Update on final SD-29 results: Democrat Josh Newman declares victory over Republican Ling Ling Chang in 29th Senate District rematch
Updated returns show Democrat Josh Newman growing his lead over Republican State Sen. Ling Ling Chang in the 29th Senate District race.
Newman’s lead Thursday night was at 10,723 votes. That’s up slightly from a lead of 10,550 votes the night before. Newman now has 51.3% of the vote, with several thousand mail-in and provisional ballots left to tally across the three counties that touch SD-29.
“We’re hoping for a turn of events,” Chang said during a Zoom event with the Republican Party of Orange County.
The election marks the third time that Chang and Newman have fought to represent the district.
Chang is aiming for her first win against Newman in a direct general election. In 2016, she lost to Newman by 2,498 votes. In 2018, after Newman had been recalled from Sacramento, she handily won the seat during a special vote to replace him. Last month, she said she hoped her experience and record of passing bills even with Democrats holding a legislative supermajority would keep her in office.
Newman, known for connecting with voters in creative ways, said he was optimistic that he would win the district for a second time and serve the entire four-year term.
Several factors could boost Newman, and leading into the vote pundits were narrowly calling the race in his favor. Democrats hold a 7.4 point voter registration advantage in the district. And Newman — in part with money he’s picked up from the Democratic Party — had a financial advantage.
But given Chang’s incumbency, and the complicated history at play, the 29th Senate District may well prove to be one of the tightest state races on the ballot.
Chang has worked on legislation touching public safety, veterans, animal welfare and technology. She introduced a bill that makes it a crime to send unsolicited nude photos online. She also pushed for an audit of the California Lottery that showed payments to schools weren’t increasing in tandem with revenues, and then introduced a bill that would mandate back payments and more regulation going forward.
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Her views on many major issues fall largely along party lines. She opposes universal healthcare, expanded background checks for gun ownership, and sanctuary laws to protect undocumented immigrants. She does support some additional regulations to address climate change, and has been more vocal about following health recommendations during the coronavirus than some of her GOP colleagues, insisting “we need to follow the science.”
Newman, when he was in Sacramento, championed mental health resources, public education, job creation and infrastructure improvement. He said he’s most proud of securing funding for veterans resource centers in community colleges, creating a pilot program to address root causes of homelessness, and preserving Coyote Hills as a natural open space park.
He also was one of 81 legislators to vote in favor of the state gas tax, a vote that two years ago prompted a recall effort against him.
Newman had a substantial financial advantage heading into Election Day, both in his own campaign contributions and outside spending to support his election.