Top Spender In Costly State Senate Race Losing In Primary

The race for state Senate District 25 has stood out in California for its sheer cost. More than $5 million has been poured into the five-way race — much of it coming from one candidate.

But preliminary primary results show that the nearly $3 million that Democrat Yvonne Yiu invested in her campaign — making her the top donor to any state race — could not help her secure a top two spot needed to advance to the general election.

At last count Wednesday, the Monterey Park council member was in third place. The top vote-getter is Elizabeth Wong Ahlers, the sole Republican and a Crescenta Valley Town Council member, trailed by Democrat Sasha Renée Pérez, vice mayor of Alhambra.

The group of four Democrats — which also include Sandra Armenta and Teddy Choi — had split the partisan vote in a blue-skewing district that spans Glendale to Rancho Cucamonga and is home to one of the state's largest Asian American voter populations in the San Gabriel Valley.

Ahlers grabbed nearly 39% of the vote, while Pérez had nearly 28%, according to the updated tally released by the California Secretary of State Wednesday afternoon.

Democrat Yvonne Yiu campaigned as a tough-on-crime candidate who also wanted to increase AAPI representation in the state Senate.

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Yvonne Yiu For Senate campaign

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The two best-known Democrats, Yiu and Pérez, had focused their campaign attacks on one another, with Yiu enjoying a cash advantage that she directed toward TV commercials and political mail that positioned her as a tough-on-crime candidate who would ensure better Asian American representation in Sacramento.

But, money doesn't guarantee victory, said Nathan Chan, a political scientist at Loyola Marymount University.

"The quality of the outreach also matters," Chan said. "Just because you're sending mailers out nonstop doesn't necessarily guarantee that the voters are going to respond to it."

Yiu, who used to run her own investment banking firm, had self-funded a previous campaign. She contributed nearly $6 million to an unsuccessful run for state controller in 2022.

Yiu, who did not respond to a request for comment for this story, had said before that she self-funds to avoid being beholden to special interests.

Yiu had generated more money than Peréz and the groups in support of Peréz by a margin of more than 2 to 1. But Pérez was able to rack up key endorsements from the California Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood and unions representing teachers, nurses and firefighters whom she said embraced her priorities.

"Whether it was passing Alhambra's first sustainability plan or working on financial aid expansion, that made folks really excited," Pérez said. "So I think it's not just about money. You have to have a strong story that you're sharing."

Ahlers said she recognizes the challenge of winning votes in a district where Democratic voter registration tops 46% — nearly double that of Republicans. But she says people are tired of Democratic Party dominance in Sacramento.

"In the current Senate, the supermajority of Democrats has been the reason why the state of California is decreasing in population," Ahlers said, describing the tax burden and housing crisis as Democratic failures that have forced Californians to leave. "If people are paying attention, they'll vote for a change, which is me."

The district's current senator Anthony Portantino, who is facing term limits, is running to replace Rep. Adam Schiff in the 30th Congressional District.