(June 29, 2007) -- Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D, Carson-LB) overwhelmed State Senator Jenny Oropeza (D, southbay) in Compton and Carson -- among a 17-candidate field capturing a stunning 66% of precinct (walk-in/polling place) votes cast in the City of Compton, 64% in unincorporated areas (including East and West Compton and Willowbrook) and 45.8% in Carson -- amplified by a walk-in/polling place voter turnout of roughly 8-8 1/2% in those communities that outweighed LB's less motivated 5.9% where Oropeza (40%) led Richardson (27%).

Although the figures below don't include absentee ("vote by mail") ballots (a city by city absentee breakdown requires a precinct by precinct tally), the election outcome was predicted publicly by Assemblywoman Richardson at a June 2 kick-off rally in Carson, reported by LBReport.com at the time (the only LB media outlet in attendance):

"Compton is going to deliver Laura, and Laura is going to deliver for Compton. [applause] Carson is going to deliver for Laura, and Laura is going to deliver for Carson. [applause, cheers] The Latino community is going to deliver for Laura [repeats her name with Spanish pronunciation] and Laura unequivocally is going to bust her tail for the Latino community. [applause] For the Asian community, Filipino. Cambodian, Samoan, all of the east Asian communities, they will come through and deliver for Laura, and Laura is going to deliver for those communities," Assemblywoman Richardson said.

LBReport.com posts her full remarks in a recap of our June 2 coverage below...which follows our tabulated data (based on results from the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder).

Among the parts of LB (about 80%) within the Democrat-drawn 37th Congressional district (among precinct/walk-in voters), Sen. Oropeza led Assemblywoman Richardson in LB's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th Council districts -- with Republican John Kanaley finishing ahead of Richardson in the 5th.

Richardson finished first in her former 6th Council district (301 to 267) and in the 9th Council district (356 to 325). Signal Hill City Councilman Ed Wilson finished third in his city.

Assemblywoman Richardson ultimately won with 11,956 votes (walk in + absentee) (37.57%). Sen. Oropeza was second with 9,960 votes (31.30%). Valerie McDonald finished third with 3,027 (9.51%). Republican John Kanaley finished fourth with 2,425 votes (7.62%).

Assemblywoman Richardson will now face Republican Kanaley (an LBPD Sergeant endorsed by the LB Police Officers Ass'n.), Green Party candidate Daniel Brezenoff (391, votes, 1.23%) and Libertarian party candidate Herb Peters (342, 1.07%) in an August 21 runoff.

The 37th Congressional district's lines were drawn in 2001 by Sacramento Democrats, including then-Assemblywoman Oropeza, who approved a district likely to reelect the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald (D., Carson-LB).

The June 26 election outcome result was accurately predicted by Assemblywoman Richardson at a June 2 campaign kick-off rally at her Carson HQ (recapped below). LBReport.com was the only LB media outlet in attendance. We provide excerpts of our report below:

(June 2, 2007) -- Kicking off her Congressional campaign in Carson...Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D., Carson-LB) heard multiple elected officials and union reps cite her experience [six years on LB's City Council, six months in the state Assembly] in a tacit comparison to Valerie McDonald, the late Congresswoman's non-officeholding daughter now seeking to succeed her mother on Capitol Hill.

LBReport.com's coverage below includes audio coverage of salient remarks in MP3 form.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D., Los Angeles) told the crowd of about a hundred Richardson precinct-walking volunteers that she urged Richardson to run for the seat:

To launch audio, click here.

Congresswoman Waters: This is not the time when we can send people to Washington who have never had the legislative experience. This is not the time for us to back-up on a district where the representative deserves the best. This is not the time to sit on our laurels and think 'well it's OK for any old body to be elected.' It is not OK. You need the best. You need someone with proven experience. You need someone who's got a lot of energy, who's willing to work, who will represent all [stresses "all"] of the people, all of the people. Ladies and gentlemen, I knew right away what we had to do, and I did not hesitate. I did not wait for Laura Richardson to call me. I called her. [cheers, applause] and I said you've got to do this. But I wasn't the only one. She was getting calls from everywhere. People were coming together and what you see is a basic united front in the way that we haven't seen in a long time...I will see you all in Washington for the swearing in of Laura Richardson.