Peace Holds Victory Margin in Senate Race
Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) has apparently beaten Republican businessman Joseph Ghougassian for a vacant state Senate seat from southern San Diego County.
In unofficial returns from Tuesday’s election, Peace had 30,487 votes and Ghougassian 28,186 in a race to fill the final year of Democrat Wadie Deddeh’s third term in the 40th Senate District. Deddeh retired to return to teaching at Southwest Community College in Chula Vista.
About 4,800 absentee ballots submitted on election day will not be counted until today but the count is not expected to alter the results. Ghougassian would have to win 75% of the remaining absentee ballots to overtake Peace.
Ghougassian won 52% of the 29,000 absentee ballots submitted in time to be included in the unofficial results. A special election to fill the Assembly seat Peace will vacate is scheduled for the spring.
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