With all ballots counted and certified, the June 2 primary election reveals a mixed picture for Republicans and conservatives across the Sacramento region.
State Legislature: Republican Incumbents Advance
California’s Republican state legislative delegation from the Sacramento region demonstrated resilience in the primary, with two GOP incumbents advancing to November’s general election.
State Senate District 6: Incumbent Republican Roger Niello won decisively in the Sacramento County portion of his district with 55.56% of the vote (40,707 votes), far outdistancing Democrat Sean Frame’s 26.02% (19,065 votes). Niello, a Fair Oaks CPA and former Sacramento County supervisor, advances to face Frame in November. The race is significant as Senate District 6 spans conservative northern Sacramento County suburbs including Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, and portions of Placer County.
State Assembly District 7: Incumbent Republican Josh Hoover holds the top spot with 53.47% (30,387 votes) in his Folsom-area district, which includes parts of northeastern Sacramento County. He advances to face Democrat Amy Slavensky, a former Amador County superintendent, who earned 44.77% (25,444 votes). Hoover’s 2024 re-election margin of 7 points in a district that voted for Harris suggests the race will be competitive, but his primary performance indicates sustained GOP strength in the suburbs where he first flipped the seat from Democrat Ken Cooley in 2022.
Both races will test Republican incumbents’ ability to hold purple districts as the party defends legislative gains in California’s decidedly Democratic state.
U.S. House California District 3: Tucker Advances Against Incumbent Bera
Republican Robb Tucker, a Nevada County supervisor, advanced to the November general election in Congressional District 3, finishing second in the primary with 66,787 votes (29.9%). He will face Democratic incumbent Ami Bera, who won the primary decisively with 76,639 votes (34.3%).
Tucker’s performance is noteworthy given the district’s transformed political geography under Proposition 50. The redrawn District 3 now includes more Democratic-leaning Sacramento County territory (including parts of Folsom and Rancho Cordova) and no longer includes Republican strongholds like Roseville and Lincoln. The district previously was 55% represented by Republican Kevin Kiley, who abandoned the seat for the redrawn District 6.
Bera, seeking to represent his third different congressional district, is a sitting U.S. Representative and physician who currently represents District 6. Democrat Heidi Hall, a Nevada County supervisor, finished third with 28,637 votes (12.8%), while Republican Christine Bish came fourth with 26,616 votes (11.9%).
The general election will test whether Tucker can overcome both an incumbent advantage and the district’s apparent Democratic lean to flip a seat that leans Democratic under the new lines—a challenging but not impossible task in a consequential election year.
U.S. House California District 4: Two Democrats Advance to General Election
Democratic incumbent Mike Thompson dominated the primary in Congressional District 4 with 84,679 votes (41.0%). Democrat Eric Jones advanced as the second-place finisher with 45,954 votes (22.2%), meaning the November general election will feature a Democrat-versus-Democrat matchup.
Republican Ray Riehle, despite finishing third with 42,841 votes (20.7%), is eliminated from the general election under California’s top-two primary system. The result reflects the district’s Democratic lean—it stretches across the North Bay and includes portions of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and Alpine counties.
The Republican primary split among multiple candidates—John Mackenzie and Sharon Brown each garnered 4.7%—prevented Riehle from breaking through in a district that has consistently favored Democrats. Republicans have no path to victory in this seat in November.
U.S. House California District 6: Kiley Advances, but Pan Lurks Close
Republican, turned independent Kevin Kiley and Democrat Richard Pan are advancing to the general election, with Kiley earning 47,159 votes (24.3%) and Pan collecting 45,006 votes (23.2%).
The result underscores both Kiley’s strength and the fragmentation within the Democratic field. Republican Michael Stansfield finished third with 36,961 votes (20.1%), with the remaining Democratic candidates splitting more than 20% of the total vote. The top Democratic finishers—Lauren Babb Tomlinson (12.3%), Thien Ho (10.7%), and Martha Guerrero (7.9%)—combined represent votes that could consolidate behind Pan in November.
Kiley’s independent registration and fundraising advantage ($2.6 million) position him as the race’s frontrunner, but he enters the fall general election facing a Democrat in a district redrawn under Proposition 50 to favor Democratic candidates. The race will test whether an independent with conservative roots can maintain appeal across party lines in a district spanning parts of Sacramento, Yolo, and Placer counties.
U.S. House California District 7: Democratic-Only General Election
The 7th District primary delivered a significant setback for Republicans. Mai Vang, a Democratic Sacramento City Councilmember, advanced with 65,595 votes (31.2%), while incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Doris Matsui finished second with 61,086 votes (29.1%).
Republican Zachariah Wooden, despite earning 45,955 votes (21.9%)—a respectable showing in a heavily Democratic district—failed to break into the top two and was eliminated from the general election. The result means the November general will feature a Democrat-versus-Democrat contest, with neither candidate claiming a clear mandate from the broader electorate. While the 8.3-point gap between Vang and Matsui signals voter appetite for change in congressional representation, Republicans have no path to victory in this seat under California’s top-two primary system.
County Supervisor District 1: Cofer and Guerra Headed to November
In the race to replace retiring Supervisor Phil Serna, the outcome sets up a competitive November runoff. Flojaune Cofer, the epidemiologist and 2024 mayoral runner-up, leads with 45.62% (32,209 votes), while Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra finished second with 29.41% (20,760 votes). Since neither candidate reached the 50% threshold required for an outright win, both advance to November.
The race reflects divergent visions for the county: Cofer campaigned on progressive public health and transportation priorities, while Guerra emphasized homelessness solutions and immigrant services. Conservatives should note that this open-seat race will likely favor progressive messaging in a county that leans Democratic.
County Board of Education: Drama and Precision
Two races for the Sacramento County Office of Education board produced starkly different outcomes:
Area 1 (Contested): Dominique Donette advanced with 38.06% (18,954 votes), while Anna Molander Hermann finished second at 28.49% (14,189 votes). The two will face off in November. Davon Thomas and Ralph Merletti trailed significantly.
Area 3 (Nail-Biter): In one of the tightest races of the primary, Annie Fischer won by just 130 votes—50.17% (19,756 votes) to Republican Paul Keefer’s 49.83% (19,626 votes). Fischer’s razor-thin margin underscores how energized both sides are on education issues, from curriculum to parental involvement to fiscal management.
Looking Ahead to November
The primary results reveal a Sacramento region in transition. While Democrats maintain structural advantages in congressional races thanks to Proposition 50 redistricting, Republican candidates have shown themselves competitive with roughly one-fifth of voters in contested races.
Conservatives should view the next five months as an opportunity to consolidate GOP messaging around fiscal responsibility, public safety, and parental rights in schools—issues that resonate across the region regardless of party registration.
