Mayor Luis Alejo will be moving to Sacramento, his lead over GOP
rival Rob Bernosky seemingly insurmountable.
Donna Jones
Mayor Luis Alejo will be moving to Sacramento, his lead over GOP rival Rob Bernosky seemingly insurmountable.
Alejo carried Santa Cruz and San Benito counties, and was well ahead in Santa Clara and Monterey counties, where ballots were still being tallied close to 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Still, though Alejo was feeling confident and enjoying a party with supporters at his Salinas headquarters about midnight, he held off on claiming victory.
“I always wait until the end,” he said. “It’s better when all the votes are counted.”
The 28th District heavily favors Democrats in registration, and Alejo, 36, was expected to win after trouncing two rivals in the June primary. Alejo, who raised more than $300,000 in campaign contributions since Jan. 1, also outspent Bernosky, whose brought in closer to $30,000 for his bid.
The race between Alejo and Bernosky was a classic ideological tussle between a progressive Democrat and conservative Republican.
For both candidates, jobs were the central issue.
Alejo said he’d push for state government to give bidding preferences to California companies when awarding state construction projects. He also said the state needs to provide incentives to build green industries.
Bernosky, 46, said his expertise in corporate finance and turning around struggling businesses would stand him in good stead in Sacramento. He pledged to push for reduced taxes and regulations to help California attract and retain businesses.
Alejo, whose parents and grandparents were migrant farmworkers, came to Watsonville as a child. After graduating from Watsonville High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley. He later graduated from UC Davis with a law degree and from Harvard with a master’s in education.
He returned to Watsonville several years ago after serving as a legislative aide in Sacramento. He’s served as a staff attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance and the Monterey County Superior Court.
Alejo’s been active in local politics for years, and won his first attempt at public office, a seat on the City Council, two years ago.
The late state Sen. Henry J. Mello of Watsonville was first elected to represent the 28th Assembly District in 1976. Four years later, he was elected to the state Senate, where he served until 1996.
IN SAN BENITO COUNTY
ALEJO 52%
BERNOSKY 48%
55 of 55 precincts reporting
