FilAm businessman TJ Cox pulls ahead in his Congressional contest

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated, Nov. 27, 1 p.m.)

THREE WEEKS after the midterm elections and there are still two House races undecided and one of them involves a Filipino American first-time candidate.

On election night, Nov. 6, national media announced incumbent Rep. David Valadao as he built a 4,400 lead. over Democrat challenger TJ Cox in California's District 21. As the mail-in and provisional ballots were counted Cox slowly whittled away at that lead.

Monday night (Nov. 26) Cox pulled ahead with a mere 438 votes with several thousand votes to go. Shortly after taking the lead, Cox told reporters,  "Here in the Central Valley, we are often underestimated and counted out."

"But while the national spotlight focused elsewhere, our hard-working communities came together to fight for better health care, good jobs, and more opportunities."  

The reason it takes so long for California officials to count the ballots is because the state encourages voters to cast their ballots by mail. The majority of the state's voters prefer to mail in their vote, which is counted by hand. Counties have until Dec. 7 to certify the results of the electinos.

“Every update has kept us on track to win,” Phillip Vander Klay, a Cox spokesman, told the Los Angeles Times. “We're still on that track.”

Valdadao's campaign hasn't issued a sttement yet on this turn of events.

The Fresno Bee says that if current trends continue with the remaining uncounted votes, Cox should maintain his lead.

If Cox, an engineer and owner of two nut-processing companies, wins, he would become the second Filipino American elected to Congress. Rep. Bobby Scott, the other FilAm congressmember, was unopposed to retain his Virginia seat.

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