Can Hurtado pull off another election surprise? Votes counted thus far makes that difficult.

State Sen. Melissa Hurtado apparently lost her mojo from the 2018 campaign that saw her upset a sitting Republican incumbent.

Forced to move to Bakersfield after her hometown of Sanger was swallowed up by a different state Senate district due to redistricting, the 34-year-old Hurtado decided to run in the 16th district against a relatively unknown Republican farmer from Porterville.

The latest information from the state Secretary of State’s election website has Hurtado trailing David Shepherd by almost 3,400 votes (33,620 to 30,263).

If those numbers hold up, Shepherd would hand Hurtado, a Democrat, the same kind of defeat she handed then-incumbent Andy Vidak four years ago.

However, Hurtado reminded supporters at a Bakersfield restaurant on Election Night to not be surprised by the early numbers.

“I have all my trust and faith in the people of the Senate district, and I feel that the results at the end of the day are going to come in and support me for state Senate,” Hurtado said on Election Night.

Four years ago, Hurtado joined fellow Democrat Anna Caballero in becoming the first Latinas elected from the Valley to the state Senate. Caballero and Hurtado were housed in the 14th state Senate District by redistricting, and Caballero decided to run for re-election in that district.

Hurtado raised and spent about $4 million in the race for a Latino-majority district that stretches from Reedley to Bakersfield. Shepherd, who said he was a third-generation farmer, had less than one-fourth of that amount to spend.

Shepherd, whose grandmother is from Argentina, dominated in Kings County where he enjoyed an advantage of almost 3,800 votes.

Hurtado – who built a 2,600-vote lead in Kern County – had counted on support from at least one Republican farmer who appeared in a television ad, and state Senate colleagues.

She said she plans to continue working on delivering more water to the area if she gets another 4-year term.

Hurtado noted that the district changes included the addition of Tulare and Kingsburg, and a greater slice of Visalia and Bakersfield. Plus, she lost the portion of Fresno that was part of her old 14th District.

“The Valley is not completely different from one community to the next,” said Hurtado. “We have a lot of the same challenges.

“That’s why I was able to secure $67 million in public safety funds for various departments throughout the (16th state) Senate district,” said Hurtado. “I’m looking forward to serving them for another four years.”

In the June primary when Democrats tend to not vote at the same rate as Republicans, Shepherd captured 43.6% of the vote to Hurtado’s 29.7%.

Shepherd did pick up labor support from the Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties Building and Construction Trades Council.

Hurtado recalls her 2018 campaign with similar early results.

“When the results started trickling in, I was told by several people, ‘Oh, we’re sorry. You did a great job but in four years you can give it another shot,’” said Hurtado, who noted once Kings County votes started coming in, she built a lead over Vidak.

“That’s the same expectation I have today.”