Laura Friedman likely to face Republican in race for Schiff’s former House seat

California Assemblymember Laura Friedman is leading the pack in the race to replace Rep. Adam Schiff in the House of Representatives. Assemblymember Laura Friedman will likely face off against Republican intensive care physician Alex Balekian in the race to replace outgoing Rep. Adam B. Schiff in a coveted Los Angeles-area House seat. She also thanked “the Democratic candidates in this race who uplifted our democracy by running hard-fought campaigns.” Balekian put out a statement Wednesday saying he was “humbled” by the overwhelming support, characterizing his campaign’s momentum as reflective of “a collective yearning for leadership that prioritizes the welfare of our families, champions parental rights, and addresses our most pressing challenges with practical, actionable solutions.” Portantino sent a letter thanking supporters Wednesday evening and saying that while results were “not yet final,” he was “afraid that our path forward is difficult.” Fourth-place finisher Mike Feuer, a fellow Democrat who is narrowly trailing behind Portantino, also sent a note to supporters Wednesday afternoon thanking them and saying he didn’t anticipate the outcome of the race “changing in a meaningful way.” California Inside the crowded field of L.A. congressional candidates in the race to replace Schiff Rep. Adam Schiff’s decision to run for Senate opened the floodgates, with 15 people vying to replace him and represent a district that includes a wide swath of Los Angeles, all of West Hollywood, Glendale and Burbank, and part of Pasadena. The field running to replace Schiff was jam-packed with 15 candidates — a long list that also included Los Angeles Unified school board member Nick Melvoin, trans activist G. “Maebe A. Girl” Pudlo and former “Boy Meets World” star Ben Savage, among others. In the San Fernando Valley seat currently held by retiring Rep. Tony Cárdenas, Cárdenas-endorsed candidate Assemblymember Luz Rivas will advance to the November ballot, likely joined by Republican Benito “Benny” Bernal in the race for California’s 29th district.