Garamendi leads the pack after initial returns in newly formed District 8

Incumbent John Garamendi led the District 8 congressional primary with 54% of the vote Tuesday, outpacing Republican Ruby Recile at 29% and two other Democrats. The race is the first election in the newly redrawn district, which was modified to bolster Democratic chances in neighboring swing districts. Garamendi declared victory, vowing to focus on infrastructure, education, and healthcare ahead of a likely general election rematch with Recile.

Getting your Trinity Audio //trinityaudio.ai player ready...John Garamendi leads the pack in the District 8 Congressional race after initial results Tuesday evening. The veteran congressman was leading with 54% of the vote against Republican Ruby Recile, who had 29%, followed by Democrats Nicolas Carjuzaa with 9.9%, and Aaron Rowden with 4.4%. As of 9:58 p.m. Tuesday, 8.2% of the total number of votes for the district had been counted, according to the Secretary of State’s election site. The June 2 primary is the first election in the recently-redrawn District 8, pitting Garamendi, a nine-term representative, against a trio of political unknowns as part of the broader Democratic strategy to increase their numbers in the House of Representatives in midterm elections this fall. “There is still a lot of work ahead, and I intend to work every single day to increase our investments in our infrastructure, education and ensuring that everyone has access to affordable healthcare, and to bring good-paying jobs to California’s 8th,” Garamendi said in a statement declaring victory in the primary Tuesday evening. “I want to thank everyone who voted and entrusted me to represent our community in Congress again.” Before redistricting through Proposition 50, District 8 was overwhelmingly and safely Democratic. The new map has shaved off some of that surplus support to help bolster Democratic odds in neighboring, more competitive swing districts nearer to the Central Valley. The new district boundaries removed Martinez and Antioch, and replaced them with Davis and parts of Discovery Bay. Garamendi has pushed for Democrats to push for a more equitable economy for Americans. Some of these policies are domestic — funding education and reinvesting in research and development — and other goals are international, such as repairing the United States’ relationships with its allies. Locally, these priorities have taken shape as the SHIPS for America Act, a bipartisan effort aimed at modernizing domestic shipyards, supporting a business corridor along Interstate 80, and securing funding for climate resiliency projects to counteract sea-level rise. “I have had an absolutely terrific, very satisfying career in Congress, and I intend to keep doing it,” Garamendi said. “I love the work, it’s challenging, and the issues are profoundly important to the people that I have and would hope to continue to represent.” Recile, a retired U.S. Army major, served between 1988 and 2014. Recile’s platform includes energy independence, supporting the Bill of Rights, fiscal responsibility, and support for public, veterans, and water issues. In addition, he states he supports public schools, women’s rights, and equal opportunities. Recile did not immediately respond to inquiries from this news organization on Tuesday evening. Garamendi and Recile will likely head toward the general election, pitting Garamendi against the former U.S. Army major for the third time in a general election, but this time in a less-Democratic district than Garamendi has ran in previously. That doesn’t mean Garamendi plans to change up his campaign heading into November. “The strategy remains the same: to talk about what the district issues are, solutions to the district issue, and to let the public know that I have both the experience, the energy, and the position — a senior position in the Congress — to get it done,” Garamendi said.