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Jimmy Gomez and Robert Ahn Face Off Tuesday In Congressional Runoff Election
State Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and public interest lawyer Robert Ahn will face off on Tuesday's election for the CA-34 congressional seat to replace former congressman/current State Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Gomez and Ahn emerged as the top contendors after the April 4 primary election, but neither earned more than 50% of the vote, prompting Tuesday's runoff election. The 34th District covers a large swath of Los Angeles, including East Los Angeles, downtown, Westlake, and Koreatown. The district has historically been a jumping-off point for Latino politicians in the city, according to the L.A. Times, but if Ahn wins, he'll be the first Democratic Korean-American elected to Congress.
Ahn has been presenting himself as the political outlier in the race, which he reiterated in a debate with Gomez at Occidental College on May 25. He referenced donations Gomez has received in the past from pharmaceutical companies, while Gomez referenced his support from left-leaning progressive groups, according to the L.A. Times. Both candidates are Democrats from immigrant families, so they echoed similar frustrations with President Trump and a desire to focus on healthcare.
Jimmy Gomez has the support of the L.A. Times, California Democrats, and Governor Jerry Brown, among others. Ahn galvanized support from the Korean community to surge ahead in the primary, but the Korean vote on its own isn't enough to guarantee he'll win the election.
Polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday. If you live in CA-34, find your polling place here.
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