Two rural Yolo County residents will face off this November in a race for the state Assembly.
Winters Mayor Winters Mayor Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, a Democrat, and Esparto farmer Charlie Schaupp, a Republican, were the top vote-getters in Tuesday’s California Primary.
With 100 percent of all 451 precincts reporting in largely rural District 4, Schaupp was the top vote-getter with 22,334 ballots in his favor, or 29.1 percent; while Aguiar-Curry, received 21,620 votes or 28.2 percent.
The victories were political blows to Democrats Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor and Davis Mayor Dan Wolk, who were both seen as the front-runners having more political experience than either Aguiar-Curry or Schaupp.
Saylor received 15.3 percent, or 11,763 votes districtwide, compared to Wolk’s 19,599 votes or 25.5 percent.
The Results within Yolo County were different. With a turnout of 35.6 percent — or 35,334 votes among the 100,163 registered voters — Wolk got 8,276 votes for 30.6 percent, Aguiar-Curry received 6,909 votes for 25.6 percent, Saylor got 5,781 vote for 21.4 percent, and Schaupp got 5,742 votes or 21.3 percent.
The fourth candidate in the race, Democrat Elmer Kropp, finished last in both district and county polling. Kropp received 1,400 votes for 1.8 percent across the district.
Schaupp said he would be happy to head into the November election, and to restore fiscal responsibility at the Capitol.
“We need to turn the state back around,” he said.
Saying he is a frugal man, Schaupp was critical of the large amount of money spent by independent expenditure committees in this race, particularly in support of Aguiar-Curry.
“I will have spent 75 cents or less for every vote I’ve got,” he said.
Late Tuesday night, he added, “It’d be a shame if Dan Wolk doesn’t make it,” Schaupp said, because although they disagree on the issues, Wolk is a good person and this was his second attempt for Assembly.
“Mostly I would like to say a big thank you to all the grass roots volunteers that walked the precincts and make the phone calls and all the voters who entrusted me with their vote of confidence,” Schaupp said via email Wednesday.
Schaupp also wanted to thank all the voters who turned out on Tuesday.
He commented that the “real test” in this election will come in the fall, when the voters decide who they really want as their new representative in Sacramento.
“Of course I’m absolutely delighted,” Aguiar-Curry said Wednesday.
She didn’t feel the “big money” spent on this race outside her campaign was why she succeeded.
Instead, she felt many people voted for her because she worked hard, met with people one-on-one and built trust.
In the November race, she plans to use her campaign dollars frugally, she said, “and it’s not an attack campaign I’ll be running.”
Jessica Rogness of the Vacaville Reporter contributed to this story.
