Former Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin appears poised to become the first woman from the county to hold a seat on the State Assembly, with early returns showing 62.67% of Santa Clara County voters supporting her run for the 28th District, and nearly 79% doing so in Santa Cruz County.
Pellerin said that the vote will not be certified for 30 days, and that she was staying cautiously optimistic.
“I’m grateful for all the folks that came out to vote,” she said.
If she keeps her lead, Pellerin added, she will have “made history.”
“And while I would be the first, I will certainly not be the last,” she said.
Pellerin’s opponent is Republican Liz Lawler, who currently serves on the Monte Sereno City Council.
Meanwhile, Assembly District 29 incumbent Robert Rivas has an enormous lead over his Republican opponent Stephanie Castro, with more than 74% of the vote.
In Assembly District 30, Democrat Dawn Addis is ahead of her Republican opponent Vicki Nohrden, with 75.6% of the vote.
This story will be updated.
