Republican Mark Pazin concedes to Esmeralda Soria in California Assembly race

Former Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin on Monday conceded to Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria in the race for a newly-drawn California Assembly seat.

In an email to supporters, Pazin said that with only a few thousand ballots left to count on Monday, he didn’t see a path to victory. He congratulated Soria and said he hoped she would serve in a bipartisan fashion.

“This race was never about me or Soria. It was always about putting people first after Sacramento has ignored the needs of our Valley for far too long,” Pazin’s message said.

He also thanked his supporters for their trust.

“I could not have made it this far without the help of my supporters, friends, and family,” Pazin said. “Many of you have known me over the years and some of you may have just met me, and I’m thankful for all of you.”

The newly-drawn District 27 covers western Fresno County, most of Madera County and all of Merced County. The largest number of voters are in Merced County. Forty-three percent of voters in the 27th District are registered as Democrats, compared with the GOP’s 27% share. No-party preference is third, with 22.5% of voters.

With election returns Friday afternoon from Fresno and Madera counties, Democrat Soria had 44,784 votes, or 51.2%, while Pazin had 42,734, or 48.8%.

Shortly after Pazin sent his message to supporters, Soria declared victory. She also thanked Pazin for a hard-fought race and for his call to congratulate her.

“Thank you to the hard-working people of the 27th Assembly District for placing your trust in me to be your voice in Sacramento,” Soria said in a news release. “I am humbled to have the opportunity to fight for you and bring resources home to keep our communities safe and healthy, tackle the housing crisis, create good-paying jobs here at home, and expand educational opportunities for our young people. I am dedicated to having an open door and I will work with anyone from any party or background to deliver for our Valley.”

Soria, 40, is closing out her final term on the Fresno City Council. She was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to his state task force on homelessness. Soria raised nearly $2.9 million.

Pazin, 66, was the Merced County Sheriff until 2015, when then-California Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him head of the law enforcement branch of the Office of Emergency Services in Sacramento. He raised over $1.2 million for his campaign.

During the campaign, Pazin attempted to tie Soria to indicted former Rep. TJ Cox, D-Fresno. He touted support from law enforcement and first responder groups and highlighted his time as sheriff. Pazin was one of the only California sheriffs who supported AB 109, which sent nonviolent offenders from state prison to county jail.

Soria also capitalized on Pazin’s record as sheriff, using it in a number of attack ads while promoting her law enforcement endorsements. On the Fresno City Council, Soria has been a vocal advocate for affordable housing, decriminalizing homelessness and improving and adding parks.

The state legislature reconvenes Jan. 4.