Governor calls special State Senate election for May 19, possible March 17 Primary
By Allen Payton
On Tuesday, a special election was called by Governor Jerry Brown to occur on May 19, 2015 for California State Senate District 7, which includes all of Antioch. The vacancy is due to former State Senator Mark DeSaulnier being sworn into Congress, this past week, leaving the position vacant midway through his term.
If more than two candidates file to run, then a Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 17. If none of the candidates receive a majority of votes in the March election, the top two candidates will face each other during a run-off in the May.
Four candidates have announced campaigns in the race, including State Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla of Concord, former State Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan of Alamo and college lecturer Dr. Terry Kremin of Concord, all Democrats and attorney Mark Meuser of Walnut Creek, a Republican.
All four candidates have either public office or some campaign experience. Bonilla is a former Concord Councilwoman, County Supervisor and is serving her third term in the State Assembly, Buchanan was termed out this past year, after serving six years in the Assembly, Kremin ran unsuccessfully for the Concord City Council in both 2012 and 2014, and Meuser was the Republican nominee against DeSaulnier in 2012 for the same State Senate District.
