Democrat Buffy Wicks took an early commanding lead Tuesday night in the 15th Assembly District contest against Jovanka Bekcles and never relinquished it.
Wicks topped the fellow Democrat by 12 points in a race many believed would be much closer. Wicks takes over for Assemblymember Tony Thurmond, who gave up the seat to run this year for the state superintendent of public instruction.
With 100 percent of the ballots counted in the Alameda and Contra Costa County district, Wicks received 50,986 votes (56 percent) to Beckles’ 40,053 (44 percent).
With a campaign awash in political expertise following stints with the presidential campaigns for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and the financial advantage to fund such an operation, Wicks was able to parlay a strong June primary result into victory over a less funded, but more progressive opponent.
ebcitizen.com 