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State Assembly, District 26
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Patrick Ahrens (D)34.4%
25,036 votes
Tara Sreekrishnan (D)26.9%
19,600 votes
Sophie Song (R)21.9%
15,954 votes
Race called at 2:06 PM PT on March 13, 2024
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
Why does this race matter?
This Assembly seat opened up when incumbent Democrat Evan Low launched a run for Congress. The district includes the cities of Cupertino, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale and is home to the headquarters of tech giants like Apple, NVIDIA and LinkedIn.
What does a state Assembly member do?
State Assembly members represent communities at the California state Legislature in Sacramento. The 80 members of the state Assembly write and vote on state bills, serve on policy committees and vote on the annual state budget. The top two finishers in this primary election, regardless of party, will face off in the November election. The winner will serve a two-year term.
Key Candidates
This list represents the most notable candidates running for the seat.
Patrick AhrensTrustee, Foothill-DeAnza Community College District Democrat
Omar DinCity Council Member, SunnyvaleDemocrat
Tara SreekrishnanVice President, Santa Clara County Board of EducationDemocrat
Key Supporters
This list represents notable organizations and individuals who have taken a position on the ballot measure or candidate, or who are funding campaigns in support or opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.
For Ahrens
- Evan Low, state Assembly member
- Gail Pellerin, state Assembly member
- Cindy Chavez, supervisor, Santa Clara County
- Susan Ellenberg, supervisor, Santa Clara County
- Mike Honda, former U.S. representative
For Din
- Maimona Afzal Berta, trustee, Santa Clara County Board of Education
- Raeena Lari, trustee, Santa Clara County Board of Education
- Russ Melton, City Council member, Sunnyvale
- Sunnyvale Employees Association
- Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association
For Sreekrishnan
- Dave Cortese, state senator
- Nancy Skinner, state senator
- Melissa Hurtado, state senator
- Susan Ellenberg, supervisor, Santa Clara County
- California Democratic Legislative Women’s Caucus
Positions on Key IssuesCandidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, questionnaires, statements made at debates and public events, and past news coverage.
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, questionnaires, statements made at debates and public events, and past news coverage.
What is your plan to reduce homelessness in California?
Ahrens says his work will be informed by his experience with homelessness earlier in his life. “This area got more and more expensive, and I found myself having to live in my Ford Escort hatchback edition while getting an education,” he remembers. As a member of the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, he backed a proposal to spend $200 million on affordable housing for students and faculty, a plan he wants to scale statewide.
Din provided a key vote on the Valley Transportation Authority board in favor of a controversial plan to build temporary housing on VTA land for people experiencing homelessness. “That allowed us to get 200 units of emergency interim shelters built on VTA land, and doing it in a way that actually took [transit] workers’ input into account.” Din vows to push for more state funding to help cities reduce homelessness.
Sreekrishnan touts her work in the office of state Senator Dave Cortese on a guaranteed income program for homeless youth in Santa Clara County. “I would address the root causes [of homelessness] which are getting folks into housing, getting them jobs, and making sure students have access to high-quality education, even from their very early years.”
What would improving public safety mean for you as a state legislator? Do you support changing any parts of the criminal justice reforms that voters passed in Proposition 47?
Ahrens says, “I think what is really wise to do is taking a look at [Prop.] 47 with community stakeholders and coming up with solutions that are not just coming out of Sacramento, but coming from local law enforcement agencies and coming from community stakeholders. … But the way it is now, I don’t think it’s working.” As an Assembly member, Aherns would support funding mental health providers to respond to calls that are currently falling to police officers.
Din says, “I think you’re seeing a lot of organized crime that comes in and is trying to hit these retailers and do retail theft, and so finding ways to hold them accountable is very important.” Din says he would keep an open mind about changes to existing criminal justice and sentencing laws. He adds that as a Sunnyvale council member, “I’m actually really proud of how closely I’ve worked with our public safety department.”
Sreekrishnan says she is “open to the conversation” about changes to Proposition 47. She says her approach to public safety would start with “fully funding our schools, making sure we have recruitment and retention of our staff, especially our staff in early education. I think that’s where it starts, is investing in education.”
2023 was a banner year for organized labor in the state capitol. What did you make of laws passed to increase paid sick leave and make striking workers eligible for unemployment benefits? How will you balance the needs of workers and businesses?
Ahrens supports both the paid sick leave expansion and the unemployment for striking workers, which was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. “The governor got it wrong there,” he says. In the Legislature, Aherns wants to play a “convener” role — bringing together labor and business interests to reduce income inequality without harming small businesses in the district. “One of the underutilized attributes of a state Assembly member is the power to convene.”
Din doesn’t have an opinion on those two bills. He says he will pursue collaboration between labor and business interests in the capitol. As a Sunnyvale council member he helped create a grant program to help small businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think that’s really important, especially for me, because both my parents are small-business owners,” he says.
Sreekrishnan supports both the paid sick leave expansion and the unemployment for striking workers. She supports expanding apprenticeship programs across the state. “These are really great opportunities to get folks in the middle class, and there are different careers across the board, whether it’s health care or construction careers or the education workforce which we need to just increase the pipeline to.”
Additional Candidates
Ashish GargDirector, Fremont Union High Schools FoundationDemocrat. Garg wants to use his experience as an accountant to the state budget. “I bring a fresh perspective and seek to break away from traditional politics that often prioritize special interests,” he says.
