Assemblywoman Christy Smith (D-Santa Clarita) conceded defeat to Republican Mike Garcia on Wednesday afternoon in the special election in California’s 25th congressional district, giving Republicans their first pickup in the state in 22 years.
Garcia currently leads Smith by 8 points and over 17,000 votes. Though recent elections have seen Democrats win long after Election Day, thanks to “ballot harvesting,” provisional ballots, and the late arrival of mail-in ballots, this election is over.
Smith and Garcia will have a rematch in the general election in November
In a statement on Facebook, Smith said:
While it’s critical that we ensure every vote is counted and recorded, we believe that the current tally shows Mike Garcia is the likely victor in the May 12 special election. As such, I’d like to congratulate him.
That said, this is only one step in this process, and I look forward to having a vigorous debate about the issues in the upcoming November 2020 election, from healthcare access to job creation, aid for working families, investments in local classrooms to wildfire protection, women’s rights and more in the months ahead.
Most importantly, from the bottom of my heart, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of our supporters, from our brave firefighters, nurses, grocery workers, truck drivers and so many on the frontlines to our classroom teachers, grassroots activists, women, seniors, young people and all those who played an integral role in this effort. This campaign is about you – and our community – and there is no doubt in my mind that together, we will prevail in the fall general election.
Earlier Wednesday, Garcia issued a statement declaring that he was “ready to go to work.”
The special election was necessary because of the resignation of former Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA).
Republicans, curiously, won the vote-by-mail election while opposing a national mandate proposed by Democrats to compel states to provide vote by mail due to the potential risks associated with gathering in polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, is available for pre-order. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.