By Miriam Raftery

June 9, 2016 (San Diego)—Seven Assembly seats and one state Senate race in San Diego County were among those on the ballot Tuesday.   Under the rules for state legislative elections, the top two vote-getters in each race will advance to a run-off in November. 

In a startling turn of events, the run-off in the 71^st Assembly seat vacated by Brian Jones due to term limits will be between Santee Mayor Randy Voepel and jeweler Leo Hamel in November—despite Hamel announcing he was dropping out of the race shortly after the ballots were printed. 

"In a “top-two” primary, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the General Election. The only way a candidate can be removed from the ballot is by dying or via court order. This must occur no later than 68 days before the election (Per Elections Code 8810)," Sam Mahood, press secretary for Secretary of State Alex Padilla told East County Magazine.  San Diego Registrar Michael Vu confirmed that state election code provides that Hamel will be on the November ballot, once the results are officially certified.

The district spans two counties. In San Diego, Voepel got 61%, Hamel 27%, and businessman Tony Teora 12%.  In Riverside County, the placement order is the same, though Teora had 14% there.

By Miriam Raftery

April 10, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The race to fill the 71^st Assembly seat being vacated by Brian Jones due to term limits has narrowed to two candidates, both Republicans: Santee Mayor Randy  Voepel and business owner Tony Teora. 

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview: http://kiwi6.com/file/kt18gznf91

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July 31, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –Julian resident Tony Teora announced on East County Magazine’s radio show on KNSJ that he will be running for the 71^st Assembly seat, which is open due to Brian Jones stepping down due to term limits.

Teora, a Republican, considers himself a “maverick” and a moderate candidate. “We have politicans today who are controlled by special interests,” he says adding that too often, elected officials vote against the interests of constituents,he says.

By Miriam Raftery

May 31, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – After learning that the Democratic Party didn’t have a candidate on the ballot in the 71^st Assembly District that includes most of San Diego County’s inland regions as well as south Riverside County, Howard Katz obtained signatures to qualify as a write-in candidate.

Chairman of the Riverside Democratic Party,  Katz wants to roll back tuitions for public colleges and universities statewide, push for a healthcare-for-all Californians plan (which failed by two votes previously in the State Legislature), and support modest tax increases if needed to fund these initiatives.  Hear our radio interview podcast with Katz here:  http://kiwi6.com/file/oj62bcco0x

Katz previously ran for Congress against Darrell Issa.  In addition to Katz and Jones, a conservative Republican, moderate Republican Tony Teora, an engineer and science fiction author, is also in the race.