Quick Take
Democrat Dawn Addis had captured 61% of votes counted as of Wednesday for California State Assembly District 30. Her Republican challenger, Vicki Nohrden, received 39% of the votes in the newly redistricted seat in the legislature.
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As of Wednesday, Dawn Addis had captured 61% of votes counted for California State Assembly District 30 and appeared headed to a win over her Republican challenger, Vicki Nohrden. Nohrden received 39% of the votes in the newly redistricted seat in the legislature. (Addis was on track to win 72% of the vote within Santa Cruz County.)
“I’m incredibly honored,” she told Lookout on Tuesday night. “We’ve worked really hard to connect with voters and I’m very optimistic that these numbers will hold.”
This new district is bigger and noticeably longer and leaner, extending now along the coast from Santa Cruz to Santa Maria. By bundling the three coastal counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo, the theory is that voters can also bundle the problems facing all three counties under one representative — those of water and land use, affordable housing, climate change and coastal erosion.
Santa Cruz composes only 25% of District 30’s voting base; Monterey County accounts for 20% and San Luis Obispo County 55%. District 30’s northernmost end cuts off just on the western side of Live Oak and the northern edge of Soquel. Much of Watsonville, Aptos and the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park aren’t included.
In other words, for Santa Cruz County, District 30 covers almost the exact opposite of what it did previously.
Addis, a former teacher, was the only candidate with prior political experience, having been elected in 2018 as a council member in Morro Bay. She cited former President Donald Trump’s policies and political rhetoric as her motivation to get involved in government. Climate change will be her top priority in office, including taking a closer look at sea level rise, affordable housing, and transportation.
Quick Take
Vicki Nohrden of Monterey, the Republican candidate in the race for state Assembly District 30, garnered more votes in...
On the other side, Monterey-based Nohrden, formerly of the nonprofit sector, ran in response to what she saw as mismanagement of government in Sacramento. Her top priority would be economic recovery, including addressing crime, public safety and bureaucracy.
— Max Chun contributed to this report.
