Press "Enter" to skip to content

Why is Sen. Alex Padilla on the ballot twice?

No, you’re not seeing double: Sen. Alex Padilla and his Republican opponent, Mark Meuser, are on the ballot twice.

Padilla, California’s junior senator, assumed office in January 2021. He was appointed to the position by Gov. Gavin Newsom after then-Sen. Kamala Harris became the vice president.

And that means the U.S. senate office has two separate contests on the general election ballot.

The first contest is for a full, six-year term that will begin on Jan. 3, 2023.

This undated photo provided by the Mark Meuser campaign shows Republican constitutional lawyer Mark Meuser. Meuser faces Sen. Alex Padilla, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, in the elections to fill the last two months of Kamala Harris' U.S. Senate term and for a new six-year term. (Courtesy of Mark Meuser Campaign via AP)
Mark Meuser faces Sen. Alex Padilla, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, in the elections to fill the last two months of Kamala Harris’ U.S. Senate term and for a new six-year term. (Courtesy of Mark Meuser Campaign via AP)

The second, considered a special vacancy election, is to continue to fill the seat for the remainder of the term, ending on Jan. 3, 2023, explained Joe Kocurek, a spokesperson for the California secretary of state.

MORE: Learn about your candidates in our 2022 Voter Guide

The 17th Amendment allows state leaders to appoint a new senator, should a vacancy occur, “until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.” The California Legislature called for the replacement vote to take place this year, according to CalMatters.

Voters can choose to only select a candidate in one of the races. Or, voters could split their vote – choosing Padilla for one contest and Meuser for the other, Kocurek said.

Primary voters might remember this same dual election phenomenon occurred in June as well.

“Don’t be confused when you see my name listed two times, it means that I will work twice as hard to earn your vote,” Padilla said on social media ahead of the primary election.

In the June primary, Padilla came out on top with 54.1%, and Meuser in second with 14.9% for the full-term election, according to statewide results from the secretary of state. For the partial-term contest, with a field of fewer candidates, Padilla had 55% to Meuser’s 22.1%.

From Pacoima in Los Angeles, Padilla is a former California secretary of state and state senator. He is California’s first Latino U.S. senator.

Meuser is a constitutional lawyer who studied at Oak Brook College of Law. From Huntington Beach, he works at Dhillon Law Group and has been involved in numerous lawsuits challenging Newsom’s COVID-19 decisions, according to his campaign website. Meuser also worked for a former Republican Missouri state senator.

Padilla has been focusing his attention on other Democratic candidates across the country this year, more so than his own race, deemed to be a safe bet for the Democrat.

But Meuser has said he’s counting on low turnout and support from independents and Latinos who are disaffected with President Joe Biden.

“This can be a much more competitive race than most people realize,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 


Source: Orange County Register

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *