“Two Democrats could end up being the nominees”, Schickler said ahead of results.
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California also has never seen a statewide general election between two Democrats.
Harris won the endorsement of the California DemocraticParty in the contest to replace retiring Sen.
As fellow Democrats, Harris and Sanchez hold similar positions on many issues, including abortion rights and immigration reform.
While Harris was campaigning, Sanchez spent Wednesday returning to Washington for her day job as a congresswoman.
In California, the two candidates garnering the most votes in the primary advance to the general election – regardless of party affiliation.
“She has a crater in the Democratic base”, Clegg said of the congresswoman. “She’d have to change the chemistry of the race”.
“Everybody has always told me all my life, ‘It’s the lesser of two evils, ‘ but this is really wearing on me”, she said. That’s because the two candidates who advanced to face off in November are both Democrats.
To make good on her victory guarantee, Sanchez will have to overcome the strong support Harris enjoys among liberal Bay area voters.
Harris was in first with 39 percent of the vote, and Sanchez trailed with 17 percent.
Harris held a 2-to-1 advantage among Democrats and a 14-percentage-point advantage among nonpartisan voters.
Democrats Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez have scarcely criticized one another during their year-long campaign for the open Senate seat in California. Sanchez serves as a senior member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees.
We are going into the second half with a three-touchdown lead here. “There will be no on-the-job training”.
As Bloomberg reports, Sanchez has established a reputation during her two decades in the House as a moderate who has voted with Republicans on issues like gun control and regulating for-profit colleges. “Elections are about turnout”.
“We’re a victor tonight”, Sanchez said.
Beyond the absence of a Republican on November’s ballot, the election will be significant for another reason.
Harris has consistently led in public polling since declaring her candidacy 18 months ago.
State GOP Chairman Jim Brulte said it’s better for his party to have Harris and Sanchez spend money against one another. “Loretta Sanchez is pulling up to the starting line with four flat tires”. They noted that they’ve built a nationwide network of donors and dismissed Sanchez’ apparent strategy of building a coalition of Latino and Republican voters.
“I’m amazed at how dispersed (the GOP) vote is”, DiCamillo said.
“Everywhere I’ve gone, I couldn’t even go and get lunch because everybody was like, ‘We voted for you, we voted for you.’ Of course, I’m in Orange County, it’s my home turf”. Wilson, of Citrus Heights, owns a rice farm in Colusa and re-registered from independent to Republican to vote for Ted Cruz for president.
For the first time in recent memory, there may not be a Republican name on the ballot for the Senate seat come November.
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Then there’s the Donald Trump factor. “Because of you and the voters across California, we are going to the November election”, says Sanchez. “We don’t know – and in many ways this race will be a case study”, said Kelly Dittmar, a professor of political science at Rutgers University and a scholar at its Center for American Women and Politics. “Harris comes off as very polished, very professional and Sanchez doesn’t”.
