California Primary Results Certified: Villines Prevails in Commissioner Race

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July 19, 2010 Monday 03:34 PM EST

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California Primary Results Certified: Villines Prevails in Commissioner Race

Sean P Carr

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

With the results of California’s June primary election now certified, state Assemblyman Mike Villines has defeated Insurance Department attorney Brian FitzGerald by a 1% margin in the Republican primary for insurance commissioner.

FitzGerald, a 16-year department veteran who spent less than $5,000 on his campaign, held a small lead immediately after the June 8 vote. The final results gave Villines, a former Assembly minority leader, a 16,346-vote margin of victory.

Villines complimented his primary foe. FitzGerald’s run is “an important example for other Californians who would like to go into public service,” Villines said in a statement.

“The office of insurance commissioner, while low profile, has a significant impact on the lives of all Californians…I will have three main goals: protecting consumers, re-building our economy and cracking down on fraud. Between now and November, I will be working hard to show voters that I am the candidate who will fight for Californians who want strong consumer protections and a healthy economy and jobs market,” Villines said.

Term-limited after three elections to the Assembly, Villines spent more than $220,000 on his race. He faced a conservative backlash after cutting a budget deal with Democratic lawmakers and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year.

Villines will face Assemblyman David Jones, who won an overwhelming victory in the Democratic primary over fellow Assemblyman Hector De La Torre. The final result in that race was 61.4% to 38.6%. Villines and Jones also have four third-party opponents in the general election: Clay Pedersen of the American Independent party; William Balderston, Green; Richard S. Bronstein, Libertarian; and Dina Josephine Padilla, Peace and Freedom.

According to the results certified by Secretary of State Debra Bowen on July 16, turnout in the primary election was 33.3% of registered voters and 24.1% of eligible voters.

Bowen also certified the results of ballot questions, including the Mercury General-sponsored Proposition 17. Voters rejected the proposal to extend automobile insurance discounts to more drivers — which opponents argued would have resulted in surcharges for other drivers that are now unlawful under Proposition 103. Mercury General bankrolled nearly the entire campaign, with a 15-to-one spending advantage over its foes. The final outcome was 2,778,599 votes against to 2,575,659 for, or 51.9% to 48.1%.

(By Sean P. Carr, Washington Correspondent: sean.carr@ambest.com)

July 20, 2010

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