The seat

Assembly District 12 covers all of Marin County and almost half of Sonoma County, KQED reports. It is open because Assemblymember Damon Connolly is termed out and running for state Senate. Two Democrats advanced from June: Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan, listed on the ballot as County Supervisor/Father, and Rohnert Park Councilmember Jackie Elward, listed as Councilwoman/Educator.

The June numbers

Ballotpedia's results show Lucan first with 28.3% (45,350 votes) and Elward second with 22.6% (36,196), edging Republican Eryn Cervantes at 19.4%. Three other Democrats split the rest.

The candidates

Elward, 47, is a labor organizer and educator who became the first Black woman elected to the Rohnert Park council in 2020 after immigrating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2003, KQED reports. She has Connolly's endorsement and won more of Sonoma County's vote in the primary. Lucan, 45, grew up in Marin, served on the Novato City Council, including three terms as mayor, and won a county supervisor seat in 2022. He registered as a Democrat in 2011 after being a Republican in college. His endorsements include Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Jared Huffman, California YIMBY and the Novato, San Rafael and Santa Rosa chambers of commerce. Both have endorsements from the California Federation of Teachers and the California Nurses Association.

The money

Grow California, a super PAC financed by Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen and venture capitalist Tim Draper, has spent nearly $3 million opposing Elward and supporting Lucan, according to KQED. A labor-funded PAC, Californians United for Progress, spent about $240,000 in the primary and $1.1 million since. A primary mailer from business groups including the California Association of Realtors depicted Elward with a drink beside a camel and pyramids, referring to a 2022 U.N. climate conference she attended as Rohnert Park mayor; Elward called the attacks racist. Lucan has called on PACs on all sides to stop spending in the race. Candidates are barred by law from coordinating with independent expenditure committees.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.