The 38th Assembly District, which is in both Ventura and Los Angeles counties, flipped back from blue to red in Tuesday's primary election.

Six candidates ran to succeed incumbent Christy Smith, a Democrat who is running in the 25th Congressional District.

Four of the 38th Assembly District candidates are Democrats, while two are Republicans.

The top two finishers were the Republicans, Suzette Martinez Valladares and Lucie LaPointe Volotzky, who will face off against each other in the Nov. 3 general election.

Thus, whoever wins the seat in November will be a Republican, who will serve for two years.

The district is primarily in Los Angeles County with a portion in Ventura County that encompasses all of Simi Valley and unincorporated areas to the east of it.

Mike Osborn, chairman of the Ventura County Republican Party, said Wednesday he's not surprised the top two finishers were the pair of Republicans.

"I think it's always been a center-right district anchored in Simi Valley," he said.

Smith flipped the long-red 38th Assembly District to blue in 2018 when she defeated Republican incumbent Dante Acosta. She notes on her election website, christyforcongress.org, the district had been red since 1978.

Thus, Osborn said, the top two finishes Tuesday night of Valladares and Volotzky "isn't anything amazing. Things in the district are just going back to their natural order.

"We've found candidates that are more suited to the majority of the district," he added.

Valladares, 39, who lives in Newhall, finished first with 23,454 votes, 33%, with Volotzky, 65, of Chatsworth, finishing second with 13,698 votes, 19.3%, according to semi-official results from the California Secretary of State. With all precincts reporting, those results were posted Wednesday morning.

In a statement Wednesday, Valladares said she finished first with the help of "huge Republican support, and also support from community leaders such as Simi Valley Mayor Keith Mashburn.

"The voters in our community and across the state have issued a referendum," she said. "We are tired of the Sacramento leadership that has been in power for decades. California’s skyrocketing cost of living, along with the housing and homeless crisis are evidence that current leadership has failed miserably, and my candidacy represents a clear fresh opportunity for change."

She said her first-place finish is also due to her "clear vision about how we can make life better for Ventura County voters."

In her own statement Wednesday, Volotzky said she ran her campaign on her own with only $2,000.

"Proof that throwing money at something does not necessarily equal a successful outcome," she said. "I have met so many very kind and supportive people from business owners to hard-working Californians who deserve to keep more of what they make.

"These are the people I want to represent," she said. "Republicans. Democrats. Independents. Let's work together for a better California."

Finishing third Tuesday night was Democrat Kelvin Driscoll, the general relief program director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, with 8,124 votes, 11.4%, followed closely by another Democrat, Annie Cho, 60, who lives in Porter Ranch, with 8,119 votes, also 11.4%.

In fifth place was Democrat Brandii Grace, who also lives in Porter Ranch, with 7,719 votes, 10.9%, followed by Democrat Dina Cervantes, 38, of Granada Hills, with 5,751 votes, 8.1%.

Democrat Susan Christopher finished last with 4,236 votes, 6%. Christopher previously dropped out of the race, according to David Maron of the League of Women Voters of Ventura County. But her name still appeared on the ballot.

There were 31 votes for a write-candidate or candidates not identified by the Ventura County Registrar of Voters.

Smith and former Navy fighter pilot Mike Garcia, a Republican, lead in two races for the 25th Congressional District, with both expressing confidence they will advance to a runoff in May and a general election in November.

The May 12 election will determine who completes the final months of the term vacated by Katie Hill. Hill, a Democrat who resigned from Congress in November amid allegations of inappropriate relationships with staffers and leaked nude photos in what was purported to be "revenge porn."

Analysts contend the winner of the runoff could gain momentum that could help in the Nov. 3 general election where Smith and Garcia appear likely to compete for a two-year term that begins in January.

For more information on Valladares' campaign, go to suzettevalladares.com.

For more information on Volotzky's campaign, go to voteforlucie.com.

Star reporters Cheri Carlson and Tom Kisken contributed to this story.

Mike Harris covers the East County cities of Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, as well as transportation countywide. You can contact him at mike.harris@vcstar.com or 805-437-0323.

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