State Board of Equalization Vice Chairwoman Judy Chu jumped to the lead Tuesday night in her bid for the open 32nd Congressional District seat, running well ahead of fellow Democrat state Sen. Gil Cedillo but falling short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Political newcomer Emanuel Pleitez, who surprised politics watchers with his significant fundraising and campaign of personal contacts and energetic volunteers, was running a strong third. Monterey Park Councilwoman Betty Tom Chu was first among the three Republicans on the ballot in the strongly Democratic district.
"I'm really excited, and I feel so honored by the votes of the people in the district," Judy Chu said at her victory party at Nick's Taste of Texas restaurant in Covina as the ballot tallying neared an end.
Judy Chu, a Chinese American, campaigned on her experience and deep roots in the district and worked to build coalitions across ethnic lines.
In the state Senate's 26th District, early returns showed Democratic Assemblyman Curren Price Jr., a former Inglewood councilman, easily outpolled Republican Nachum Shifren and Cindy Varela Henderson of the Peace and Freedom Party to win the seat.
Voters are saying "they want seasoned, experienced legislators to go to Sacramento and do their job," said Price, who skipped the traditional election night party and instead gave the $5,000 he would have spent to five nonprofit organizations.
He promised to help cut the state budget in light of the failure of the money-raising measures and to follow through on his pledge to create 10,000 jobs in the Senate district.
For seats on the Los Angeles Community College District board, auditor Tina Park was leading incumbent Angela Reddock for Office 2 while another incumbent, Nancy Pearlman, was running ahead of attorney Robert Nakahiro for Office 6.
In Palmdale, voters were authorizing an increase in the city's hotel tax and also narrowly approving a proposal to rescind term limits for City Council members, early returns showed.
Among the few local races on Tuesday's ballot, the congressional district race was widely watched because of its test of ethnic politics.
The hotly contested special election in the San Gabriel Valley-based district featured 12 names on the ballot and at least one write-in candidate.
