Akilah Weber Secures California Senate Seat; Carl DeMaio Claims Victory in 75th Assembly Seat

SAN DIEGO—Democrat Akilah Weber secured a victory Wednesday in the race for the 39th Senate District, defeating Republican Bob Divine with 61.5 percent of the vote in the San Diego area’s only state Senate race alongside six Assembly seats on the ballot.

The 39th Senate District, which stretches from Point Loma and Coronado into East County, will now be represented by Weber, who succeeds termed-out Sen. Toni Atkins.

Weber currently represents the 79th Assembly District, is a medical doctor, and previously served on the La Mesa City Council.

Weber and Divine, a retired Navy commander, were the only two candidates in the primary election, in which Weber took just over 60 percent of the vote.

In the 74th Assembly District—spanning North County into southern Orange County—Republican incumbent Laurie Davies came back from a deficit in early results to lead Democrat Chris Duncan by nearly 8,500 votes Wednesday morning.

Davies defeated Duncan in the 2022 general election by a slim margin, taking 52.6 percent of votes.

Duncan’s prior experience includes serving as mayor of San Clemente and a prosecutorial career that includes being assistant chief counsel at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In the 75th Assembly District, representing Poway and a large portion of East and inland North County, two Republicans—Carl DeMaio and Andrew Hayes—faced off.

Despite losing the confidence of the county GOP, DeMaio raced out to a 60.7 percent lead over Hayes—who earned the GOP endorsement—and will win that race.

“I look forward to delivering on the mandate you are giving me to shake up our state’s broken political system and demand action to fix the problems that are causing so many to flee California,” he said to supporters on Wednesday.

DeMaio heads conservative political action committee Reform California, previously served on the San Diego City Council, and has made several prior runs for Congress.

Hayes, a business owner and president of the Lakeside Union School District Boards of Trustees, has had less of a presence in local politics over the years.

The 76th Assembly District, which stretches from Carmel Mountain Ranch up north into San Marcos and Escondido, sees Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane and Democrat Darshana Patel vying for the spot vacated by Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, who is running for San Diego city attorney.

Patel led by a little over 6,500 votes with 52.6 percent of the vote to Bruce-Lane’s 47.4 percent on Wednesday morning.

Bruce-Lane, a businesswoman, narrowly lost to Maienschein in 2022, while Patel is a research scientist who serves on the Poway Unified School District board.

In the 77th Assembly District, covering the coastal areas stretching from the border through Carlsbad, incumbent Democrat Tasha Boerner beat Republican James Browne 59.8 percent to 40.2 percent.

In the 78th Assembly District, Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward is running unopposed.

The 79th Assembly District will see two Democrats vying to replace Weber.

LaShae Sharp-Collins, a community engagement specialist with the county office of education, led La Mesa City Councilmember Colin Parent by nearly 3,000 votes—maintaining a 52.3 percent vote share. The 79th District stretches from City Heights into East County.

In the 80th Assembly District, covering southern San Diego County, incumbent Democrat David Alvarez beat Republican Michael Williams with 60 percent of the vote.