UPDATE:
Monday’s primary vote count update produced no significant changes in races affecting Stanislaus County residents, with 90,147 ballots counted representing 30% turnout, and 13,481 ballots still to process before June 26.
That’s an improvement since Thursday, when the local elections office had 32,030 uncounted ballots.
Incumbent Heath Flora (30.2%), a Modesto Republican, can still expect to face Democrat Matthew Adams in Assembly District 9 in the November runoff, updated numbers suggest. While Jim Shoemaker of Lodi appeared within striking distance of second place in early counting last week, Adams’ share has since stretched to 25.9% compared to Shoemaker’s 23% in Monday’s update.
In other races:
- Incumbent Tom McClintock, a Republican, retains 61.9% of the primary vote to face Michael Masuda (23.8%) of Riverbank in CA District 5 in November.
- Democratic incumbent Adam Gray (42.1%) and Republican Kevin Lincoln (28.2%) will vie for CA District 13.
- Democrat Jaron Brandon (40.2%) likely will face Republican Alexandra Duarte (31.8%) in Senate District 4.
With more than 75%, Stanislaus County Supervisor Mani Grewal cruised to reelection over Rally Valenzuela (25%), and residents of Salida, Del Rio and Wood Colony overwhelmingly turned down a Measure J surtax for firefighting services.
Original Story:
Some 32,000 ballots have yet to be counted in Stanislaus County from the June 2 primary, and a final tally is at least three weeks away.
In limbo is the second place finisher for Assembly District 9. That candidate will advance to the November runoff with incumbent Heath Flora, a Republican and Modesto native who captured 30.9% of the vote counted so far.
Only 661 votes separate the next two: Democrat Matthew Adams (24.4%) and Jim Shoemaker (23.3%). The finish is too close to call with 32,030 ballots here still to process, plus tens of thousands more in San Joaquin County and yet others in three smaller counties.
District 9 includes Oakdale, Riverbank, Waterford and Salida. The rest of Stanislaus County is in Assembly District 22 represented by Modesto Republican Juan Alanis, who was reelected for lack of an opponent.
An updated count for ballots processed in Stanislaus County will be released Monday, County Clerk-Recorder Donna Linder said.
So far 69,158 ballots have been processed representing 23% of registered voters, according to Linder’s office, which by law can’t finish counting before June 26.
Every vote counts in June 2 Primary election
Can a candidate losing in early returns end up winning as more ballots are counted?
Yes. Democrat Adam Gray, for example, initially led in a 2022 race for Congressional District 13, but eventually was overcome that year by Republican John Duarte.
(Two years later Duarte lost to Gray by a mere 187 votes out of nearly 211,000 cast, the closest finish that year in the nation for a House race.)
Of Stanislaus’ estimated 32,000 ballots yet to tally, almost all came by mail into the elections office on Tuesday or in the mail since, Linder’s office said.
Other Primary election results affecting Stanislaus County
Primary results will send these local top-two finishers to the November midterm election, although final percentages could change slightly:
- Gray (41.5%) and Republican Kevin Lincoln (28.8%) in Congressional District 13
- Incumbent Tom McClintock, a Republican (61.9%) and Democrat Michael Masuda (23.8%) in Congressional District 5
- Democrat Jaron Brandon (40.2%) and Republican Alexandra Duarte (32.3% ) in Senate District 4
With 76%, incumbent Mani Grewal can’t be caught by challenger Rally Valenzuela, who had received 24% as of 5:18 p.m. Thursday in a Stanislaus County supervisor race.
Measure J, which would have increased property taxes in Salida, Wood Colony and Del Rio to benefit fire protection, needed 66.7% to pass but received less than 48%.
Garth Stapley is the accountability reporter for The Modesto Focus, a project of the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. Contact him at garth@themodestofocus.org.the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. Contact him at garth@themodestofocus.org.