The race to succeed Henry Waxman’s congressional seat appears to be a three-person race heading into Wednesday morning. Unfortunately only two candidates will survive when all is said and done. The question is: will the odd-man or odd-woman left out be Elan Carr, Wendy Greuel, or Ted Lieu.
At 11:56 p.m. on June 3 – with about 32 percent of precincts reporting – Carr, a Republican, led all candidates with 10,713 votes (22.5 percent).
Not too far behind him was Lieu. The Democratic State Senator was in second place with 9,585 votes (20.1 percent).
Greuel, the former Los Angeles Councilwoman and current Democrat, was in third place with 8,223 votes (17.2 percent).
In fourth place was Marianne Williamson, whose 5,075 votes and 10.6 percent mark slightly edge Matt Miller (4,781 votes, 10.0 percent).
Williamson ran as an Independent while Miller campaigned as a Democrat.
Republican Lilly Gilani collected 3,759 votes (7.9 percent).
No other candidate crossed the 3 percent threshold.
If the current placing holds, Carr and Lieu would face off against each other in the Nov. 4 general election; the top two vote getters move forward from the primary.
Yet, with more than 67 percent of the vote still not reported as 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday night, the top three positions could certainly be jumbled before the Wednesday sunrise. Just the same, Williamson and Miller are not necessarily ruled out from a top two finish just yet.
The race for the 33rd Congressional district is one of the most watched campaigns in the country. Waxman is leaving his seat after 40 years in Washington, D.C. His 33r d district, as it is currently composed, is one of the most economically affluent districts in the United States. Cities and districts within the 33 rd include Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Palos Verdes, and the San Fernando Valley. The district also leans left.
