Tuesday turned out to be a good day at the polls for two Santa Clarita candidates.  But as one political consultant put it Wednesday: “Now the real work begins.”  Santa Clarita City Councilman Jason Gibbs led the early returns over Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, in the 27th Congr essional District race, and Santa Clarita resident Rickey Hayes II, a Republican, surprised some by running second in the 40th Assembly District, despite being significantly outraised and outspent by two of his opponents.  Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, picked up 50.7% of the early returns with all 123 districts reporting as of Wednesday afternoon.   The California Secretary of State’s Office is expected to continue tallying mail-in and drop-off votes for the next 36 days before the July 10 certification of the results.  Here’s a look at the results through Wednesday, with some comments from the candidates on the race:  27th Congressional District  Gibbs’ lead in the “top-two” primary election might seem a surprise to some at first glance, with his tally of 45.8% of the primary returns, compared to 37.6% of the tally for Whitesides.  The local elected official is taking on an incumbent congressman whose receipt totals on the Federal Elections Committee website through May 16, the last reporting period, showed a 10-1 advantage for Whitesides: $3,536,153 to $346,900.   There was also the redistricting boost last year that drew lines giving Whitesides approximately 10,000 more registered Democrats based on the state’s voter rolls from October 2024 compared to May 2026, due to the voter-approved Proposition 50.  In a phone interview Wednesday, Whitesides said, “There’s still a few days to count the ballots,” so he didn’t want to get ahead of the numbers.  “But at the end of the day, our message will stay the same,” he said. “We’re going to work hard to lower cost for folks in our district, and fight corruption, and try to bring investments back, which we’ve done a lot of over the course of the last year and a half.”  Gibbs also mentioned “votes to be counted,” but he also said the early result, particularly if it holds, demonstrates an interest in a leadership change, and his viability as a candidate who has been involved in the community.   “I think that resonates with the voters,” Gibbs said. “I think that resonates with people who are struggling with cost, who are struggling to make it in California and make it in the 27th.”  In the General Election, there are a few potential bright sides for Whitesides: Both challengers Gibbs and Whitesides bested were Democrats. So while no votes are automatic, in theory it puts 16.6% of the margin up for grabs for a left-leaning candidate — 9.5% from Roberto Ramos and 7.1% from Caleb Norwood.  Any analysis would have to include that without the full breakdown of results yet available by district and neighborhood, plus relatively limited exposure during the primary, it’s tough to tell the characteristics of a Norwood or Ramos voter. The two candidates only raised $350 between them, which was Norwood’s total receipts.   Adding to voters’ suspense for the general election — which equates to “the real work” for candidates — the redistricting from Prop. 50 also increased the number of “no party preference” voters from 99,800 to 105,700 during the same time, which also could factor heavily.  That means creating turnout will be critical for both sides in November, as fewer than 100,000 have cast ballots so far in the race. Just over 300,000 showed up in 2024, when Whitesides first took office with a 51.3%-to-48.7% win over then-Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita. There are 462,804 registered voters in the district.  The 40th Assembly District  This seat in the Legislature once again showed why campaign contributions help, but they aren’t everything.   Schiavo punched her ticket to November by taking the majority in the four-person race, with 50.7% of the vote based on the numbers available Wednesday afternoon.   Schiavo said she was “honored” and “deeply grateful” to be leading at the polls for her district, saying, “There is still a great deal of work ahead,” in a text message Wednesday.  “I look forward to continuing conversations with voters across the district in the months leading up to November, while also finishing the legislative year strong and working to pass bills that will make a meaningful difference for our community,” she wrote. “I am honored by the confidence voters have shown in our work and that I always fight for our community.”  Schiavo also led the fundraising race, with more than $1 million in cash on hand as of May 16, based on the Secretary of State’s figures. The second-place fundraiser, Elizabeth Wong Ahlers, found herself in third place, despite raising about $133,380 since January, according to the state.  Wong, a former 25th Senate District candidate who moved to Newhall in October, was welcomed by the local GOP, which invited her to celebrate the returns on election night alongside Gibbs. She outraised Hayes, the second-place finisher, by about $100,000.  Hayes, who declined an interview request Wednesday, was planning to issue a statement, according to his campaign manager Tim Rosales of the The Rosales Agency.  The statement was not available as of this story’s publication.   The post Gibbs, Schiavo maintain leads; Hayes in hunt for Assembly appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal. ...read more read less