Voters in the Inland Empire’s Assembly District 58 made a wise choice this election. Republican Leticia Castillo will succeed the seat currently held by Sabrina Cervantes in the California Assembly. “To the voters, thank you for placing your faith and trust in me,” declared Castillo on X Tuesday night. “I will work tirelessly in Sacramento for fight for the People, striving to improve the lives of my constituents and all Californians.” The contest between Castillo and Clarissa Cervantes has been a nail biter. As of this writing, Castillo earned 50.19% of the vote. She did this with relatively little money, spending just $44,000 this year through Oct. 19. By contrast, Cervantes spent nearly $700,000 over the same time period. The booking photo of Riverside City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes following her July 1, 2023 arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol. Cervantes was convicted of DUI Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 in Riverside County Superior Court. (Courtesy of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department). It turns out, voters didn’t think the best person to represent them was a two-time DUI recipient who obviously used the Riverside City Council as a springboard to make a career out of politics. Related Articles Editorials | H.R. 9495 is an unjustified attack on civil liberties Editorials | Trump channels Newsom, Biden with Labor Secretary pick Editorials | Taken seriously, Trump’s plans for mass deportation are ridiculous Editorials | Burgum is a bright spot in Trump picks Editorials | The JFK assassination still haunts us We proudly endorsed Castillo in September, noting her back-to-basics approach of prioritizing affordability, public safety and school choice. “Voters can count on Castillo to stand up to special interests in Sacramento and against the excesses of the supermajority,” we wrote at the time. Castillo, a Mexican-American and lifelong Republican, credits much of her worldview to her father, who came to America to work as a farm laborer. As her campaign notes, her father “achieved the American Dream through his faith in God and strong work ethics; he believed that America is the Land of Opportunity and that we all have the same opportunities to determine our own future. From his love of God and our country, he instilled in her the same beliefs and values.” Castillo’s win is a win for the residents of the 58th Assembly District and those who genuinely want to see California steered to a more sensible direction. We extend our congratulations to Castillo. She defeated the political machine.