Too Close To Call: State Senator Lara (D) Leads Steve Poizner (Ind) For Insurance Comm'r; If Lara Wins, It Would Trigger Scramble To Fill His LB-Huntington Park State Senate Seat

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(November 7, 2018, 7:25 a.m.) -- With 95.2% of precincts reporting -- with provisional ballots and late arriving vote-by-mail ballots still to be counted -- state Senator Ricardo Lara (D, LB-Huntington Park) leads Steve Poizner (Ind.) by 50.8% to 49.2% (a roughly 107,000 vote margin out of 6.5 million votes counted thus far.)

This race is too close for us to call. If Sen. Lara ultimately prevails, it would create a vacant LB-Huntington Park state Senate seat that will be filled by a special (no runoff) special election likely eyed by some LB City Hall incumbents.

Councilman Al Austin -- requiring a write-in for a third Council term until last night's BBB vote -- launched a political committee in the second half of 2017 in pursuit of the state Senate seat in 2020.

Other speculated candidates for the state Senate seat if it opens-up include LB Councilmembers Lena Gonzalez, Roberto Uranga or Tonia Uranga. Some also speculated that Mayor Garcia might be eyeing the seat.

Developing.

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