The race for California’s 76th Assembly District pits Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane against Democrat Darshana Patel. It’s a close contest and will be pivotal in GOP efforts to shrink and break the Democratic Party super majority in the Assembly. Recently, the race has been marked by charges of antisemitism lodged against Patel.
Bruce-Lane is well known to the voters of her district. In 2022 she ran against the incumbent, Brian Maienschein (D), losing by a narrow margin with 48.4% of the vote. Maienschein is termed out and cannot run for reelection.
The Bruce-Lane campaign is focused on current issues in California and in the district, so she has plenty to talk about. One of her main concerns is public safety. She strongly supports Proposition 36, which would increase penalties for certain drug crimes and theft convictions, aiming to reverse some of the damage done by the previously enacted Proposition 47.
Kristie’s stance on public safety has earned her the endorsement of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Associations in both San Diego and Riverside Counties, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, and the Crime Survivors organization.
Patel opposes the Prop 36 reforms, a stance which Bruce-Lane criticized. “Take a look around, crime is through the roof, and we all know why. We have been misled by the anti-law enforcement crowd. Prop 47 has been a disaster and it needs to be reformed,” she said. “Darshana Patel ducks and dodges the issue everywhere she goes because she knows she is on the opposite side of California voters and the voters of this district. She is opposed to Prop 36 because she is beholden to her party bosses in Sacramento.”
Patel currently serves as a member of the Poway Unified School District Board of Education. Her tenure there has been marred by controversy on the board, including her earlier sponsorship of former Superintendent Marian Phelps, who was fired by the Board in May of this year. The events which gave rise to Phelps’ termination related to accusations that she retaliated against students over a personal matter. Those events are the subject of pending legal action against the board.
Patel appears to be running more of an “image” and “values” campaign, with heavy tv ad spending, relying on her party affiliation to carry the day. The recent charges of antisemitism may rattle parts of the traditional Democrat coalition.
The latest instance involves the distribution of antisemitic flyers in Coronado, along with canvassers connected to Patel confronting residents with antisemitic views. Bruce-Lane condemned this latest expression of antisemitism. “This is just yet another incident of antisemitism amongst many here in San Diego County. It’s unfortunate that radical, progressive Darshana Patel running for Assembly District 76 has been directly linked to this hateful behavior,” she said.
This news follows Patel’s unrelated and unsuccessful effort in court to suppress Bruce-Lane’s “Businesswoman/Victims’ Advocate” ballot designation. Bruce-Lane prevailed against a lawsuit filed by Olson Remcho, a Sacramento law firm widely engaged by the Democratic Party. “My business is working to help homeless children of domestic violence. Only a sick person would challenge that title,” she said. “My opponent knows she is wrong on the issues and that’s why she and her party bosses in Sacramento are resorting to gutter politics.”
