Panetta cruises in District 19, Lofgren tops three Democratic challengers in District 18.

The outcome in the U.S. House of Representatives Districts 18 and 19 contests were not unexpected.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning, Democrat Zoe Lofgren had claimed 52 percent of the vote in District 18, well ahead of Republican Peter D. Hernandez at 33.4 percent.

In District 19, Democrat Jimmy Panetta held a commanding advantage, capturing 70 percent compared to Republican Jason M. Anderson’s 28 percent. Both are secure on the November ballot, as Green Party candidate Sean Dougherty managed only 5 percent.

While all precincts in both districts have reported, the ballot count is still underway.

An energetic Panetta, who was quickly pivoting from election results late Tuesday night in Washington, DC, to writing a speech on housing, believes his efforts to meet constituents of the new district throughout the year paid off.

“I had to work hard,” he says. “So based on the initial results, that’s working. I’m humbled by the results, but there’s more to be done.”

For Panetta, the effort now turns toward November and what he sees as a critical election, one in which Democrats must convince Americans to “vote for common sense rather than chaos.”

“We haven’t been the best at messaging,” he admits. “But look at what we’ve done. “We’re the ones you can trust to do what’s right.”

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, Lofgren echoed Panetta’s concerns.

“I will never relent in the fight against anti-democratic forces,” she said. “Do we want to defend our system of government or descend into a cult of personality? Do we want reproductive rights? Do we want to follow sound science and take on climate change?” 

In district 18, Lofgren faced competition from three other Democratic candidates. But combined, they accounted for less 16 percent of the vote in the tally by Wednesday morning. Charlene Concepcion Nijmeh was the leader of the also-rans, with 9.3 percent of the vote, well back of the Republican candidate for a ballot slot in November.

Luele Kifle and Lawrence Milan received small fractions of the vote.

The results of the March 5 primary will be certified on April 12.