By Michael Howard

March 5, 2024 (San Diego) – As the California State Assembly primary election results begin to unfold, it appears that the race for the 76th Assembly District seat is shaping up to be a face-off between Republican candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane (photo, left) and Democrat Darshana Patel (photo, right). The departure of incumbent Brian Maienschein has opened the door to a competitive contest with the two candidates vying for the vacant seat. 

With 19.9% of precinct’s reporting, Kristie Bruce-Lane received 26,271 votes, and Darshana Patel 17,918. Trailing behind the two top contenders was Democrat Joseph Rocha with 9,877 votes. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Marie Waldron has defeated Randy Voepel in the redrawn 75th Assembly district

November 9, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Redistricting pitted two incumbent Republican Assemblymembers against each other in the 75^th Assembly district.  Assemblyman Randy Voepel has been ousted by Assemblywoman Marie Waldron, the Assembly Republican leader and former Escondido councilmember. Waldron received 66.76% of the votes tallied so far, while Voepel drew just 33.24%.

A staunch conservative and pro-life legislator, she is a member of the Mental Health Caucus and has served on the Assembly Health Committee.  A former member of the San Diego County Opoid Task Force, she now serves on the Stanford 5-Year Initiative on Neuroscience, a group fostering communications between policymakers on mental health, addiction and opioid drugs. She was honored as legislator of the year by both the California Life Sciences Association and the California Chronic Care Coalition.

In the 40^th State Senate district, Senator Brian Jones, a Republican, leads by nearly 11 points over challenger Joseph Rocha, a Democrat and military veteran. Jones has long won his Senate and before that, Assembly races by large margins, but redistricting resulted in a nearly even party registration balance. Democrats had poured money into the race for TV ads and other campaign messaging, but were unable to defeat Jones, a former Santee Councilman and Chairman of the Assembly Republican Caucus.

Update June 8, 2022:  With 21.5% of the vote counted,  Jones' lead has widened. The Senator now has 53.9%; Rocha has 46.1%.  The pair will face off again in November.

By Miriam Raftery

June 7, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – East County closest election contest is shaping up in the newly redrawn 40^th State Senate District. The incumbent, Republican Senator Brian Jones, has 51.36% of the vote in early election returns. Close on his heels is former Navy veteran and Marine Corps prosecutor Joseph Rocha with 48.64%.

By Miriam Raftery
Former ECM intern Joseph Rocha gave key testimony at trial

September 10, 2010 (San Diego) – U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled yesterday that the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy banning openly gay soldiers from serving is unconstitutional, violating the First and Fifth Amendments. The judge found that the policy has a “direct and deleterious effect” on military readiness by hindering recruitment in wartime and requiring discharge of service members who have critical skills or training.

"I am overjoyed that so many veterans and active duty members have been honored with justice. The decision upholds the constitution proving that no patriots blood is any less valuable in the defense of our nation." Joseph Rocha, an award-winning ECM journalism intern who testified at the trial, told ECM in an e-mail this evening. A former Navy dog handler, Rocha underwent 93 counts of abuse at the hands of an officer while serving in Bahrain.

Read our prior coverage and interview with Rocha on his ordeal. View his testimony (pagse 27-34) here.