Talk show host and former San Diego Councilmember Carl DeMaio took an early lead in a state Assembly race to represent much of East County and part of inland North County, signaling that a significant share of the electorate wants a more combative Republican in the Democrat-dominated Statehouse. His opponent, Andrew Hayes, a member of the Lakeside Union School District board, is hoping the support of seemingly every other Republican leader countywide can eventually push him to victory in the conservative 75th District. Carl DeMaio and Andrew Hayes, 2024 candidates for the 75th Assembly District. (Photos courtesy of the candidates) The preliminary results were released Tuesday evening by the region’s registrars of voters. Many ballots still need to be counted in an election that will determine everything from the presidency to who answers to “mayor” in several area cities. Other Assembly races could bolster — or chip away at — the Democrats’ dominance in Sacramento at a time when many residents are fed up with sky-high costs of living. Assembly District 74 Voters in the 74th District, which covers North San Diego County and southern Orange County, may find their options familiar. The first round of ballots show Chris Duncan, a Democratic San Clemente council member who unsuccessfully ran for the seat two years ago, ahead of Republican incumbent Laurie Davies. Assemblymember Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel, is running against Democrat Chris Duncan in the 74th Assembly District. (Photos courtesy of the candidates) The two disagree on a host of issues, including minimum wage hikes. Duncan thinks higher wages across the board are needed to offset rising prices, while Davies believes forcing businesses to pay more might unintentionally cause job losses. Assembly District 76 Another North County campaign has recently been contentious. The 76th District has been under Democratic control since before the pandemic, and Darshana Patel, a research scientist and member of the Poway Unified school board, is trying to keep it that way. Early results show Patel in the lead. Kristie Bruce-Lane, left, and Darshana Patel are facing off in the race for the 76th Assembly District in the November election. (Photos courtesy of the candidates) Republican businesswoman Kristie Bruce-Lane is behind after narrowly losing the same race two years ago. Bruce-Lane runs a nonprofit that aims to help homeless children affected by domestic violence. Each candidate has tried to depict the other as too extreme. Assembly District 79 Voters in the 79th District, which covers part of San Diego and East County, are choosing between two Democrats with very different résumés. LaShae Sharp-Collins, left, and Colin Parent are running for the 79th Assembly District. (Photos courtesy of the candidates) LaShae Sharp-Collins, a professor and education expert, is currently ahead. La Mesa City Councilmember Colin Parent hopes to eventually repeat his dominance in the primary. Sharp-Collins is the party’s official nominee, although the two have split endorsements from prominent Democrats. Additional legislative races In the 77th Assembly District, Democrat Tasha Boerner is leading Republican James Brown. David Alvarez, a Democratic incumbent, is similarly ahead of Republican Michael Williams in the race for the 80th Assembly District. Democrat Chris Ward is running unopposed for another two-year term representing the 78th Assembly District. For state Senate, the California Legislature’s upper house, Democrat Akilah Weber is leading Republican Bob Divine. Senators serve four years.