I commented on the election results open thread, but decided to do a diary on this so I could post results.
For those of you not aware, this is a pretty important special election. It was held to replace Abel Maldonado (R), who was selected by The Governator to be Lt. Gov. (in a creepy kind of deal) after John Garamendi (D) was elected to congress from the Lt. Governancy. Having a Democrat in this seat -- in a Democratic district (34-23-20) -- could put the Dems over the top for the 2/3 majority required in the Senate to be able to pass a sane budget.
The candidates are former State Rep. and Democrat John Laird, and Republican Oil Executive-turned-legislator Sam Blakeslee. More on the race and updates on the flip.