Huntington Beach Councilman Tony Strickland today declared victory in the special election for the 36th Senate District.
The primary election was held on February 25, and if any candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote, they would win the special election outright. Otherwise, it would go to a April 29 run-off between the top two vote-getters.
Strickland, a Republican, was on the ballot with three other candidates: two Democrats and a Republican. Strickland had previously served in the state Assembly and state Senate, and he entered the campaign with enormous advantages in experience, fundraising and grass-roots organizing.
Since the first election results came in, Strickland’s vote share held steady at just over 51%, and the margin never really budged as more votes were counted.
The 36th Senate District special election was triggered when the incumbent, Janet Nguyen, was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. It includes Cerritos, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, La Palma, Buena Park, Cypress, Stanton, Los Alamitos, Garden Grove, Westminster, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.
Tony Strickland was elected to the Huntington Beach City Council in 2022, leading a four-candidate slate that swept the council elections. As mayor and councilman, he has led the fight for public safety and quality of life, and against Governor Gavin Newsom’s efforts to usurp local control.
He served in the state Assembly from 1998 to 2004, and in the state Senate from 2008 to 2012.
