Wagner v. Fox

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    The OC Reg’s Martin Wiskol just posted a wrap-up on the 70th AD race, where SOCCCD trustee Don Wagner prevailed:

Wagner prevails in tight Assembly race

     After trailing most of the evening, Don Wagner has pulled ahead of Steven Choi in the Republican primary to replace outgoing Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine. There are provisional and walk-in mail ballots yet to count - and there could be a recount - but Wagner may have enough of a margin to outdistance those factors.
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     Wagner, a community colleges trustee, came into Tuesday’s election with the unexpected death of his son, Paul, overshadowing his Assembly bid. Paul, 20, was found dead in his car Saturday with no evidence of foul play. The cause has yet to be determined, although the family has speculated that recently prescribed medications may have contributed to an accidental death.
     “You spend a year and a half working toward this election,” Wagner said Tuesday night from his home, where he was forgoing the usual election night fete. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would ... become so unimportant.”
     In the Democratic primary, political newcomer Melissa Fox prevailed with a 3-1 margin over former Kansas state legislator Michael Glover.
     Republicans hold a 43 percent to 30 percent lead over Democrats in voter registration, making the GOP nominee the favorite in the November general election.
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     The GOP victor will face Fox in November. She believes she can beat the Republican, pointing out that Barack Obama beat John McCain in the district in 2008, that a ballot measure calling for parental notification for abortions failed in the district, and that the Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage passed in the district by less than a percentage point.
     “We’ve been walking precincts for a year and it paid off,” said Fox. “We’ll be using the same strategy for November. I think the issues of education, in-home health care, and the job market make this job very much up for grabs.”