Is Pugno Vulnerable in 5th Assembly District?
A new survey of the race for the area’s Assembly District 5 seat finds Democrat Dr. Richard Pan pulling ahead of his opponent Republican Andy Pugno once voters learn more about the candidates. “Our survey finds the race begins in a statistical tie, with Dr. Pan moving to a 10-point lead over opponent Andy Pugno after voters hear both positive and negative messages about the candidates,” said Ben Tulchin of San Francisco-based Tulchin Research. “While the race starts very close, our survey shows Dr. Pan is well positioned for victory in November.” For the past few decades AD5 has been a safe Republican seat with a strong Republican voter registration advantage. Since 2000 those registration numbers have been eroding and now the district is divided equally between registered Democrats and registered Republicans. The Target Book and political pundits no longer view AD5 as a safe Republican seat, but now consider the District one of the most hotly contested legislative races in the state.
