Cisneros Takes 39th

After provisional ballots were counted in the weeks following the election, Democrat Gil Cisneros won the House of Representative seat in California’s District 39 over Young Kim. Cisneros won 51.5 percent of the vote, marking the first time the entirety of Orange County has been Democratic since the Great Depression.

A Republican until 2008, Cisneros is considered more moderate, and has spoken out against the re-election of Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House, joining 15 other Democratic congressmen in stating that they would not support her in the upcoming nominating election.

In his campaign, Cisneros spoke on new party leadership and was a strong opponent to politicians who were funded by outside corporations.

Cisneros’ victory followed intensive advertising and campaigning from both candidates, both hoping to take the swing district after its Republican history. Cisneros will replace Republican Ed Royce, who has been serving the district for 13 terms. Following election day, Kim was originally thought to have won the district by a couple hundred votes, visiting Washington, D.C. on Nov. 15 along with the other newly elected House members for orientation.

Provisional ballots were counted in the weeks following, eventually naming Cisneros as House representative on Nov. 17 by over 7,000 votes. Cisneros will be sworn in with the rest of the House on Jan. 3.

The results of this race arrived along with a “blue wave” of new congressional elects, with Democrats flipping 40 seats in the House of Representatives—the best midterms for Democrats since the aftermath of  Richard Nixon’s resignation.