In the race for California Assembly District 4, incumbent Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, has taken a commanding lead over Darren Ellis, a Republican PhD candidate, educator and political novice who also lives in Winters.

Aguiar-Curry, who was named Assembly majority leader a year ago, led Ellis 67.2 percent to 32.8 percent and is all but certain to serve a fifth term in that body.

Early returns included about 31% of the total potential vote.

The Democratic media will rely on information from election officials before determining whether the measure passes or not, since not everyone who received a ballot will be cast.

As she paused before declaring victory Tuesday night, Aguiar-Curry said, “I’m very confident that the numbers will stay where they are.

“I have worked very hard in this district and these results are a reflection of the work I have done and what I have brought to my constituents in the district.”

This district includes all of Yolo, Napa, Lake and Colusa counties, along with the city of Sonoma and the communities of Boyes Hot Springs, El Verano and Eldridge. It has nearly 263,000 registered voters.

A native of west Yolo County, Aguiar-Curry worked in the Bay Area for several years after college, then returned to her hometown of Winters, where she served as planning commissioner, then was elected to the city council, eventually the first in town. female mayor.

Aguiar-Curry was elected to the California Assembly in 2016. In July 2023, she became Speaker of the Assembly Pro Tempore. She was elevated to the rank of majority leader last November.

In that role, she said, she was extremely “participative,” traveling up and down the state “shepherding and mentoring” new Assembly candidates.

She spoke enthusiastically about her status as the incoming chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, which aims to increase the number of women in state government and promote policies such as expanding child care for working families.

With her own victory all but assured, Aguiar-Curry anxiously watched Proposition 5, which she had written. That proposal, a constitutional legislative amendment allowing local bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure, needed 55 percent to pass.

“I think we’re struggling with that tonight,” she said. “We’ll see how the votes come in.”

Asked what will be top of mind for her going into her new term, Aguiar-Curry mentioned the work she plans to do “for my rural communities” and giving them “access to health care, access to transportation, access to broadband, you name it. it.”

Other priorities he mentioned were health care, mental health, Alzheimer’s care and child care.

“I have a wide range of things that I do.”

You can reach staff writer Austin Murphy at [email protected] or on Twitter @ausmurph88.