Official 50th Assembly Candidates List Released

With the exception of lone Republican Brad Torgan, who just announced his candidacy in February, the hot race for California's 50th Assembly will look just as it has for many months—Democrats Betsy Butler, Richard Bloom and Torie Osborn will go head-to-head to clinch the seat in 2013.

The deadline is passed for any other contestant to join the field as the California Secretary of State released the certified candidates list for the June 5 primary Thursday evening.

The candidates and their official ballot designations are:

• Betsy Butler: Democrat / Los Angeles resident / Assemblywoman
• Richard Bloom: Democrat / Santa Monica resident / Mayor of Santa Monica
• Torie Osborn: Democrat / Santa Monica resident / Director of nonprofit
• Brad Torgan: Republican / West Hollywood resident / Environmental attorney

while Osborn has the backing of a handful of local democratic clubs, including those in Malibu, Santa Monica, Westwood-Beverly Hills and San Fernando Valley.

Bloom cites several fellow mayors among his list of endorsers, including colleagues in Oakland, Murrieta, Malibu and Laguna Beach. Torgan, who hasn't had as much time to rack up big name supporters, is endorsed by the California Republican Party.

Interactions between Osborn and Butler heated up this winter. In January, Butler and her supports accused of Obsorn of stacking endorsements by recruiting people to join local Democratic clubs so they could vote for her in the organizations' . Later, Osborn was the subject of , who has thrown his support behind Butler.

For Bloom, Osborn or Torgan to win the primary, they'll have to oust an incumbent—an historically difficult challenge. 

Assemblywoman Butler currently represents the 53rd Assembly District, which covers much of the South Bay. She's running this year in the 50th Assembly because the district boundaries will change in 2013 based on the results of the 2010 census.

Portions of the Santa Monica Mountains, Agoura Hills, Topanga, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Carthay Square, West Hollywood, much of Hollywood, Hancock Park and Miracle Mile make up the new 50th district.

(Many of these neighborhoods also comprise the 33rd congressional district. .)

There are 285,875 registered voters district wide, 52 percent of who are Democrats.

The top two vote-getters in the June 5 primary election will advance to the Nov. 6 general election regardless of party preference or whether one candidate receives a majority of votes in the primary. The primary election will include elections for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as state Senate and state Assembly seats.

Terms will begin in January 2013.

In the spirit of keeping news community-oriented, Los Angeles area Patches will focus their election coverage on races with local ties, including the U.S. House and California Assembly.