Path of least resistance hits political snag: Late race switch doesn't go as planned for local husband, wife candidates

Dec. 16—A married couple running for two seats in the California Legislature switched races last week in an attempt to boost their election chances.

But now they both face uphill battles to Sacramento.

Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua had initially filed for re-election to the 13th District seat last month, and his wife Edith intended to run for the State Senate's 5th District seat, which serves Lodi.

Carlos Villapudua was running unopposed just before the Dec. 8 filing deadline, while his wife faced Rhodesia Ransom, a former councilwoman from Tracy and current staffer for Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy.

Last week, Carlos Villapudua announced he would instead run for the 5th Senate District seat to run against Ransom.

In turn, Edith Villapudua filed to run for her husband's 13th District Assembly seat, a move that would have given her an easier path to Sacramento, as no one else had filed to run in that race.

In a statement released last week, Carlos Villapudua said he made the decision after discussions with his wife and family.

"In the State Assembly, I have been able to fight for our San Joaquin Delta, pass legislation that targeted fentanyl dealers, assisted survivors of human trafficking, helped reduce waste and clean our environment and help lift people from poverty to entrepreneurship," he said. "I look forward to taking this record of accomplishment to the State Senate and achieve results for the people of the 5th Senate District on public safety, quality of life, health care accessibility, climate change, job creation, reducing your daily commute and reducing homelessness."

But just before the Dec. 8 filing deadline, former Rep. Jerry McNerney announced he would run for the Senate seat, and Ransom switched races to run for the 13th District Assembly seat, pitting her against Edith Villapudua once again.

McNerney officially announced his run in a video the Tri-Valley Democratic Club posted on Facebook Dec. 9.

"This January, I decided to hang up my spurs and live the life of a civilian and was at peace with that," he said. "Then this last Monday, I got a call from Susan Eggman, who is the state senator from this district and she said 'Jerry, we want you to run for this seat.' I had to think about this... but the state Senate is a wonderful operation and you can actually get stuff done in the state Senate instead of being 435 people who just want to fight each other all the time. We are going to get stuff done."

Keith Smith, associate professor of political science at University of the Pacific, said candidates switching races is not uncommon.

"Elected officials, and people running for office, always make strategic decisions about when and where to run," he said. "It's just not this explicit. What makes this interesting, or unique, is that it's a husband and wife. I don't think there's been anything quite like this."

Earlier this year, Maggy Krell, a special adviser to the state's attorney general, withdrew from the race for Sacramento mayor to run for the Assembly.

In 2019, former San Joaquin County Supervisor Bob Elliott initially filed to run for the 5th Senate District seat against Cathleen Galgiani, then decided to run against Harder in the 10th U.S. Congressional District.

At the time, Elliot said he had received "new information" that caused him to reconsider a run for the 5th District seat, but did not disclose what that entailed.

Smith said it also isn't uncommon for parties to favor one candidate over the another in certain races. Both the Villapuduas, McNerney and Ransom are all Democrats vying for their seats.

"Parties have always played a role in encouraging candidates to run and not run," he said. "It's part of the process. People make choices as to who is party favorite, but also who they think has the best chance to win."

Smith said it remains to be seen whether the last-minute switch by the Villapuduas will hurt their chances for victory next year.

"At least Carlos has won an office, so he has support and name recognition," he said. "When Edith and Ransom were running for Senate, Ransom got the party's endorsement. She didn't get the endorsement for Assembly. Endorsements have a huge impact, but now that's gone away. And voters don't always vote the way the party tells them."

Carlos Villapudua is only running against McNerney. His cousin Miguel Villapudua, currently serving on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, has also thrown his hat in the ring, according to reports.

Lodi resident Jim Shoemaker and Tracy resident Khalid "Jeffrey" Jafri are also running for the seat.

Jafri also filed papers to run for Harder's seat in the 9th Congressional District, along with Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln and resident John McBride.

Assemblyman Heath Flora, R- Ripon, is seeking re-election to his 12th District seat, and is challenged by Lodi resident Tami Nobriga.