The Abridged version:
- The Associated Press called the race for California’s 6th Congressional District in favor of Democrat Richard Pan at about 11 p.m. Tuesday.
- His opponent, incumbent Kevin Kiley, had conceded to Pan two hours prior and promised to “provide a smooth transition and ensure our constituents continue to be well served.”
- The newly drawn district, product of last year’s Proposition 50, includes parts of Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties.
Democrat Richard Pan will represent California’s 6th Congressional District after the Associated Press called his race against Kevin Kiley around 11 p.m. Tuesday night.
The AP call comes a little over two hours after Kiley, an incumbent and Independent, called Pan to concede in the wake of initial results.
With about 40% of votes counted, Pan, a pediatrician and former state legislator, had 61% of the vote to represent parts of Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties in Congress.
Their race is the product of last year’s Proposition 50, a redistricting measure that redrew a number of congressional districts in California.
“We fought really hard, as hard as I’ve fought in any race ever before,” Kiley told supporters at his watch party Tuesday at Fourscore Coffee House in Roseville. ” … The headwinds in this election year were just too strong to overcome.”
Before the statewide map shakeup, Kiley was a Republican representing the 3rd Congressional District, spanning much of the border with Nevada.
The two-term member of Congress changed his affiliation to Independent ahead of this year’s election. He opted to run in the newly drawn 6th District, which leans Democratic but overlaps with pieces of Kiley’s current constituency.
Pan, a Democrat and pediatrician, made a name for himself as a former state legislator championing childhood vaccination legislation. He served terms in both chambers, most recently as a state senator representing Sacramento, West Sacramento, Elk Grove and parts of Sacramento County.
“I gave (Pan) my assurance that I and our whole team will be available to provide a smooth transition and ensure our constituents continue to be well served,” Kiley said.
The two came out on top of a crowded primary field that also included Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero and lone Republican Michael Stansfield.
Kiley was first in the primary with 24% of the vote — one percentage point ahead of Pan.
Polling in the lead up to Nov. 3 was split, with some surveys showing the pair neck-and-neck and others giving Pan the leg up.
Placer County Reporter Megan Vaz and Capitol Impact Reporter Aaron Leathley contributed reporting.
