EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT RACE FLIPS TO THURMOND AS COUNT CONTINUES
By Miriam Raftery
November 14, 2018 (Sacramento) – A key statewide race has flipped, with the counting of late mail-in and provisional ballots. Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, a social worker, has pulled ahead in the State Superintendent race. Thurmond now leads over Marshall Tuck by around 74,000 votes and a full percentage point.
On election night, it was Tuck who led by a point.
Over 3 million ballots remain to be counted. But thus far, late mailed ballots and provisional ballots across California have favored Democrats and progressives, includinghelping Democrats pick up several Congressional seats.
While both Thurmond and Tuck are registered Democrats, Thurmond is endorsed by the Democratic Party as well as the California Teachers Association.
Last minute mailers to voters affirmed the party’s endorsement and criticized Tuck, former head of charter school’s association who has also run district schools, for his financial support from the charter school industry.
The final outcome may not be known for weeks, since California doesn’t certify its results until December 7th after all votes are counted.