California Assemblywoman Christy Smith, a Democrat, and Republican Mike Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot, are expected to face each other in a May 12 runoff to decide who will represent California’s 25th Congressional District until January 2021.
Smith and Garcia were the top two vote-getters Tuesday in a crowded primary field to fill the remaining term of former Rep. Katie Hill (D) and represent an area adjacent to a major nuclear cleanup site.
With 75% of returns counted in California, Smith led the 13-person primary field with almost 35% of the votes, followed by Garcia at 26%, according to a New York Times election tracking service. Any candidate who received more than 50% of votes would have been propelled directly into office, but that did not happen.
Hill, who represented parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties near the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, resigned from Congress in November rather than face a House Ethics Committee investigation. Hill was publicly accused of having a sexual affair with a member of her staff, a violation of House rules.
Smith and Garcia will also face off in November for the right to represent the district for a full two-year term. The Tuesday primary served as a nominating process for both the unfinished Hill term and the upcoming two-year term, the Los Angeles Times reported.
During her brief stay in Congress, Hill pushed for expedited cleanup of the 2,850-acre Santa Susana Field Laboratory cleanup site in Ventura County. The Energy Department, along with NASA and Boeing, are responsible for remediating site contaminated by decades of rocket testing and nuclear energy research.
The voting occurred during Super Tuesday, when presidential primaries and caucuses were held in California, 13 other states, and one U.S. territory.
Smith enjoyed backing from much of California’s Democratic Party establishment, the Times reported, with endorsements from Sen. Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
