STOCKTON: Republican Dean Andal stunned his better-known Democratic opponent Patricia Garamendi on Tuesday to win the 26th Assembly District special runoff election by a comfortable margin.
Andal campaigned aggressively against state tax increases and overcame a 20 percentage point Democratic registration edge to defeat Garamendi who spent an estimated $500000 during the five-month special-election campaign.
Andal tallied 27955 votes or 55.7% to 20727 or 41.3% for Garamendi in unofficial results. Liberation Debra Klohs DeZarn garnered 1246 votes or 2.5% “This is my view was a referendum on taxes” Andal said from his victory party at Shannon’s restaurant in Stockton. ““I was very very clear throughout the campaign that I believed the average Taxpayer was Over-taxed and couldn’t afford more. That was the clear difference between us.”
Andal 31 a Stockton marketing-company owner and former aide to retired Rep.Norman Shumway R-Stockton is the first Republican to represent San Joaquin County since Doug Carter in 1973.(Stockton Record).
Article extracted from this publication >> May 24, 1991
