2 LA County Democrats Lose State Assembly Seats After Final Vote Tally

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Two Democratic incumbents from Los Angeles County were bounced from their state Assembly seats after the county issued its final vote tally Monday.

The update from the Los Angeles County registrar's office showed Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi lost to Republican challenger David Hadley in the 66th Assembly District by 706 votes. The district covers many of the county's coastal cities, including Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.

The GOP win was a surprise given the composition of the district's voters: 40.3 percent are registered Democrats, while 32.5 percent are Republican.

Muratsuchi's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hadley, a first-time candidate, attributed his victory to a campaign that focused on three issues: improving the state's business climate, boosting performance and accountability in public education, and protecting taxpayers, especially against any proposed changes to Proposition 13.

He said his election should send a message that incumbents are not unbeatable and that California voters care about the topics that were the centerpiece of his campaign.

"Surprises are a good way to learn new things," Hadley said.

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra lost by 467 votes to a fellow Democrat who has never before held elective office. Newly elected Patty Lopez is a community organizer who works for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Pat Dennis, a spokesman for Bocanegra's campaign, said the candidates' order on the ballot was a factor because Bocanegra had won 62 percent of the vote during the June primary. He was listed after Lopez in the Democrat-versus-Democrat race. All the races appearing before Assembly District 39 on the ballot had Democrats facing Republicans, with all the Democratic candidates listed first.

Speculation within the campaign is that Democratic voters merely went down the ballot and checked the first box.

In a statement, Bocanegra said he would not challenge the results.

"Although many residents and community leaders throughout the 39th Assembly District have urged me to undertake a recount, I do not want to put the state — and particularly the residents of the Northeast San Fernando Valley — through such a costly and time-consuming process," he said.

Lopez said she's excited and looking forward to serving her community. She hopes to work on education, housing and business issues.

Assembly District 39 covers portions of the San Fernando Valley.

Monday's results mean Republicans will hold 28 seats in the 80-member Assembly. The GOP succeeded in blocking Democratic supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature this election cycle.

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