San Diego City Assemblyman Chris Ward was leading Sarah Davis in early returns Tuesday night for the 78th Assembly District.
The district stretches from Solana Beach and Del Mar to Balboa Park and Imperial Beach. Both said they will fight to bring state funds to their communities and help craft laws that affect all Californians.
But the battle between two Democrats has been overshadowed by the high-profile contests for president and San Diego's mayor. The two 78th district candidates from the same party align on many of their priorities but are separated by experience and approach.
Ward, a San Diego City Councilman for District 3, said his eight years as a former chief of staff to a state lawmaker means he has the legislative know-how to get the job done.
“I know that building those relationships and making sure that you understand the legislative process are paramount to success — getting through sometimes six or eight different committees before a bill even makes it to the governor's desk is something I've had direct experience with," Ward said.
The other candidate, political newcomer and licensed midwife Sarah Davis, said she'll bring a fresh perspective if elected to represent the district in Sacramento.
"People who are passionate about climate right now, people who are passionate about housing and health care, are on the ground working with organizations, doing every kind of tactic, trying to make that change happen, and so having politicians who are on the same page with them is one piece of that bigger picture," Davis said.
Both Davis and Ward shared tactics to address climate challenges on their websites and they overlap on multiple points, but the documents are light on funding details.
The 78th seat is currently held by Assemblyman Todd Gloria, a former District 3 San Diego City Councilman who is running for San Diego mayor.
