Results of the June 2018 Primary Election

Working people are taking action like never before, to ensure that our economy is no longer rigged in favor of the few. This June, we have advanced political leaders that will take real and meaningful action to support and uplift working people, to raise the standard of living for our communities.
SEIU 521 members volunteered hundreds of hours during the June Primary Campaign to work for candidates that have committed to stand up for working people and the things we care about. After doing the research to find out which ballot measures and candidates will help our communities the most, SEIU 521 members spent their time phone-banking and canvassing neighborhoods to encourage working families to vote.

2018 June Primary Results – Updated June 11, 2018
The results of the June Primary continue to trickle in. Statewide, voter turnout was a low 26.4% as of June 11^th. In some counties where SEIU 521 worked on member education and getting out the vote, turnout was higher: 31.4% in Santa Clara; 32% in Stanislaus; 32.9% in Alameda; 33.3% in Madera. The opposite is true in other areas: San Mateo and Monterey had just over 21% turnout; Kern had 22.1%; Santa Cruz had 24.5; Tulare had 23.6%; and in Fresno and San Benito, just over a quarter of registered voters cast a ballot.
Unlike in other parts of the country, California’s voting problems aren’t generally due to voter suppression but more to lack of enthusiasm. Because our vote is our power, SEIU members work hard to assess candidates, take positions on ballot measures, and then to educate members and the community about our positions. We will be evaluating our own programs to get out the vote and welcome your ideas and participation in coming up with a plan to improve voter turnout for the General Election.
Onto the results: Our endorsed candidate for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor District 4, Don Rocha, beat out the anti-pension candidate, Pierluigi Oliverio. Huge thanks to all of our members who spent long hours phone banking and walking to get out the vote for Rocha as those last minute votes pushed him over the edge. Rocha will now move on to the runoff election in November. Congratulations are in store to the members in Tulare County and activists from Fresno and Kern, who helped elect Eddie Valero to the Tulare Board of Supervisors this Primary. In Fresno and San Mateo, incumbents were reelected, and in Stanislaus and San Benito Counties, our endorsed candidates for Board of Supervisors will all be in runoff elections in November. Our endorsed candidate for Kern County DA, Cynthia Zimmer, prevailed due in part to the hundreds of volunteer hours spent phoning and walking for her in Region 5.
Voters approved revenue measures in the City of Santa Cruz and San Benito County, providing funding for public services in those communities. Our big field effort in Alameda County had a tremendous effect on the outcome of Measure A, the pathbreaking childcare funding sales tax; we still do not yet know whether we have pushed the measure beyond the 2/3rds supermajority needed to pass this measure. Right now, support hovers at 65.33%, just under the threshold needed to win.
Robert Rivas and Anna Caballero will advance to the November runoff for Assembly District 30 and Senate District 12. The results of Assembly District 26 are still too close to call. For all our results, please see below. With absentee and provisional ballots left to be counted, we won’t have final results for days. Please refer to this blog regularly for updates.
SEIU members’ endorsements mattered: Gavin Newsom (Governor), Ed Hernandez (Lt. Governor), Xavier Becerra (Attorney General), Alex Padilla (Secretary of State), Fiona Ma (Treasurer), Betty Yee (Controller), Tony Thurmond (Superintendent of Public Instruction), Ricardo Lara (Insurance Commissioner) and Kevin de León (US Senate), all secured positions in the November general election.
Putting Childcare First
Despite a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication from early childhood educators, family child care providers and SEIU 521 members and an outpouring of support from voters, the final results show that Measure A fell just short of the two-thirds vote needed to pass.
Measure A was supported by a broad coalition of parents, early child care and K-12 educators, elected leaders, medical professionals, and many more. This effort was a tremendous first step in drawing attention to the growing child care crisis in California and educating lawmakers and our communities.
It is disappointing that, although the majority of voters overwhelmingly support Measure A, requiring 66.7% to pass a ballot measure means that a small number of voters were able to block this solution to the growing child care crisis in Alameda County.
Family child care providers vow to carry the momentum of Measure A forward and elect pro-child care lawmakers in November and continue our fight to win collective bargaining rights.

“Even though we weren’t able to accomplish our goal of passing Measure A, we brought an amazing group of providers, parents, and community members together. We received a tremendous amount of support from people who are ready to fix our broken child care system,” said Roseanne Galli-Adams, an Alameda County Family Child Care Provider. “Now it’s time to refocus on electing Gavin Newsom so we have a governor who will support our fight for collective bargaining rights.”

SEIU 521 Family Child Care Providers with Congresswoman Barbara Lee at a Measure A “Get out the Vote” event in Oakland

Measure A was only the first step, and there will be many more opportunities to stand up and fight for improvements to our child care system in 2018. You can take action now to help Family Child Care Providers win the right to bargain a union contract now by signing our petition.
Constitutional Offices

California Governor: Gavin Newsom – in November runoff, strong first, faces Republican Businessman John Cox
California Lt. Governor: Ed Hernandez – in November runoff, placed second, faces Eleni Kounalakis
California Attorney General: Xavier Becerra – in November runoff, strong first, faces Republican Steven Bailey
California Secretary of State: Alex Padilla – in November runoff, strong first, faces Republican Mark Meuser
California Treasurer: Fiona Ma – in November runoff, placed first, faces Republican Greg Conlon
California Controller: Betty Yee – in November runoff, strong first, faces Republican Konstantinos Roditis
California Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara – in November runoff, placed second in close race, faces (former Republican) Independent Steve Poizner
California Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond – in November runoff, placed second to charter school advocate Marshall Tuck. Lots of work to do in this race in San Benito and Regions 3, 4, 5.

