Long Beach 1st District Councilmember Lena Gonzalez will likely be moving up to the State Senate, after her landslide victory in Tuesday’s run-off election to fill the 33rd District seat, according to unofficial results from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder County Clerk’s office this week.
Gonzalez, a Democrat, garnered 69 percent of the vote, with 26,343 votes, against Jack M. Guerrero, a Republican and Cudahy City councilmember, who earned 31 percent of the vote, with 11,835 total.
The L.A. County Registrar-Recorder can accept mailed ballots up to three days after Election Day, granted they are postmarked by that date, but if that office determines Gonzalez’s win to be official, she will assume the seat vacated by Ricardo Lara, who was elected as the insurance commissioner for the state in November.
The 33rd District encompasses a significant portion of Long Beach, as well as the entire cities of Signal Hill, Cudahy, Bell Gardens, Bell, South Gate, Paramount, Vernon, Lynwood, Maywood and Huntington Park.
Cudahy City Councilmember Jack M. Guerrero
In an emailed response to the Signal Tribune Wednesday night, Gonzalez expressed appreciation for those who supported her campaign.
“I’m grateful to all of my supporters for what they put into our campaign,” she wrote. “And I’m grateful to the voters for the trust they have put in me. But the work is just beginning. Now we have the opportunity to roll up our sleeves for the residents of the 33rd District and for all of California.”
Gonzalez had emerged as the frontrunner among 12 candidates in the March 26 primary election, with Guerrero earning second place. Since Gonzalez had earned about 30 percent of the vote, and Guerrero had garnered about half that much, each fell short of the 50 percent necessary for a primary win but advanced to the run-off as one of the top two vote-getters.
Democratic candidate Lena Gonzalez bested Republican candidate Jack Guerrero in Tuesday night’s State Senate election.
Guerrero– who ran on a platform that prioritized lower taxes, fiscal restraint and responsible government– released what appeared to be a concession statement on Twitter Wednesday.
“With 100 percent of precincts reporting, it appears we have fallen short,” he tweeted. “Alas, our struggle for justice and government reform endures for another occasion. Thank you, friends and supporters. I am very proud of our dignified and principled campaign.”
Not only had Gonzalez led in fundraising for the campaign, she also gained the support of high-profile Democrats, such as U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Lara himself.
If her victory is made official, she will finish Lara’s unexpired term that ends Dec. 7, 2020.
Officials have indicated that a special election in November will determine who will fulfill the remainder of Gonzalez’s term on the city council.
