Meanwhile, in California’s dark blue 15th District, there’s an increasingly competitive race between a handful of candidates vying to succeed retiring Rep. Jackie Speier. The race is still anybody’s to lose at this point, but polling and fundraising suggest that the race is mainly dominated by three Democratic contenders: Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa and Burlingame Councilmember Emily Beach.
Mullin might be the candidate to watch out for tonight. He already represents most of the San Mateo-area seat and has Speier’s backing, along with the support of a number of other establishment Democrats. Plus, an April poll gave Mullin a 14-percentage point edge over Canepa, his closest opponent (31 percent to 17 percent). The race will still be an interesting test case in just how far left the district has gone. Despite Mullin’s slight fundraising edge, Canepa, who represents the far-left flank of the party, might have a bigger appeal to progressive voters in the district. Beach, meanwhile, has a path forward, too, as the only woman running. On top of that, she has also received $169,000 from veteran-focused groups, so it’s hard to say which two candidates will make the November general election.