Lewis Faces Runoff for State Senate Seat : Elections: The Republican assemblyman is considered a heavy favorite to fill Orange County vacancy.

Assemblyman John R. Lewis, a 10-year veteran legislator and one of Sacramento’s most conservative lawmakers, was the top vote-getter in a special election Tuesday to replace former Anaheim state Sen. John Seymour, but he fell short of the 50% margin needed to avoid a runoff.

Lewis will face Democrat Francis X. Hoffman and Libertarian Eric Sprik in a general election on May 14.

However, because the 35th Senate District in Orange County is one of California’s most Republican, Lewis is a heavy favorite to win the seat that Seymour vacated in January when he was appointed to the U.S. Senate.

“I think we can declare a victory now,” Lewis said at a campaign party in Orange filled with about 100 supporters. “This feels great; I’m really thrilled.”

The race in the 35th Senate District was one of three contested Tuesday to fill two vacancies in the state Senate and one in the Assembly. The other two races also will require runoffs. Twenty-four candidates, including four members of the Assembly and the wife of state Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, ran for the three seats.

The runoff elections will be held on May 14, when there will be another vacancy in the Legislature, and voters will also be selecting a successor to Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles), who resigned Tuesday after 14 years to become director of a Los Angeles educational reform group.

The special election in the 35th was ordered by Gov. Pete Wilson in January after he appointed Seymour to fill his U.S. Senate seat. Ten candidates--including Hoffman and Sprik and eight Republicans--entered the race.

Finishing behind Lewis in the GOP contest were two of his colleagues in the Assembly--Nolan Frizzelle (R-Fountain Valley) and Doris Allen (R-Anaheim). Orange County Transportation Commissioner Dana Reed finished fourth.

The district covers most of the cities of Anaheim, Orange, Villa Park, Costa Mesa, Tustin and Fountain Valley, as well as parts of Irvine, Huntington Beach and Santa Ana.

With 88% of the vote counted in Northern California’s sprawling, 13-county 1st Senate District, Republican Assemblyman Tim Leslie of Auburn had 44% of the total in a race against three other Republicans, two Democrats and a Libertarian.

Leslie will face Siskiyou County Supervisor Patti Mattingly, who was the top Democratic vote-getter with 31%. Libertarian Gary Dusseljee will also be on the runoff ballot.

The seat became vacant after Republican John Doolitle was elected to Congress last November.

In final returns from San Joaquin County’s 26th Assembly District, Republican Dean Andal of Stockton won 28% of the vote and will face Democrat Patti Garamendi, wife of state Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi. Patti Garamendi received 26% in a seven-candidate race.

The vacancy results from John Garamendi’s election to the newly created post of insurance commissioner. Garamendi resigned his state Senate seat to run for insurance commissioner, and was succeeded in a January special election by Assemblyman Pat Johnston.