Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, has secured a decided unofficial victory among voters who overwhelmingly awarded her a job promotion from the 67th state Assembly District to 28th state Senate District.
Melendez is besting her Democratic challenger Elizabeth Romero of Indio by capturing 104,889 votes compared with Romero’s 84,403 votes in the May 12 special election, according to Semi-Official Election Results at the Riverside County Registrar’s Office. Gov. Newsom called the election to fill the seat Sen. Jeff Stone vacated when he left last year to join the Trump Administratioron.
There are approximately 1,000 ballots that remain to be processed. The next updated results will be posted at 5 p.m. on May 21.
Stone’s seat was barely cold when Melendez on Nov. 4 announced in a Facebook live video event announced her bid to fill the vacant seat and never looked back, She easily scored a victory in the March 3rd Primary. While Democrats were still trying to figure out who was going to run, Melendez was out crisscrossing the 28th District, raising money and collecting endorsements.
The Melendez victory receives high marks from former Sen. Stone.
“Melissa is a consummate conservative that has a ‘fighter instinct’ for the people she represents, Stone told Uken Report. “She tries to compromise in the best interests of her constituents without ever compromising her principles. She is a dedicated public servant illustrated by her successful service in the US Navy, City Council woman in the city of Lake Elsinore, a respected State Assemblywoman, and now, a State Senator. These experiences will allow her to intelligently maneuver around the political land mines in Sacramento and position herself for a continued bright future in politics.”
The Melendez victory is being celebrated in the Coachella Valley, especially at the La Quinta-based East Valley Republican Women Federated.
“Melissa brings organization and clarity,” Joy Miedecke, the organization’s president, told Uken Report. “When as Assembly woman, she had town halls at least every other week and she would explain what items were up for vote in the Assembly, which is very important to know when we realize that our fate is in the hands of our legislators. Melissa is a strong and mighty woman and she loves her country.”
Melendez is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday, May 18 at 10 a.m. on Zoom.
Image Sources
- Melendez victory party: Facebook
