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Ricardo Benitez
Ricardo Benitez (Republican Party) ran for election to the California State Assembly to represent District 39. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Benitez was also a 2018 Democratic special election candidate for District 39 of the California State Assembly. Benitez advanced from the special primary election on April 3, 2018. He was defeated in the special general election that was also held on June 5, 2018.[1][2]
Benitez was a 2014 Republican candidate for District 18 of the California State Senate. He ran unsuccessfully for District 39 of the California State Assembly in 2012.
Elections
2020
See also: California State Assembly elections, 2020
General election
General election for California State Assembly District 39
Incumbent Luz Maria Rivas defeated Ricardo Benitez in the general election for California State Assembly District 39 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Luz Maria Rivas (D) | 74.1 | 117,207 |
 | Ricardo Benitez (R) | 25.9 | 41,033 | |
| Total votes: 158,240 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 39
Incumbent Luz Maria Rivas and Ricardo Benitez advanced from the primary for California State Assembly District 39 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Luz Maria Rivas (D) | 77.8 | 54,512 |
| ✔ | | Ricardo Benitez (R) | 22.2 | 15,590 |
| Total votes: 70,102 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
California State Assembly regular election
General election
General election for California State Assembly District 39
Incumbent Luz Maria Rivas defeated Ricardo Benitez in the general election for California State Assembly District 39 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Luz Maria Rivas (D) | 77.7 | 85,027 |
| Ricardo Benitez (R) | 22.3 | 24,468 | |
| Total votes: 109,495 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 39
The following candidates ran in the primary for California State Assembly District 39 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Luz Maria Rivas (D) | 43.9 | 20,453 |
| ✔ | | Ricardo Benitez (R) | 25.1 | 11,679 |
 | Patty Lopez (D) | 14.6 | 6,783 | |
 | Antonio Sanchez (D) | 10.1 | 4,705 | |
 | Patrea Patrick (D) | 3.7 | 1,740 | |
| Bonnie Corwin (D) | 2.6 | 1,220 | ||
| Total votes: 46,580 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Martha Medrano (D)
- Robert Payne (R)
California State Assembly special election
A special primary election for the position of California State Assembly District 39 was called for April 3, 2018. Luz Maria Rivas (D) and Ricardo Benitez (R), the top two vote-getters, advanced to the special general election that was held on June 5, 2018.[3][4] Rivas won the seat.[5]
To qualify for the race, candidates had to obtain nomination documents from election officials in their county of residence by February 8, 2018. Candidates could have qualified by paying a $1,072.42 filing fee. Candidates could have also qualified by submitting 536 petition signatures by January 9, 2018. The filing deadline for write-in candidates was March 20, 2018.[6]
The seat became vacant following Raul Bocanegra's (D) resignation on November 27, 2017. He resigned due to sexual harassment allegations.[7]
Six candidates—five Democrats and one Republican—filed to run in the primary election.[8]
General election
Special general election for California State Assembly District 39
Luz Maria Rivas defeated Ricardo Benitez in the special general election for California State Assembly District 39 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Luz Maria Rivas (D) | 70.8 | 31,851 |
| Ricardo Benitez (R) | 29.2 | 13,165 | |
| Total votes: 45,016 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Special nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 39
The following candidates ran in the special primary for California State Assembly District 39 on April 3, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Luz Maria Rivas (D) | 42.9 | 8,222 |
| ✔ | | Ricardo Benitez (R) | 20.1 | 3,862 |
| Antonio Sanchez (D) | 19.8 | 3,802 | |
| Patty Lopez (D) | 9.9 | 1,907 | |
| Yolie Anguiano (D) | 4.8 | 922 | ||
| Patrea Patrick (D) | 2.4 | 467 | |
| Total votes: 19,182 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bonnie Corwin (D)
- Robert Payne (R)
- Jaime Lazo (D)
- Richard Flores (D)
- Martha Medrano (D)
- Jaime Herrera (Independent)
2014
- See also: California State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 7, 2014. Bob Hertzberg (D) and Ricardo Antonio Benitez (R) defeated John P. "Jack" Lindblad (G) in the blanket primary. Hertzberg defeated Benitez in the general election.[9][10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Bob Hertzberg |
70.2% | 79,495 | |
| Republican | Ricardo Antonio Benitez | 29.8% | 33,794 | |
| Total Votes | 113,289 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Bob Hertzberg |
63.1% | 35,338 | |
| Republican | Ricardo Antonio Benitez |
29.1% | 16,289 | |
| Green | John P. Lindblad | 7.8% | 4,392 | |
| Total Votes | 56,019 | |||
2012
Benitez ran in the 2012 election for California State Assembly District 39. He was eliminated in the blanket primary on June 5, 2012.[12][13][14]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Richard Alarcon |
26.9% | 8,567 | |
| Democratic | Raul Bocanegra |
36.2% | 11,521 | |
| Democratic | Kevin J. Suscavage (write-in) | 0% | 2 | |
| Republican | Ricardo Benitez | 15.8% | 5,037 | |
| Republican | Margie Margarita Carranza | 5.3% | 1,697 | |
| Republican | Omar Cuevas | 8.2% | 2,596 | |
| Green | Jack Lindblad | 7.6% | 2,421 | |
| Total Votes | 31,841 | |||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ricardo Benitez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy events
In April 2020, the nonprofit organization Center for American Liberty filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over Newsom's statewide assistance program for immigrants who did not qualify for federal unemployment benefits or economic assistance under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Benitez was a plaintiff in the suit.[15] The suit argued that Newsom's program, which provided state funds to nonprofits for redistribution to immigrants, was not permitted under California's constitution without state legislative action.[16] Newsom's office issued a statement in response that said, "California is taking legally justified and morally necessary action to assist all Californians impacted by COVID-19. These actions benefit public health and the economic well-being of families and communities hit hardest by this pandemic. We look forward to defending what we know to be right in court.”[17]
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "State Assembly District 39 - Districtwide Results," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "State Assembly District 39 - Districtwide Results," accessed June 6, 2018
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Calendar of Events: Assembly District 39 Special Primary Election," accessed February 9, 2018
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "State Assembly District 39 - Districtwide Results," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "State Assembly District 39 - Districtwide Results," accessed June 6, 2018
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Qualifications and Requirements - 39th District Special Election," accessed December 19, 2017
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "California Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra speeds up his resignation to 'immediately' following harassment allegations," November 27, 2017
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official Certified List of Candidates: State Assembly Member District 39," accessed March 29, 2018
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2014 Primary election candidate list," accessed March 27, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed July 15, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed December 14, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2012 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ The Los Angeles Times, "Newsom sued over coronavirus aid plan for California immigrants who lack legal status," April 23, 2020
- ↑ Center for American Liberty, "Benitez v. Newsom," April 22, 2020
- ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "Gavin Newsom sued over financial support for unemployed undocumented immigrants," April 23, 2020
