FRESNO, Calif. — Republican Connie Conway of Tulare appeared to gain the most votes Tuesday in a special primary election to face Democrat Lourin Hubbard June 7 to determine who will replace Devin Nunes for the remainder of his term in the 22nd Congressional District.
With all 208 precincts partially reporting results, Conway had 22,175 votes or 34.8% to Hubbard's 12,546 votes, or 19.7%, according to the Secretary of State's office, far more than the four other candidates.
Conway ran up big numbers in Tulare County, capturing 47% of the vote, likely advancing to the statewide primary election in June. She also received 28% of Fresno County votes in the two-county district. Hubbard received 23% in Fresno County, but just 15% in Tulare County.
Conway, a former state Assembly member, Tulare County supervisor and Department of Agriculture appointee under former President Donald Trump, said late Tuesday that the numbers were going her way.
"I don't imagine the trend will change," she said. "I hope in a couple of months the people will give me the opportunity (to serve in Congress)." She said she planned a lot of contact with voters in the next two months "to see if I'm on track with them."
Said Hubbard:
"I was really at a loss for words. What happened isn't supposed to happen ... a Black man from a working family shocked the state."
He credited hard work by his team for his success.
"On June 7, we're going to shock the nation."
Among other candidates, Republican Matt Stoll, a former Navy F/A-18 pilot, received 9,647 votes, or 15.1%, slightly more than Democrat and therapist Eric Garcia with 9,574 votes, or 15%.
Republicans Michael Maher, a former Navy submariner and FBI agent who now works as an aviation executive, received 5,665 votes, or 8.9%, and Elizabeth Heng, who previously challenged Congressman Jim Costa, D-Fresno, received 4,119 votes, or 6.5%.
There are still mail-in and provisional ballots to count, but the state set an April 14 deadline to certify the final results.
