Incumbent Cottie Petrie-Norris had an early lead in the contested 73rd Assembly District race in election returns Tuesday night, with opponents Scotty Peotter and Henny Abraham trailing.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the November general election.
The winner in November will represent the cities of Irvine, Costa Mesa and Tustin in the state Assembly.
Petrie-Norris, a Democrat, has been in the Assembly since 2018 and started representing the 73rd district in 2022. Her two challengers are both Republicans.
Petrie-Norris in a statement said she was “encouraged by these early returns, and grateful for the support we received.”
Petrie-Norris has supported expanding free preschool enrollment and ensuring the tax dollars that nonprofits and other state contractors get to address homelessness are being accounted for.
She’s said she will advocate for the state to address its budget deficit by utilizing reserves and reducing new one-time spending.
See the latest election results.
Peotter is a former Newport Beach councilmember and has focused on providing relief to taxpayers by cutting the gas tax and ending the state’s efforts to build high-speed rail.
Peotter said Tuesday that he plans to campaign hard against Petrie-Norris should he advance to the November election. He said the state needs to turn things around in terms of the border and improve the economy.
Abraham, a co-founder of the Greater Costa Mesa Republicans, has said she prioritizes public safety and said the legislature could address the state’s large deficit by one-time cuts to school funding or using reserves.
Petrie-Norris won her 2022 race with 55% of the vote in the general election, beating her Republican challenger.
Results will be updated every weekday at 5 p.m. until all ballots are counted.
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