The anticipated showdown between two Central Coast political heavyweights for the 24th U.S. Congressional District became reality when polls closed June 5, as Rep. Lois Capps and Abel Maldonado finished first and second, respectively, in primary voting.
In a closely watched race, the incumbent Capps, who has represented the district since 2003, fared well in the newly redrawn district, pulling in 46.5 percent of the vote, according to the California Secretary of State’s office. She did slightly better among Santa Barbara County voters—47.5 percent—than those in San Luis Obispo County, at 45 percent.
“I am very grateful and humbled to again receive such strong support from Central Coast voters,” Capps said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to meeting residents across the district in the months ahead and discussing important issues, including how we can improve our economy and create more jobs, protect Social Security and Medicare, and make college more affordable.”
Maldonado—a former lieutenant governor, state senator, and Santa Maria mayor—beat out fellow Republican challenger Chris Mitchum by nearly 10 percentage points, finishing with 30.5 percent of the district-wide vote. Maldonado was a stronger choice for voters in San Luis Obispo County, at 33 percent, compared with the 28 percent he received in Santa Barbara County.
Maldonado didn’t return requests for comment as of press time.
Mitchum, a former actor from Santa Barbara who had the official endorsement of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party, finished with 20.7 percent of the vote in his second foray into politics. Finishing fourth was 26-year-old San Luis Obispo law student Matt Boutté, who garnered 2.4 percent in his first bid for political office, running with no party preference.
Capps and Maldonado will face off again in the Nov. 6 general election to decide who will represent the district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This article appears in Jun 7-14, 2012.