The first batch of post-Election Day results are in, and they indicate Huntington Beach Councilmember Tony Strickland could avoid a runoff as he leads the race to succeed Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen in Sacramento.
In California’s 36th State Senate District special election, Strickland maintained his lead at the end of counting Wednesday, Feb. 26, after taking an early advantage shortly after polls closed on Tuesday.
“The voters of this district want the California government to go back to the basics; putting public safety first, letting taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money, and growing our economy,” Strickland said after Wednesday’s update. “The people want to make California golden again, and reject the failed policies coming from Gov. Gavin Newsom.”
If Strickland or any candidate secures more than 50% of the vote in the primary, they will win the seat outright, canceling the runoff election scheduled for April. The district includes communities in both Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Strickland sat at 51.06% on Wednesday following updates released by both counties.
Elections officials in Los Angeles and Orange counties have until Thursday, March 6, to finalize and certify the results.
On Wednesday, Democrats Jimmy Pham and Julie Diep, along with Republican John Briscoe, trailed behind Strickland in that order.
Pham, who had 27.41% of the vote as of Wednesday’s update on counting, did not take a stance on the vote itself.
“While the vote counting continues, I’m staying focused on the fight to protect Medicaid, our schools and lower the cost of living for every Californian,” he said.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters estimated there were 14,597 ballots left to process. While it’s unclear how many ballots remain in Los Angeles County, it accounts for only about 8% of the district’s registered voters.
“We are confident that Tony Strickland’s lead will continue to grow and win outright to avoid a runoff,” said Republican Party of Orange County spokesperson Randall Avila. “We are actively assisting Republican voters to cure their ballots and ensure that their voices are heard loud and clear by Sacramento.”
While it’s still a bit early, Republicans probably have good reason to be bullish on Strickland’s chances of avoiding a runoff, said Rob Pyers, research director for the California Target Book, which analyzes political races in the state.
The special election was triggered after Nguyen vacated the seat to join the OC Board of Supervisors, replacing Andrew Do, who was termed out. She won the post in November’s election, but was seated a little early after Do resigned following a guilty plea to federal bribery charges.
If Strickland wins, the Huntington Beach City Council will be able to appoint his replacement.
The 36th Senate District stretches from Seal Beach to San Clemente along the Orange County coast to a small portion of Los Angeles County. It includes parts of Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Stanton and Westminster in Orange County, as well as Artesia, Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens in Los Angeles County.
Republicans make up the largest share of registered voters in the district, at 37.11%. Democrats follow with 33.93%, while 22.61% of voters are registered with no party preference.
Whoever is elected — either in Tuesday’s primary or the general election in April — will serve a term that runs through Dec. 7, 2026.
Staff writer Michael Slaten contributed to this report.