Assemblywoman Laura Friedman to face Republican Mike Graves in runoff election
Incumbent state Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, a Democrat from Glendale, will face a Republican challenger in the November general election for control of California’s 43rd Assembly district.
It’s expected to be a long-shot battle for opponent Mike Graves. Two-term Assemblywoman Friedman commanded a strong majority in a three-way primary race Tuesday, taking in 73.66% of votes currently counted.
Business-owner Graves, a first-time Republican candidate from Burbank, came in a distant second, capturing 22.55% of the vote.
Producer and director Robert Sexton, an independent from Hollywood, trailed in third, with 3.79% of the vote.
In state Assembly races, the top two candidates go on to the general election. That’s in contrast to some local races, where a candidate can avoid a runoff by securing a majority of the vote.
Friedman has not faced a challenger since she was elected to represent the district, which includes Glendale, Burbank and surrounding areas, in 2016.
“I am very grateful for the support of the voters, but I am not going to take anything for granted in the November runoff,” Friedman said, acknowledging challenges in the district and adding that she was focused on addressing the needs of constituents.
“It doesn’t bother me that we have different views,” Friedman said of Graves, “but I’m hoping we can find common ground, as a community.”
Graves, who previously served as a member of the Republican Central Committee for the 43rd Assembly district, said he was compelled to run after Friedman ran unopposed in 2018.
He said he wanted to see cities and school boards returned the local control he said the state has taken from them.
In particular, he said the state has gone too far to push for more housing in low-density areas.
“California is a nation-state, and yet it’s trying to operate like the city of L.A.,” Graves said. “It becomes an unruly mess when you try to do everything.”
Friedman, a former Glendale councilwoman, agreed there’s a balance to be had between state and local authorities but said doing nothing to address the housing and homelessness crises was not an option.
“When you have a regional crisis … there needs to be some state response,” Friedman said.“People would not be satisfied if we say, ‘It’s all local, go talk to your local officials.’”
Sexton said he was disappointed in the outcome of the primary.
In contrast to Graves, he said the state wasn’t doing enough to combat homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in the county.
“It is my hope that my candidacy started important conversations and changed the dialogue, and that I showed that anyone who wants change — not just big-money politicians — can run for office,” Sexton said in a statement.