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McClintock, Kennedy move on to November election

Dylan Svoboda / Mountain Democrat
Brynne Kennedy
Provided

Republican incumbent Tom McClintock and Democratic candidate Brynne Kennedy will head to the general election ballot in November in the race for California’s 4th Congressional District. 

McClintock, who has held the seat since 2008, has received 54% of the vote and Kennedy, founder the software company Topia, has received about 36% of the vote. McClintock garnered just over 100,000 votes while Kennedy has pulled in more than 67,000 votes.

Four other candidates challenged McClintock as well, though each finished with less than 5% of the vote. Republican Julianne Benzel finished third with 7,686 votes, Republican Jamie Byers finished with 3,262 votes, Republican Jacob Thomas had 3,042 votes and independent Robert Lawton received 2,979 votes.



The 63-year-old congressman thanked the folks of the 4th Congressional District for what’s now 12 years of support at the ballot box.

“I am deeply grateful to the people of California’s Gold Country and Sierra Nevada for their vote of confidence in yesterday’s primary election. Once again, they have spoken clearly for individual liberty, constitutionally limited government and secure borders.



“The voters of the Fourth District shine as a beacon of hope against the socialist policies that are destroying California and threatening our nation. I couldn’t be prouder to stand with them and to stand with the President as we continue our work to restore America’s prosperity, security and greatness.”

The 35-year-old challenger also expressed her gratitude to supporters. 

“November will be a choice between a successful businessperson who sets partisanship aside to put our community first, and a career politician who has repeatedly surrendered to the demands of party bosses and big moneyed, special interests,” said Kennedy in a statement. 

“Our campaign is for everyone who has been left behind or ignored by Tom McClintock. It’s for Republicans, Democrats and Independents who share our belief that a Representative’s job is to work for everyone — not just the people who fund them.”

El Dorado County voters didn’t stray too far from districtwide results. About 52.3% of county voters supported McClintock on first count while 38.66% gave their vote to Kennedy. No other candidate got more than 4% of the vote in the county. 

Statewide, there are likely millions of ballots left to count, according to political data analyst Paul Mitchell.

There are still about 15,000 mail ballots to be counted across El Dorado County, according to elections officer Bill O’Neill. O’Neill added that another update should be coming within the next 24 hours. The department is aiming to count about 98-99 percent of the ballots by Friday evening, he said.

The 4th Congressional District encompasses most of the central portion of California, from the Sierra to just east of Fresno.

The general election will be held Nov. 3.


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