Hurtado sworn in after winning by .008 percentage points. GOP leaders had asked to wait

The closest state Senate race in more than a century with a difference of .008 percentage points was enough for incumbent Democrat Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield, to be sworn into office on Saturday.

State Senate Republican leaders had asked that no one be sworn because they claimed some votes remain to be counted. That request was turned down.

“It was my honor to be sworn in today as California’s State Senator representing the 16th District,” Hurtado posted on her Instagram account Saturday afternoon.

A photo showed her taking the oath while surrounded by her parents, her sister and other supporters. Hurtado was sworn in at her Hanford district office by newly elected Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Bakersfield.

“Thank you to the voters who have put their trust in me. I look forward to continuing my work fighting for the Valley, providing vital water resources, expanding access to healthcare, ensuring safe communities and quality education for all our children. Together, we can make our Valley strong.”

The California Secretary of State shows Hurtado as the winner – by 20 votes out of almost 137,000 – in the 16th District over Republican challenger David Shepard..

In a press statement issued Saturday, Shepard said “we must be especially vigilant in making sure every single legally cast ballot is counted.”

He said his team was told by the Fresno County Registrar of Voters that “the deadline to cure ballots had been extended.”

Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters James Cus said Monday morning his office did not tell the Shepard campaign that the curing deadline had changed.

“We did our final tally after receiving the mail on Thursday,” said Cus, who added that the office received more than 1,000 cured letters up through Thursday’s noon deadline.

Shepard said his campaign continued to cure ballots until the deadline it was given. He did not say what that extended deadline was.

A ballot is cured when a voter takes steps to correct discrepancies such as a signature on a ballot so that they can be counted. Both campaigns took efforts to cure ballots.

“They were accepted by (Fresno County), therefore we fully expect (the county) to count those ballot cures,” said Shepard, who said his campaign is “closely assessing whether a recount will be the next step.”

Hurtado – who switched from the neighboring 14th District to avoid a race against fellow Democratic incumbent Anna Caballero – updated her official Twitter account to identify her as the 16th District senator.

The state has until Dec. 16 to certify the election.

Shepard has expressed frustration with the slow count of votes in Kern County – and its election official estimate of remaining votes. He has not ruled out a recount.

Friday afternoon, Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita and Senate Minority Leader-elect Brian Jones of Santee called on the Senate to hold off on a swearing-in ceremony “due to concerns over hundreds of ballots that have not been counted.”

“Every vote should be counted, period. The Central Valley’s Senate District 16 race between Melissa Hurtado and David Shepard is extremely close with a margin reportedly at 20 votes out of more than 136,000 votes cast.”

The Republicans say 14 “cured” ballots were reportedly delivered to Fresno County that have yet to be counted.

A Fresno Elections Division clerk said all cured ballots that were delivered by the noon Thursday deadline have been counted and included in the certified count that was given to the state Secretary of State’s Office.

Wilk and Jones, in a joint statement, said, “Reports are also swirling that there’s a handful of uncounted ballots in Kings County still remaining, and 600 to 800 ballots in Tulare County still remaining.”

They also, like Shepard, take issue with the counting process in Kern County over incorrect posting of remaining ballots, counting machine breakdowns, “floating” deadlines for curing ballots, and “mismanagement of staff.”

“Right now, there is no faith that the Kern County vote count is anywhere done nor accurate,” they wrote.

“It would be unfair and yet another slight to the residents of the Central Valley for the Senate to rush the seating of either Hurtado or Shepard until there is uniform confidence that every vote has been counted in this razor thin race.”

Kern County election officials told public radio station KVPR on Thursday that it has completed its count. The Kern County Board of Supervisors certified the vote Friday morning.

Hurtado built her lead in Kern County, which gave her a 9,967-vote cushion to offset losses in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties. Kern County voters make up about 44% of the district’s voters.

Shepard – who enjoyed a lead of almost 3,400 votes in the first days after the election – last had a lead (245 votes) the morning of Dec. 2 before Kern County updated its count late that afternoon to give Hurtado an overall lead of 12 votes.

Kern, Kings and Tulare counties have certified their votes.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 9 de diciembre de 2022, 4:54 p. m..