Pulido Leads Morales in 67th Assembly Race
Democrat Mark E. Pulido holds a 27,757-vote lead over Paulo Morales in the district's unofficial returns, which remain uncertified.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Do you trust local officials with long community records to represent you in Sacramento?
Mark E. Pulido, a Democrat and two-time former mayor of Cerritos, leads Paulo Morales 62.8% to 37.2% in California's 67th Assembly District race. The lead reverses the June 2 primary, in which Morales placed first, and ballot counting continues.
Why it matters
The seat is being vacated by Democratic Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, who is barred by term limits. The outcome determines who will represent the district when the Legislature reconvenes.
Pulido carried Orange County 52,236 votes to 32,663 and Los Angeles County 16,000 to 7,816, producing the 27,757-vote margin. The totals are unofficial, and the final count will change as remaining ballots are tallied and certified.
The players
Mark E. Pulido
Pulido is a Democrat who was elected to the ABC Unified School District Board of Education in 2001 and became the first Filipino American mayor of Cerritos.
Paulo Morales
Morales is a former mayor of Cypress who placed first in the June 2 primary before trailing Pulido in the general election.
Sharon Quirk-Silva
Quirk-Silva is the Democratic Assemblymember whose term limits require her to vacate the 67th Assembly District seat.
The details
Under California's top-two primary system, both candidates advanced to the November election regardless of party. Pulido's lead came from ballots counted in Los Angeles and Orange counties, the two counties that make up the district.
Timeline
June 2, 2026: Primary in which Morales placed first with 31.6%.
November 5, 2026: Figures updated showing Pulido leading 62.8% to 37.2%.
December 7, 2026: Next regular legislative session convenes.
Season Trajectory
The result shows how California's top-two primary system can carry two candidates into November and then reorder them, as Pulido overturned Morales' June primary lead. The outcome also reflects the open seat created by term limits for Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva.
Voters in the 67th Assembly District will be represented by whoever is certified as the winner, shaping local policy in Cerritos, Artesia, Buena Park, Cypress, and other district cities. The final certified count will determine that representation.
The takeaway
Election results can shift substantially after initial counts, so readers should follow certified totals rather than early returns. Local races often depend on turnout patterns across counties within a single district.
What happens next
The next regular legislative session convenes December 7, 2026, and the winner's seat will be filled when the Legislature reconvenes.
Further reading
Explore more on Elections coverage across California's races.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Asian Journal News.
Live Poll
Do you trust local officials with long community records to represent you in Sacramento?
