Mike Thompson, Jared Huffman easily win re-election to Congress

Democratic Congressmen Mike Thompson of St. Helena and Jared Huffman of San Rafael sailed to re-election Tuesday night, with both veteran legislators facing political unknowns whose candidacies attracted little attention.

Thompson, a nine-term House veteran and former California state senator who has never lost an election, had 78 percent of the vote in the 5th Congressional District, which includes Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati and Sonoma Valley, all of Napa County and parts of Lake, Solano and Contra Costa counties.

His Republican opponent, Napa businessman Carlos Santamaria, had 22 percent with more than half of precincts reporting.

“I’ll take it,” Thompson said by phone while attending election watch parties in his district. “It’s an honor to represent your friends and neighbors in your home.”

But, he said, “Quite honestly, I’ve been worried about this presidential election.”

Huffman, seeking his third term, had 76 percent of the vote in the 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from Marin County to the Oregon border.

Republican Dale Mensing of Garberville, opposing Huffman for the second straight time, had 24 percent with 17 percent of precincts reporting.

Thompson , who raised more than $1.8 million in campaign funds, and Huffman, with nearly $919,000 in donations, ran in districts where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by more than 2 to 1.

Thompson gave $170,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $150,800 a pair of independent committees supporting Hillary Clinton and $6,000 to the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee, according to federal campaign finance reports.

Huffman contributed $135,000 to the Democratic campaign committee, $5,000 to the Sonoma County Democrats and $1,000 to a committee supporting Clinton.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.