The candidate filing deadline for the open seat special election in California’s 16th Senate District passed on Friday afternoon, and five candidates have secured a place on the May 21st ballot.
Three more state Senate candidates join Democrat Perez and Republican Vidak in pursuit of Rubio’s old job: goo.gl/MIkK9 #SD16
— Kurtis Alexander (@KurtisInValley) March 30, 2013
The top two frontrunners, Republican Andy Vidak and Democrat Leticia Perez, each completed their paperwork and have already raised $121,600 and $29,700 for their campaigns, respectively. Both candidates have the backing of their state party.
Two other less-known Democrats have also tossed their hat into the ring. Paulina Miranda, a businesswoman, and Francisco Ramirez, a business consultant, both filed the necessary paperwork in time to qualify for the ballot.
Mohammad “O” Arif from the Peace and Freedom Party, a self-described immigration rights activist, will be on the ballot as well.
The 16th Senate District is heavily Democratic. Democrats have a double digit edge in voter registration, and the majority of the population is Hispanic, which bodes well for Perez, who has the backing of the California Democratic Party. However, a couple other factors could work in the Republicans favor.
Should either of the other two Democrats in the race, Miranda or Ramirez, manage to mount a strong campaign, Perez will need to spend time and money to shore up her share of the Democratic vote, lest Democrats in the district split their votes on election day and hand Andy Vidak, the only Republican in the race, a victory.
Another Democrat, Fran Florez, dropped out of the race last week after citing concerns about potential Democratic disunity.
California’s new open-primary rules allow the top two winners to advance to the general election, regardless of party, unless someone wins more than 50%.
Vidak, in his own right, may prove to be a formidable Republican opponent in this Democratic district. He has already raised more than $100,000 a significant sum for a state legislative race, and has campaign experience along with a network of supporters from his failed 2010 Congressional campaign.
