Tangipa leads Radanovich in race to rep California Assembly District 8
Republican David Tangipa led early returns in his campaign to represent the sprawling Republican-majority Assembly District 8 district.
Tallies reported by the California Secretary of State’s Office as of 8:10 a.m. show Tangipa with 52.6% of the vote, ahead of Republican George Radanovich at 47.4%.
Radanovich, a former congressman from Mariposa, and Tangipa, a small business owner in Fresno and first-time candidate, are seeking to replace Jim Patterson, a Fresno Republican who is term-limited from running again.
“We couldn’t be happier with the results on election night. I am so thankful for all of our volunteers, supporters, and staff for making this happen. We look forward to seeing the final results as the remaining ballots are counted,” Tangipa said in an email to The Bee on Wednesday morning.
Typically – but not always – returns compiled at the end of Election Night reflect percentages similar to the final confirmed result when all of the counting is completed and the election certified. That could take up to four weeks after Election Day.
The California Assembly’s District 8 runs from north Fresno to communities in Madera, Mariposa, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, then over the Sierra to include Mono and Inyo counties.
In a statement to The Bee Tuesday night, Andre Levesque, a campaign consultant for Radanovich, said the campaign estimated tens of thousands of ballots in the race have yet to be counted.
“There is still a long way to go in this election,” Levesque said in a statement to The Bee Tuesday night.
Tangipa, a 28-year-old field director for Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, was endorsed by The Fresno Bee editorial board, Patterson, Magsig, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, and former Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.
Radanovich, 69, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1994 to 2010. While in Congress, Radanovich led the National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Subcommittee, Water and Power Subcommittee and Western Caucus. He is endorsed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association PAC, and the Republican Parties of Fresno, Madera, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.
The pair were the top two vote-getters in the March primary election to earn a spot in the November runoff. Radanovich captured 36.1% of the votes to Tangipa’s 31.3%.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 8:33 PM.