Bob GoodwynRetired PilotLibertarian. Goodwyn wants to focus on reducing the size and reach of state government. “We have too many laws and too much government spending.”
Sophie Yan SongCertified Public AccountantRepublican. Song served on the city of Cupertino’s Audit Committee and says she “would advocate for reform of the Sales Tax laws … and request the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to make sales tax information public.”
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More Santa Clara County Results
U.S. House of Representatives, District 16
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Sam Liccardo (D)21.1%
38,492 votes
Evan Low (D)16.6%
30,261 votes
Joe Simitian (D)16.6%
30,256 votes
Race called at 7:15 AM PT on May 2, 2024
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 17
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Ro Khanna (D)(incumbent)62.9%
73,941 votes
Anita Chen (R)26.8%
31,539 votes
Ritesh Tandon (D)4.8%
5,728 votes
Race called at 5:50 PM PT on March 7, 2024
99.9% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 18
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Zoe Lofgren (D)(incumbent)51.2%
49,323 votes
Peter Hernandez (R)32.8%
31,622 votes
Charlene Nijmeh (D)11%
10,614 votes
Race called at 5:26 PM PT on March 11, 2024
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 19
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Jimmy Panetta (D)(incumbent)65%
132,540 votes
Jason Anderson (R)28.5%
58,120 votes
Sean Dougherty (Grn)6.3%
13,010 votes
Race called at 4:23 PM PT on March 6, 2024
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Senate, District 13
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Josh Becker (D)(incumbent)73.5%
167,127 votes
Alexander Glew (R)18.8%
42,788 votes
Christina Laskowski (R)7.6%
17,276 votes
Race called at 6:56 PM PT on March 11, 2024
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Senate, District 15
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Dave Cortese (D)(incumbent)69%
124,440 votes
Robert Howell (R)18.9%
34,173 votes
Tony Loaiza (R)11.9%
21,618 votes
Race called at 6:15 PM PT on March 12, 2024
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 23
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Marc Berman (D)(incumbent)57.3%
67,106 votes
Lydia Kou (D)20.2%
23,699 votes
Gus Mattammal (R)11.3%
13,277 votes
Race called at 6:13 PM PT on March 11, 2024
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 24
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Alex Lee (D)(incumbent)68.3%
45,544 votes
Bob Brunton (R)22.4%
14,951 votes
Marti Souza (R)9.2%
6,148 votes
Race called at 4:23 PM PT on March 14, 2024
100% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 25
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Ash Kalra (D)(incumbent)51.4%
35,821 votes
Ted Stroll (R)26.2%
18,255 votes
Lan Ngo (D)22.2%
15,484 votes
Race called at 7:40 PM PT on March 13, 2024
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 26
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Patrick Ahrens (D)34.4%
25,036 votes
Tara Sreekrishnan (D)26.9%
19,600 votes
Sophie Song (R)21.9%
15,954 votes
Race called at 2:06 PM PT on March 13, 2024
99% of votes countedAssociated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 28
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Gail Pellerin (D)(incumbent)
Liz Lawler (R)
Race called at 8:00 PM PT on March 5, 2024
Associated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
State Assembly, District 29
Top two candidates advance to general election.
Robert Rivas (D)(incumbent)
J.W. Paine (R)
Race called at 8:00 PM PT on March 5, 2024
Associated PressThis percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.
Superior Court Judge, Office 5
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
Jay Boyarsky47.2%
142,549 votes
Johnene Linda Stebbins35.5%
107,257 votes
Nicole M. Ford17.2%
52,147 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
Board of Supervisors, District 2
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
Betty Duong31.8%
14,031 votes
Madison Nguyen29%
12,794 votes
Corina Herrera-Loera23.8%
10,519 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
Board of Supervisors, District 3
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
Otto Lee(incumbent)100%
42,549 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
Board of Supervisors, District 5
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
Margaret Abe-Koga41.9%
37,172 votes
Sally J. Lieber24.7%
21,962 votes
Peter C. Fung20.1%
17,892 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
San José Mayor
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
Matt Mahan(incumbent)86.6%
144,701 votes
Tyrone Wade13.3%
22,363 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
San José City Council, District 2
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
Joe Lopez35%
4,950 votes
Pamela Campos24.3%
3,436 votes
Babu Prasad21.4%
3,026 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
San José City Council, District 4
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
David Cohen(incumbent)58.5%
8,391 votes
Kansen Chu41.4%
5,931 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
San José City Council, District 6
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
David Cohen39.3%
9,875 votes
Michael Mulcahy34.6%
8,695 votes
Alex Shoor15.3%
3,850 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
San José City Council, District 8
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
Domingo Candelas(incumbent)39.4%
8,466 votes
Tam Truong32.5%
6,982 votes
Sukhdev Singh Bainiwal25.6%
5,513 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
San José City Council, District 10
Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.
George Casey38.6%
8,805 votes
Arjun Batra(incumbent)36.6%
8,354 votes
Lenka Wright24.7%
5,640 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
Measure A
Santa Clara. Appointed city clerk. Passes with majority vote.
Yes32.3%
6,580 votes
No67.6%
13,735 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
Measure B
Santa Clara. Appointed police chief. Passes with majority vote.
Yes27.6%
5,680 votes
No72.3%
14,887 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
Measure C
Sunnyvale School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.
Yes70%
10,261 votes
No29.9%
4,395 votes
Updated at 7:05 PM PT on April 4, 2024
Santa Clara County
