Former Hughson Mayor Jeramy Young has suspended his campaign for the District 4 state senate seat, endorsing Republican candidate Alexandra Duarte. Young’s decision comes amid a push for conservative unity, as he believes that candidates from the same political ideology should not compete against one another. His departure reduces the field to Duarte and Democrat Jaron Brandon, a Tuolumne County Supervisor, challenging incumbent Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil.
Young, who serves as the chief of police in Livermore, had aimed to challenge Alvarado-Gil, who switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican midway through her term after winning the seat in 2022. “I believe that good conservative candidates should not run against each other when our shared mission is bigger than any one campaign,” Young stated. He emphasized the importance of unifying behind a candidate who can earn voters’ trust and win the upcoming election.
Duarte, relatively new to politics and without a voting record, now needs to secure a position among the top two vote recipients in the June 2 primary to advance to the November 3 general election. “Chief Young’s endorsement gives voters a clear conservative Republican choice for state senate,” Duarte noted, highlighting Young’s leadership in the community. She is the spouse of former District 13 congressman John Duarte.
Alvarado-Gil, who faced backlash from the left after her party switch, is now under scrutiny from conservative factions. “Candidate Duarte feels Young’s departure ‘gives voters a clear conservative Republican choice for state Senate?’ Yes, and that choice is clearly me,” Alvarado-Gil responded. She pointed to her endorsements from local Assemblyman Juan Alanis and her ratings from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California Rifle and Pistol Association as evidence of her conservative credentials.
The District 4 senate seat encompasses a vast area, extending from the Nevada border near Lake Tahoe to regions south of Death Valley, and includes parts of 13 counties. It is larger than ten U.S. states and serves a population exceeding 1 million constituents, nearly doubling the average assembly district’s electorate. Four years ago, Alvarado-Gil successfully navigated a crowded primary, with eight Republican candidates splitting over 130,000 votes, allowing her to advance alongside Democrat Tim Robertson.
Brandon remarked on Young’s exit, expressing respect for him and suggesting that the remaining competition may favor his candidacy. “I am disappointed he left, leaving now a race between myself, a partisan ideologue and a flip-flopper. Those are good odds for the ‘reasonable middle’ that actually want to see stuff get done,” Brandon said.
The political landscape in District 4 is notable for its Republican majority, with more than 600,000 registered voters. Nevertheless, only about 220,000 participated in the primary four years ago, while approximately 260,000 voted in the general election.
In a separate development, Paul Danbom, a Democrat who recently entered the race to unseat Republican Tom McClintock in the 5th Congressional District, has also withdrawn from the contest. He has endorsed fellow Democrat Michael Masuda. Danbom cited a desire for a unified front in the primary as the motivation behind his decision.
“After deep reflection and conversations with my family and supporters, I have decided that the best way to serve the people of the 5th district is to ensure we have a unified front heading into the primary,” Danbom stated. He praised Masuda’s background as a former foreign affairs officer for the U.S. State Department and highlighted their shared policy goals.
Masuda responded to Danbom’s endorsement, expressing gratitude and acknowledging his commitment to the Central Valley and foothills. “Paul Danbom has been a class act throughout this campaign,” Masuda remarked, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in addressing the district’s needs.
The 5th Congressional District is regarded as solidly Republican, with McClintock consistently securing over 61 percent of the vote in past elections against Democratic challenger Mike Barkley, according to the Cook Political Report.
