Campaign

Gomez wins special election for Becerra’s seat

by Rebecca Savransky - 06/07/17 7:42 AM ET

California assemblyman Jimmy Gomez (D) defeated his challenger in the race to replace former Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.).

Gomez defeated attorney Robert Lee Ahn (D) for the seat previously held by Becerra, who is now the state’s attorney general.

“Today, our community said yes to California values, our progressive values,” Gomez said at his election party at his Highland Park campaign headquarters late Tuesday, according to The Los Angeles Times.

“All of you here that helped me on this campaign, we are the resistance.”

{mosads}The district has a median income of about $35,000 and is a majority Latino, according to the publication.

Paul Mitchell, who runs Political Data, told the Times that the Ahn campaign did a “magnificent job in really energizing their base in this election.”

“But the fundamentals of this district, I think, are hard for anyone to overcome,” he said.

“There’s this baked-in advantage for Latino candidates in those poll voters.”

Ahn late Tuesday night told supporters his campaign “doesn’t end here.”

“This is just beginning for this community,” he said.

“Just look around you,” he continued. “There’s so much to be hopeful for. There’s so much that we’ve started.”

Tags Xavier Becerra