FILIPINO American Rob Bonta has won a full term as California State Attorney General.
As of Thursday, November 10, Bonta, a Democrat and the current state attorney general, held a big lead over his Republican challenger Nathan Hochman. Bonta has garnered 3,152,292 votes (56.9%) while Hochman has received 2,385,723 votes (43.1%), per the California Secretary of State’s election results page. Election results will be certified on December 16.
Bonta, who is the first Fil-Am to become Attorney General in the state’s history, was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the position when his predecessor, Xavier Becerra, joined the Biden-Harris administration as Secretary of Health and Human Services. As Bonta was appointed more than midway through Becerra’s term, he is eligible to run for two 4-year terms.
A Yale Law School graduate, Bonta was a Deputy City Attorney in San Francisco from 2003 to 2012.
In 2010, he was elected to the Alameda City Council where he was appointed vice mayor. Two years later, he ran for the State Assembly seat for District 18 and won, becoming the first Fil-Am to be elected to the state legislature. He was overwhelmingly reelected to the post in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020, getting at least 87% of the votes cast in the district in those races. In the California State Legislature, Bonta was chair of the Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.
Attorney General Bonta expressed his thoughts on Twitter on getting elected to a full term, saying, “Humbled by the vote of confidence delivered at the ballot box. The returns reflect our hard work in delivering results for public safety, working families, and the fundamental rights we hold dear. I’m deeply honored to serve as your Attorney General. Thank you, California!”
In local races in San Diego, Judy Patacsil is leading Frank Xu for the Palomar Community College District Governing Board Member Trustee Area No. 1 seat. Per the San Diego County Registrar of Voters election results page as of Thursday, Patacsil currently has 13,735 votes (51.98%) to the 12,688 votes for Xu (48.02%).
In the race for Sweetwater Union High School District Governing Board Member Trustee Area 5 position, Dante Garcia Pamintuan has a slim lead of 58 over Martha “Marti” Emerald. Pamintuan currently has 4,603 votes (50.32%) to Emerald’s 4,545 votes (49.68%).
Ditas Yamane leads Marissa Acierto for the lone seat for District 3 of the city council for National City. Yamane garnered 1,006 votes (60.71%) to Acierto’s 651 votes (39.29%).
As for the Propositions in the ballot, San Diego voters voted Yes for Prop 1 (Reproductive Freedom), Prop 28 (Provides Additional Funding for Arts & Music Education), and Prop 31 (Referendum on 2020 Law on Retail Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products).
Voters said No to Prop 26 (Allows New Types of Gambling), Prop 27 (Allows Online and Mobile Sports Wagering), Prop 29 (Requires On-site Licensed Medical Kidney Dialysis Clinics), and Prop 30 (Funding Program to Reduce Air Pollution/Prevent Wildires). n
