In yesterday’s special election to fill the District 34 Congressional seat recently vacated by Xavier Becerra, Jimmy Gomez defeated Robert Ahn by a margin of 60% to 40%.
Gomez thus extends the long record of Hispanic representation in the district, which is largely Hispanic and low income, but also includes Koreatown and other ethnic enclaves.  Ahn made an attempt to energize Korean voters in particular and, according to the Los Angeles Times,  “Data provided by Political Data Inc. showed Korean Americans, who make up just 6% of the district’s voters, made up more than a quarter of votes cast ahead of the election.”  Ahn also had a greater cash advantage, according to the Times story.
In the end, however, and despite early predictions that it might be a closer race, Gomez triumphed in the low-turnout election, possibly due to his greater familiarity to many voters as a current member of the California State Assembly, and possibly due to endorsements from a number of influential Democrats, city officials and the Los Angeles Times.
