Fong clinches race for Assembly seat

College teacher and Foothill-De Anza trustee Paul Fong has won the Democratic Party nod to run for District 22 representative in the state Assembly, making him the likely candidate to succeed Sally Lieber in the fall.

For much of Tuesday evening the race was too close to call, but Fong finished with 35.6 percent of the vote to Dominic Caserta’s 29.9 percent.

Caserta, 33, a Santa Clara council member and high school teacher, had been the top spender and had the support of high-tech companies, labor and public safety associations. Fong, 56, had the Democratic political establishment backing him, including former Mountain View Mayor Lieber and Congress members Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda and Zoe Lofgren.

Santa Clara County School Board trustee Anna Song and Cupertino Council member Kris Wang each received about half as many votes as Caserta and Fong.

District 22 has long been a Democratic stronghold, and the race to replace Lieber, who terms out this year, attracted four Democrats and one Republican: Brent Oya, a bank manager. Fong and Oye will square off in the general election this November.

In a debate last month, Fong said his top priority in office would be to pass a universal health care reform bill. He also said he would introduce legislation to require that 50 percent of all vehicles sold in California by 2020 use alternative fuel.