Two Republican candidates are heading to the general election in the race for the 75th Assembly District.
Carl DeMaio and Andrew Hayes will face off in November to represent the rural Assembly district, which covers most of East San Diego County, including a 50-mile stretch of the southern U.S.-Mexico border.
DeMaio has maintained a strong lead since the first results dropped, garnering more than 40% of the votes cast as of Tuesday.
He ran a campaign that called out Sacramento politicians — from both parties.
“We’re running against the powerful, corrupt interests of a broken political system,” he said. “And they do not want me in Sacramento because they know that I’m an independent voice that will fight for what I believe is in the best interests of my constituents.”
DeMaio campaigned on repealing sanctuary state laws, implementing voter IDs and opposing new taxes. He previously served on San Diego’s City Council from 2008 to 2012 and currently is chairman of the advocacy group Reform California.
The race for second place was much tighter. Vote counting went on for weeks and Hayes only secured the number two spot when Democrat Kevin Juza conceded in recent days.
As of Tuesday, Hayes received nearly 19% of the vote, while Juza earned just over 18%.
Hayes supports tightening border security and tough-on-crime policies, though he said he’s willing to work across party lines in Sacramento.
“At the end of the day, my job is not to just scream really loudly,” he said. “My job is to serve my constituents and get something done.”
Under state election laws, the top-two primary finishers in Assembly races, regardless of party, face off in the November election.
During the primary, DeMaio paid for ads that highlighted Juza’s campaign in an effort to boost the Democrat into a second-place finish. The strategy isn’t unheard of in California politics. Assembly District 75 is a Republican stronghold and facing a Democrat in the general election would present a much easier path to victory than facing a fellow Republican.
“Dragging a Democrat into the runoff is exactly the best strategy,” DeMaio told KPBS earlier this month. “My supporters expect me to run a strategic campaign.”