State Ballot Measures

Proposition 68 (Support) – Statewide bond to upgrade parks and make sure the state’s water supply is clean and protected – passed
Proposition 69 (Support) – Support of Prop 69 ensures the gas tax isn’t diverted for other purposes besides roads, transit, and transportation-related projects – passed
Proposition 70 (Oppose) – Oppose changes to how California’s greenhouse gas reduction reserve fund is approved. This proposition grew out of an oil industry-backed effort to derail the state’s premier program to curb harmful air pollution. – failed

U.S. Senate

U.S. Senate: Kevin de León – in November runoff with Diane Feinstein, placed a distant second

U.S. Congress

U.S. Congress District 10: Virginia Madueño – failed to advance, incumbent Jeff Denham who has voted against healthcare for all and for tax breaks for the wealthy will face Josh Harder in November
U.S. Congress District 13: Barbara Lee – incumbent, advances and will win in November
U.S. Congress District 14: Jackie Speier – incumbent, advances and will win in November – in November runoff
U.S. Congress District 15: Eric Swalwell – incumbent, advances and will win in November
U.S. Congress District 17: Ro Khanna – incumbent, advances and will win in November
U.S. Congress District 18: Anna Eshoo – incumbent, advances and will win in November
U.S. Congress District 19: Zoe Lofgren – incumbent, advances and will win in November
U.S. Congress District 20: Jimmy Panetta – incumbent, advances and will win in November
U.S. Congress District 21: TJ Cox – faces David Valadao in November
U.S. Congress District 22: Andrew Janz – faces Devin Nunes in November

California State Senate

California State Senate District 10: Bob Wieckowski – incumbent, advances and will win in November
California State Senate District 12: Anna Caballero – placed first, in November runoff with Republican Rob Poythress

California State Assembly

Assembly District 15: Jovanka Beckles is in a battle for second, but it is likely top vote-getter Buffy Wicks will face Dan Kalb in the General
Assembly District 19: Phil Ting – incumbent, advances and will win in November
Assembly District 18: Rob Bonta – incumbent, advances and will win in November
Assembly District 20: Bill Quirk – incumbent, advances and will win in November
Assembly District 22: Kevin Mullin – incumbent, advances and will win in November
Assembly District 25: Kansen Chu – incumbent, advances and will win in November
Assembly District 26: Jose Sigala – close contest, Devin Mathis will face Jose Sigala or Warren Gubler in the November runoff
Assembly District 27: Ash Kalra – incumbent, advances and will win in November
Assembly District 29: Mark Stone – incumbent, advances and will win in November
Assembly District 30: Robert Rivas – strong first, advances and will win face Republican Neil Kitchens in November

Alameda County

Yes on Measure A: Support Care for our Children – Support Care for our Children – Received 66.20% of the vote, just 0.47% shy of the 2/3rds majority needed. Did not pass.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee addressing volunteers, including many SEIU 521 members and child care providers, who are getting ready to knock on doors for Measure A.
San Mateo County

SamCERA Board of Retirement Election, Seat 2: Katherine O’Malley – Elected as Trustee – Click here for more information.
Board of Supervisors District 2: Carole Groom – Reelected
Board of Supervisors District 3: Don Horsley – Reelected

Santa Clara County

Board of Supervisors District 4: VOTE NO ON PIERLUIGI OLIVERIO – Does not advance.
Board of Supervisors District 4: VOTE FOR Don Rocha – Places second, will face Susan Ellenberg in November.
Santa Clara County: Support the Recall of Judge Aaron Persky – Recall successful
San Jose City Council District 3: Raul Peralez – Reelected
San Jose City Council District 5: Magdalena Carrasco – Reelected
San Jose City Council District 7: Maya Esparza – In second place, heading to November runoff against incumbent Tam Nguyen
San Jose City Council District 9: Shay Franco-Clausen – Fails to advance. Pam Foley and Kalen Gallagher will face each other in the runoff.

SEIU 521 members with Don Rocha

Santa Cruz County

Board of Supervisors District 4: Felipe Hernandez – Fails to advance.
Watsonville City Council District 2 Special Election: Jenni Veitch-Olson – Is not elected
City of Santa Cruz Measure S: Support ¼ cent sales tax to fund quality city services – Passes

Monterey County

Sheriff: Scott Davis – Is not elected, incumbent reelected
Assessor: Larry Tack – Is not elected, incumbent reelected
Board of Supervisors District 2: Regina Gage – Is not elected, incumbent John Phillips reelected
Board of Supervisors District 3: Alejandro Chavez – Is not elected, Chris Lopez wins outright

San Benito County

Measure B: YES on transient occupancy tax – Passes
Measure C: YES on tax on cannabis business activities – Passes
Board of Supervisors District 3: Pat Loe – Places first and is headed to November runoff
Board of Supervisors District 4: Jim Gillio – Places first and is headed to November runoff

Stanislaus County

District Attorney: Patrick Kolasinski – Fails to advance to November runoff; Labor’s other endorsed candidate will be in runoff with incumbent
Board of Supervisors District 3: Tony Madrigal – Places second, faces incumbent Terry Winthrow in November
Board of Supervisors District 4: Frank Damrell – Places second, faces incumbent Tom Berryhill in November

Merced County

Board of Supervisors District 4: Patricia Anderson – Places distant second but fails to make runoff, Scott Silveira wins outright

Fresno County

Board of Supervisors District 1: Brian Pacheco – Reelected

Tulare County

Board of Supervisors District 4: Eddie Valero – Elected with 55% of the vote
Board of Supervisors District 5: Virginia Gurrola – Fails to make runoff

Saturday morning GOTV in Dinuba for Eddie Valero campaign. The CLC helped organize IBEW, SEIU 521, and SEIU 2015 to go for knocking in this small rural town to win a Board of Supervisor seat in one of the reddest counties in the State.