REGION — Encinitas City Councilwoman Tasha Boerner Horvath is headed to Sacramento.
The Democrat defeated fellow Democrat Elizabeth Warren on election night in the 76th State Assembly Race to replace Republican Rocky Chavez in a district that Democrats haven’t held since its inception in 2012.
“We are feeling optimistic, I think the team has worked incredibly hard for over a year and looks like those results paid off,” Boerner Horvath said Tuesday night at a campaign party in Leucadia. “And if the trend continues, I would be incredibly honored to serve as the assembly member of the 76th District.”
By the end of the precinct count the morning of Nov. 7, Boerner Horvath a 10-point advantage over Warren, a former journalist and popular Oceanside community activist.
Boerner Horvath received support from much of the Democratic political establishment, racking up endorsements from almost every prominent state and federal democratic official and receiving thousands of dollars from traditional Democratic stakeholders.
Warren, meanwhile, outraised nearly five to one in the race, ran a strong volunteer-based campaign that included many who were active in the Move On protests in the district since the 2016 election.
Boerner Horvath said she, too, had a strong volunteer-based effort, reaching 150,000 voters at their homes or on phones or text messages. She campaigned on environmental issues and on the fact that she had previous experience as an elected official.
Warren focused on Medicare for all, and on free health college education, which were popular with younger voters and propelled her to a primary victory over Boerner Horvath, but since neither reached the 50-percent threshold the race went to a runoff.
The 76th Assembly District covers Vista, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Encinitas and Camp Pendleton.
Democrats hadn’t reached the runoff in the race since its creation following the 2010 census, and Chavez appeared to be a difficult challenger to Democrats because of his moderate appeal. When he announced he would not seek re-election to pursue Darrell Issa’s seat in Congress, eight people entered the race.
The closest Republican to the runoff in this year’s election was Phil Graham, who finished 4 percent behind Boerner Horvath.
