout isn’t as large as a general election or a presidential primary,” Espinoza said. “For an example in the 20th, about 25% is what we saw. This election, like the 20th, covers approximately half of the entire county.”
The district includes over 300,000 registered voters, with 194,872 votes cast and certified during the November primary. Espinoza believes that voter turnout for this election may be even lower.
“It's still significant. It's still a large election, but with the lower turnout, we’re able to turn those results around a little quicker,” she added.
Local election officials have until March 6 to certify the results. Espinoza also advised voters planning to cast ballots in person to double-check their polling locations, as some sites may not be open due to consolidations. “Sometimes we have to consolidate sites,” she explained. “For example, if one site had only one precinct in the 32nd district, we would try to find another existing site to move that into.”
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will take place on April 29, featuring the top two candidates.
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