Orange County voters have unseated an incumbent Republican state lawmaker in a rare move after his own party turned against him over sexual harassment and campaign finance allegations.
Assemblyman Bill Brough was tainted in Tuesday’s primary by allegations that he made unwanted advances toward four women. He denied the claims and called them politically motivated. He also is under investigation by California’s campaign watchdog on allegations that he improperly used campaign funds to benefit himself and his family. He has not commented on that issue.
“He looks like he’s toast,” said Rob Pyers, research director at the nonpartisan California Target Book that tracks legislative races.
The issues were enough to prompt Orange County and state Republican Party leaders to endorse Laguna Niguel Mayor Laurie Davies in the 73rd Assembly District.
She is headed to the November general election against a Democrat for what is considered a safe Republican seat in south Orange County. In vote tallies Wednesday, Brough was in fourth place behind Democrats Scott Rhinehart and Chris Duncan in the five-candidate field.
In California, the top two vote-getters in primaries move on to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation.
Voters “have sent a clear message that it was time for someone new to have the chance to be their representative in Sacramento,” Davies’ campaign said in a statement.
Brough and leaders of the Assembly and GOP did not respond to requests for comment.
Davies said she will “offer realistic solutions to our state’s problems rather than the radical ideas that come from the extreme liberals in Sacramento.”
Democrats hold an overwhelming three-quarters of Assembly seats but were in danger of losing the 38th Assembly District seat in Los Angeles and Ventura counties after Democratic incumbent Christy Smith ran for Congress. Two Republicans were leading for the top two spots in the district race, while five Democratic candidates split the rest of the early vote.
“Our hands were a little bit tied because there was no Democratic Party endorsement in that race” with various factions backing different Democratic candidates, said Bill Wong, political director of Assembly Democrats.
GOP Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez led in a five-candidate special election to replace Jeff Stone, who resigned his 28th Senate District seat in mid-term to take a Trump administration post. But Melendez lacked a majority vote needed to avoid a May 12 runoff election in Riverside County. Elizabeth Romero had a narrow lead over fellow Democrat Joy Silver for the second ballot spot in the district, which is evenly split between the major political parties.
Lots of behind the scenes maneuvering in the Central Valley’s 5th Senate District wound up benefiting Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman’s bid to succeed termed-out Democratic Sen. Cathleen Galgiani.
Modesto city councilman Mani Grewal tried to make it a Democrat-on-Democrat runoff with support from officials including Galgiani and financial backing from oil and gas interests.
But the Democratic Party endorsed Eggman and the Republican Party endorsed Jesus Andrade. Two other Republicans split the GOP vote, including longtime Democrat Kathleen Garcia, who switched her party registration just before filing to run as a Republican.
That leaves Eggman favored to win in November over the third Republican, Jim Ridenour.
“I never thought (Ridenour) had much of a chance,” said Target Book editor Tony Quinn. “Grewal sort of had an appeal to the more moderate and conservative Democrats. They put a lot of money into him but he lost rather poorly.”
