Initial results point to Huntington Beach Councilman Tony Strickland winning the 36th Senate District special election primary outright, and negating the necessity of an April 29 run-off.
Strickland currently has 51.1% of the vote, with three other candidates splitting the remainder.
Strickland, a conservative Republican and former state legislator, has been campaigning for the seat since last year. The then-incumbent, Janet Nguyen, was considered a heavy favorite to win election to the OC Board of Supervisors.
The election will be certified by March 6. If Strickland holds on to his majority, he will be sworn in as the new senator. If his vote share slips below 50%-plus-1, the election will go to an April 29 run-off between Strickland and Jimmy Pham.
