With his wife facing an intensely difficult race to capture an open State Senate seat Asm. Carlos Villapudua (D–Stockton) made a last-minute change to his reelection plans, instead opting to run for State Senate.
Now he and his wife, Edith, are arguably facing an even tougher electoral out this year than originally anticipated and could end 2024 with not a single Villapudua sitting in the California State Capitol.
The backstory: Carlos Villapudua first ran for Assembly in 2020, defeating Katherine Miller by just over three points to claim the seat.
- He won reelection to the 13th Assembly District last year by over 20 points.
- Edith Villapudua had launched a campaign for Senate District 5 and had been up against Rep. Josh Harder (D–Tracy) staffer Rhodesia Ransom, who is endorsed by the California Democratic Party.
- Sen. Susan Eggman (D–Stockton) is up against term limits, making the 5th District race open.
The big picture: Thursday, Carlos Villapudua announced that he is filing to run for the 5th Senate District instead of trying to remain in the Senate.
- He pits himself against Ransom and has the cash advantage with around $275,000 at last count compared to around $230,000 for Ransom.
- The move theoretically was intended to give Edith Villapudua a much easier path to Sacramento since no other candidate had filed to run against her husband for his Assembly seat.
- However, things have gotten complicated for the House of Villapudua: former Rep. Jerry McNerney (D–Stockton) announced Friday that he would enter the race and challenge Carlos Villapudua for the Eggman seat.
- Meanwhile, Ransom announced she would shift out of the Senate seat and take on Edith Villapudua for her husband’s Assembly seat.
- The deadline to file to run for Assembly District 13 now extends to next week since Carlos Villapudua is no longer in the running.
What they’re saying: Carlos Villapudua said in a statement that he made this decision after much thought and consideration, as well as after discussing it with his wife and family.
- “In the State Assembly, I have been able to fight for our San Joaquin Delta, pass legislation that targeted fentanyl dealers, assisted survivors of human trafficking, helped reduce waste and clean our environment and help lift people from poverty to entrepreneurship,” Carlos Villapudua said. “I look forward to taking this record of accomplishment to the State Senate and achieve results for the people of the 5th Senate District on public safety, quality of life, health care accessibility, climate change, job creation, reducing your daily commute and reducing homelessness.”
