Republican Natasha Johnson declared victory Tuesday night, Aug. 26, over her Democratic opponent in the special election to pick a replacement for ex-Inland Empire Assemblymember Bill Essayli.
Results posted around 9 p.m. by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters showed Johnson, a Lake Elsinore city councilmember, leading Chris Shoults, a Menifee teacher, 54.2% to 45.8% in the 63rd Assembly District contest. Polls closed at 8 p.m.
“It is with immense honor and gratitude to the voters of the 63rd Assembly District for their confidence in electing me as their next Assemblywoman!” Johnson said via a text message.
“We ran a positive campaign and it’s clear, voters have spoken. They want balance in Sacramento where one-party rule has prevailed for far too long. It’s time to get to work on behalf of the residents of Riverside County for a brighter and more prosperous future!”
A spokesperson for Shoults did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday night.
Like the June 24 primary for the 63rd, Tuesday’s special election is shaping up to have low voter turnout.
Of the almost 320,000 ballots mailed to voters, roughly 17% had been processed and deemed valid as of Tuesday morning, according to the registrar.
By law, mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received by Tuesday, Sept. 2, must be counted. The registrar has until Sept. 25 to certify the election results.
Johnson and Shoults came in first and second, respectively, in a June primary that featured two other candidates. They advanced to Tuesday’s runoff because no one received a majority of the vote.
They ran for the right to serve the remainder of Essayli’s term, which expires at the end of 2026. At stake is a seat representing Norco, Menifee, Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake along with parts of Eastvale, Riverside and Corona.
Essayli, a Republican first elected to the Assembly in 2022, resigned April 1 after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed him U.S. attorney for a district encompassing much of Southern California.
Both candidates raised six figures for their respective campaigns. Johnson took in almost $300,000, while Shoults collected more than $286,000, state campaign finance records show.
In addition, the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association, which represents deputies and other law enforcement personnel, spent more than $102,000 on mailers, text messages and online ads to support Johnson.
Johnson entered the race with an edge in voter registration.
About 39% of the district’s registered voters are Republican, compared to roughly 33% for Democrats.
Another factor in Johnson’s favor is that the Republican candidates in the primary — Johnson and Vincent Romo — got roughly 55% of the total vote. President Donald Trump won the district with 54.9% of the vote in 2024.
Shoults hoped to capitalize on Democratic voter enthusiasm spurred by a backlash against Trump and GOP policies. Special elections can be unpredictable, and Democrats nationwide have outperformed special election expectations since Trump returned to the White House.
Shoults has expressed concern with what he describes as a poorly designed ballot.
In a Friday, Aug. 22, news release, he said the ballot is confusing to voters. It places candidates’ names “side by side with the voting bubbles aligned to the far right with no arrow from the name or clear written instruction on which oval to fill in,” Shoults said.
This has caused voters to mistakenly choose Johnson when they intended to vote for Shoults, he contends.
“In a race that could be decided by just a handful of votes, these mistakes can have serious consequences,” Shoults said, adding that the county should take steps “to clarify the ballot instructions” for voters.
Elizabeth Florer, a spokesperson for the registrar, said via email that the ballot design for Tuesday’s election is identical to the one used for the June 24 primary.
During the primary, “no candidates, or members of the public raised concerns regarding the ballot format, and no reports of voter confusion were received,” she added.
While votes remain to be counted, the California GOP took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to congratulate Johnson.
Johnson’s victory “comes at a critical moment for California as the Democrat Supermajority continues to ignore the needs of Hispanic families while spending millions to disenfranchise the voices of our community,” Jessica Millan Patterson, who used to chair the state GOP and now leads the Republican Hispanic Future PAC, said in a news release.
“We are confident Natasha will get to work immediately to fight for her community and provide real solutions for Californians struggling under the weight of Sacramento.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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