ASSEMBLY | DISTRICT 16 | Republican upstart Catharine Baker may be causing quite a few headaches for Assembly Democrats Wednesday night. The Tri Valley attorney leads Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti in the 16th Assembly District race by less than four points.

Baker won 51.9 percent of the vote Wednesday morning after 100 percent of precincts in Contra Costa County and Alameda County were counted. Sbranti, a Democrat, garnered 48.1 percent, although more ballots remain to be counted.

The result, as it stands, will certainly be a blow to the Democrat’s super-majority in the Legislature and turned the moderate district red for the first time in six years. Assemblymember Joan Buchanan is termed out of the seat next month.

While the demographics suggested a potential and rare battleground for Republicans in the East Bay, special interests money dominated the race over the past few months. Independent expenditures committees backed by labor poured money in support of Sbranti, while Republican activist Charles Munger, Jr. funded an onslaught of ads against Baker’s opponent.

Advertisement