One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez Wins Special Election To Represent California's 34th District In Congress
Current Assemblyman soon-to-be Congressman Jimmy Gomez. (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Gomez)
Update: [10:47 p.m.] Robert Lee Ahn has conceded, making Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez California's next Congressional representative, according to the L.A. Times.
Robert Lee Ahn has conceded. He is somewhere behind that curtain. Hasn't addressed crowd yet. "Shout" by Tears for Fears is playing. #CA34 pic.twitter.com/nn7DgHxjoV
— Javier Panzar (@jpanzar) June 7, 2017
Angelenos once again headed to the polls on Tuesday, this time to fill the Congressional seat vacated earlier this year by the now state attorney general Xavier Becerra. Quick refresher: former California attorney general Kamala Harris's ascendance to the Senate set off a game of political musical chairs: Governor Brown appointed Becerra to replace Harris as state AG, meaning Becerra's Congressional seat representing L.A.'s 34 District was suddenly open for business.
There were plenty of contenders hoping to represent the district, which includes downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, and parts of northeast L.A., and 23 candidates vied for the seat in a special election in April. State Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and public interest lawyer Robert Lee Ahn advanced to today's runoff after emerging as the top two candidates in the April primary.
The polls closed at 8 p.m., and Gomez holds a slight lead over Ahn in the early returns.
Here's a live update of the vote tally, thanks to our friends at Decision Desk HQ:
Sponsored message
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
