LANCASTER – Semi-final official results show Sharon Runner to have won Tuesday night’s Special Primary Election.
As the only registered name on the ballot for California’s 21st Senate District, Runner only needed to win more than 50 percent of the vote.
Semi-official results posted online by Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties’ elections offices revealed that the six certified write-in candidates failed to hold Runner back from receiving a majority of the votes.
Runner received 24,517 votes – 14,912 from Los Angeles County and 9,605 from San Bernardino County. Ballots that contained potential write-in votes following election night processing totaled 1,469 – 667 from Los Angeles County and 802 from San Bernardino County.
Confidence and excitement from the Runner campaign team flowed onto social media shortly after the polls closed Tuesday night.
Drew Mercy, a supporter of Runner’s campaign, reported via his Facebook profile that the “dream team is fully in place for the AV: Congressmen Kevin McCarthy, Steve Knight, BOE Vice Chair George Runner, Assemblyman Tom Lackey and now, Back By Popular Demand: Senator Sharon Oden Runner!”
After Runner’s victory had become evident, she told The AV Times by phone that she was “really humbled by the amount of people supporting me in this election.” She also said she would be leaving for Sacramento first thing Wednesday to be sworn in and to begin working immediately for her High Desert constituents.
Runner will serve the remaining two years of Palmdale Republican Steve Knight’s four-year term. Knight vacated his seat to represent California’s 25th Congressional District after defeating Tony Strickland last November.
Write-in candidates for Tuesday’s election included Democrats Joshua Conaway of Apple Valley, Steve Hill of Palmdale, and Richard Macias of Lancaster, as well as Republican Jerry Laws of Victorville, and non-party candidates Joshua Chandler of Quartz Hill, and Jason Zink of Palmdale.
Runner is a former state senator who represented the 17th Senate District from 2011 to 2012. She also served as a member of the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008, representing the 36th district.
California’s 21st Senate District includes the Antelope Valley and parts of Santa Clarita, as well as the Victor Valley from Victorville to Phelan-Pinion Hills.
County officials said they would provide the special election’s certified results by March 27, while the declared results will be made by March 31.
For more information on the March 17 Senate District 21 Special Primary Election, visit http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/state-senate/district/21/.
Previous related stories:
Write-candidates hope voters see beyond Runner in State Senate race
Sharon Runner organizing Senate campaign
–
About the author
Jim E. Winburn is freelance reporter covering news of public interest.
R. Sliepka says
My voting spot was Assembly of God Church. Lots of buildings on the property but no signs in the parking lot telling you where to go. Even tho write in names were OK, not one ballot booth had a pen and when I asked for one, they only had the ones they were using. Another voter gave me one. Very odd…….