Kevin Mullin, a former mayor of South San Francisco-turned-state assemblyman, won his bid to represent much of San Mateo County in the House of Representatives, beating Supervisor David Canepa for the seat vacated by Jackie Speier.
“It is an honor and a privilege, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to represent the region,” said Assembly Speaker Tem Kevin Mullin on election night while celebrating at the Joseph A. Fernekes Recreation Building in South San Francisco .
Mullin won 57% of the vote with 48,740 ballots cast for him on election night, making him the successor to US Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, in California’s 15th District. The borough was redrawn to replace the 14th ward and encompasses the eastern peninsula from Redwood City to South San Francisco plus Daly City.
Meanwhile, Canepa, a lifelong resident of Daly City who was elected to the board of directors in 2016 after serving on the Daly City Council, received 36,740 votes, or 43%, according to semi-official results Tuesday at 11:00 p.m. in the San Mateo County Bureau elections .
On the campaign trail, Mullin and Canepa, both Democrats, endorsed similar platforms by voicing support for universal health coverage, the Green New Deal, student loan debt relief and other progressive policy positions.
But Mullin rallied important support early on, including from Speier, a South San Francisco compatriot and Mullin’s political mentor, US Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco; Governor Gavin Newsom; and maintainers Dave Pine, Carole Groom and Warren Slocum.
Those endorsements, particularly Speier’s, coupled with his career as a representative for the region, contributed to his success, Mullin said. Looking ahead, Mullin said he has eyes on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, two bodies dealing with issues relevant to Silicon Valley’s tech industry, while he is preparing for a potential Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
“It’s been a long road in public service,” Mullin said, noting that his first political job was with Speier. “Having their mentorship and long-term connection has just been invaluable. She’s a daughter from South San Francisco, so there’s a long history of public service in this community.”
Mullin was elected to the Assembly in 2012 and has been Speaker of the Protem since 2014. Prior to that, he served on the South San Francisco City Council for five years. A native of South San Francisco, he is the son of the late Gene Mullin, a former Mayor and Member of Parliament of South San Francisco.
Canepa cashed in early when the results were released. In a statement, he shared his appreciation for his team and supporters and wished Mullin well in Congress.
“Running for Congress has been the most exciting year of my life and I am so proud of my team. We fought hard and never gave up. Congratulations to Kevin Mullin, we wish him the best of luck and look forward to working with him on the most pressing issues facing our nation,” Canepa said in a statement on the race.
Eshoo won her re-election campaign to represent California’s newly delineated 16th District, which covers the peninsular coast from Pescadero to Pacifica as well as Palo Alto, Saratoga and part of San Jose, by 74,000 votes, or 58.6%. Eshoo beat fellow Democrat and current Saratoga councilor Rishi Kumar, who received 52,183 votes, or 41.4%. Kumar faced Eshoo for the first time in 2020 when he received 36% of the vote.
State Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, beat Republican Tim Dec, a Mountain View small business owner, to retake his seat as representative of the state’s 23rd District. Berman received 63,566 votes, or 72.4%, on election night, while Dec received 24,055 votes, or 27.5%.
San Mateo Councilor Diane Papan will replace Mullin as Member of Parliament in the state’s 21st Circuit after receiving 41,568 votes, or 73.9%. Papan ran against Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale early in the campaign, but Hale announced her retirement from the race after spearheading the toll taken on her and her family. Hale still received 14,669 votes, or 26.1%.
All results correspond to the semi-official results for Tuesday, November 8th, which included votes received in the mail through Friday, November 4th and all ballots received at polling centers. Subsequent results will include votes received after Saturday, November 5th. Wednesday 16th November, Thursday 17th November, Friday 18th November, Monday 21st November and Wednesday 23rd November. The results will be confirmed on December 8th.
