Newsom Declares Dates for California’s Special Elections
The special elections are set for April 2025, with primaries taking place in February.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced two special elections slated for early 2025 to fill the vacancies left by two Republican state lawmakers who have resigned.
The special elections will occur on April 29 in the respective districts, with the primary scheduled for February 25.
Fong’s seat became vacant after he appeared on the ballot for two separate races during the general election on November 5, winning both a spot in the state Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Nguyen left her position in the state Senate to join the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
Assembly District 32
Vince Fong resigned from his position in Assembly District 32 in May after securing a special congressional election to fill the vacancy left by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Fong received Donald Trump’s endorsement in that race.
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Despite resigning, Fong’s name was still on the November ballot for the Assembly seat, where he received 59 percent of the vote against Republican Ken Weir.
Stan Ellis, a businessman and farmer from Bakersfield and a fellow Republican, has declared his candidacy for the Assembly seat in the upcoming special election.
McCarthy resigned from his congressional role in December 2023 after being removed as House Speaker in a historic vote in October 2023. Fong had previously served as McCarthy’s aide.
Senate District 36
Nguyen, who was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and has served in the state Senate since 2014, resigned after being elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. She defeated Cypress City Councilwoman Frances Marquez for the seat formerly held by Supervisor Andrew Do, who resigned amid a bribery scandal.
Republican Tony Strickland, who is a former mayor and current city councilman of Huntington Beach, is also running for the vacant state Senate seat. Strickland has previously served as a state legislator.
Before her tenure in the state Senate, Nguyen was an Orange County supervisor from 2007 to 2014. Do, who was also born in Vietnam, was once Nguyen’s chief of staff before his own election.
Do had been in his position since February 2015 and was previously a candidate for state treasurer. He was a member of the Garden Grove City Council before transitioning to county supervisor.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors consists of five members who oversee an annual budget of $9 billion.
