Democrat Mara Elliott leads for GOP-held 40th Senate seat; DeMaio holds East County Assembly seat with 55.6%

Democrat Mara Elliott led Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane by 17,503 votes in the 40th State Senate District, a seat now held by Republican Sen. Brian W. Jones, according to unofficial results posted by the California Secretary of State at 4:21 p.m. Nov. 8. In the East County 75th Assembly District, Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio led comfortably for a second term.

Elliott, a former San Diego city attorney, had 146,773 votes, or 53.2%, to Bruce-Lane's 129,270, or 46.8%. Jones was not on the ballot. The 40th District lies entirely in San Diego County, and it was the closest legislative race among districts wholly inside the county.

DeMaio had 82,060 votes, or 55.6%, to Democrat Gerald C. Boursiquot's 65,514, or 44.4%. The 75th District lies entirely in San Diego County, and the registrar's Nov. 6 totals match the state's.

The tightest race touching the county was in the 74th Assembly District, which extends beyond San Diego County. Republican Assemblywoman Laurie Davies had 78,428 votes, or 50.4%, to Democrat Sergio Farias' 77,256, or 49.6%, districtwide, a margin of 1,172 votes. In the San Diego County portion, Farias led 42,025, or 56.95%, to 31,774, or 43.05%, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters update posted at 5:46 p.m. Nov. 6. The race remains too close to call.

Republican Sen. Kelly Seyarto led Democrat Tiffanie Tate in the 32nd Senate District, 124,976 votes, or 52.7%, to 112,250, or 47.3%. Only a small part of that district is in San Diego County, where Tate led 1,890 to 1,841.

Democratic incumbents led by wide margins elsewhere:

Senate District 18: Sen. Steve Padilla 124,230 (67.7%), Republican Art Hodges 59,185 (32.3%). San Diego County portion: Padilla 86,096 (68.63%), Hodges 39,354 (31.37%). Senate District 38: Sen. Catherine Blakespear 175,182 (56.1%), Republican Laura Bassett 136,918 (43.9%). San Diego County portion: Blakespear 124,994 (60.10%), Bassett 82,992 (39.90%). Assembly District 76: Darshana Patel 80,242 (59.2%), Republican Carrie S. Espinoza Villanueva 55,287 (40.8%). Assembly District 77: Tasha Boerner 100,078 (63.7%), Republican Trinity Hannaway 56,950 (36.3%). Assembly District 78: Chris Ward 101,279 (71.3%), Republican Payton Galvez 40,741 (28.7%). Assembly District 79: LaShae Sharp-Collins 66,254 (67.7%), Republican Andrew Lawson 31,584 (32.3%). Assembly District 80: David Alvarez 74,758 (68.7%), Republican Alejandro Galicia 34,073 (31.3%).

The registrar's Nov. 6 update counted 886,224 ballots and projected about 390,000 still outstanding countywide, with the next results post scheduled for Nov. 9 by 6 p.m. Counting also continues in the part of the 74th District outside the county.

If the current leads hold, Seyarto, whose district includes only a sliver of the county, would be the only Republican state senator representing San Diego County voters. DeMaio and Davies are the only Republicans in the county's Assembly delegation.

All results are unofficial until counties certify in December.