Republican Scott Wilk defeated Democrat Johnathon Ervin in a race for the 21st Senate as final election results were tallied Wednesday afternoon.
According to final election numbers, Wilk received 108,290 votes, or 54.8 percent, while Ervin took 89,206 votes, or 45.2 percent.
“Obviously we are very excited,” Wilk said. “The number one thing with my election is it insures that the Democrats do not have a super majority and I will continue to hold the line on new taxes.”
In his new position, Wilk said he will continue to work on issues that directly impact the district, including reintroducing his bill against the Cemex mine and working to bring more economic growth to the district.
[wsc id=”4736″]
Wilk noted that this year’s election was a tough race, with mudslinging campaigns and close races. Overall, he said that he is proud of the grassroots campaign he ran and the interaction he had with his constituents.
“We worked hard,” he said. “It was definitely a gratifying win.”
Wilk will replace the late Sen. Sharon Runner, who returned to the Senate after a double lung transplant in 2015 before her death July 14 of this year.
Both Wilk and Ervin knew that the winner of the Senate seat would big shoes to fill and a legacy to carry on in the California Senate.
Wilk has experience serving in office, as an assemblyman for the 38th district and a trustee at College of the Canyons. In the California Assembly, he worked across party lines to co-author bills fox tax incentives for film and television, AB 2289, and for tax incentives for aerospace jobs, AB 1839.
“I will continue to do what I’ve been doing and that is advocating for the individual,” he said.
Ervin, a U.S. Air Force Reserves Sergeant Master, works as an aerospace engineer and served as planning commissioner for the city of Lancaster. His platform focused on infrastructure and the economy.
“Our big issue is improving our infrastructure, diversifying our economy and investing in education,” he told The Signal. “Our roads cannot support the growth we have.”
Wilk also stood for fixing the district’s roads and lightening traffic congestion in the valley.
“The Santa Clarita Valley’s transportation corridor is covered in the city’s master plan,” he said. “If you go along the Santa Clarita Parkway, north to south, and connect to Via Princessa – that would greatly relieve congestion.”
Both candidates were opposed to the Cemex mining in Soledad Canyon Road because of its impact on community health and the environment.
Wilk also expressed concerns over Santa Clarita’s chloride water limits and stated that he does not agree with the maximum daily loads (TMDLs) set by state water officials for amount of contaminants allowed to be discharged into the River watershed.
“I don’t concur with the decisions made about TMDLs,” Wilk said. “I don’t believe (the TMDL) is based on sound science.”
[email protected]
661-287-5575
On Twitter as @_ChristinaCox_
