Alvarado-Gil concedes Senate race. Brandon, Duarte to face off in November
Incumbent Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil conceded Tuesday after the most recent vote tallies showed she was unlikely to surpass her fellow Republican rival, Alexandra Duarte, to be on the November ballot for the state Senate race.
“The voters of Senate District 4 have made their choice, and I respect that decision,“ Alvarado-Gil said in a statement. “While I’m disappointed with the outcome and troubled by the tenor and tone of this race, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together for this community.”
Early returns from the Primary Election showed Democrat Jaron Brandon in the lead and the Republican vote split between Duarte and Alvarado-Gil. As ballots continued to be counted, the gap between the two Republicans grew.
“I’m honored to have earned the support of so many working families across California,” said Duarte in a statement to The Bee. “This primary result is a clear message to Sacramento: working families are tired of paying more for gas, groceries, and insurance, and they know that it’s because of bad policy.”
Alvarado-Gil’s campaign was endorsed by the California Republican Party, however that did not seem to outweigh the popularity of her Republican rival and farmer, Alexandra Duarte. Alvarado-Gil left the Democratic Party and joined Republicans in 2024.
The Senate district includes all or parts of 13 Central Valley and foothills counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Stanislaus and Tuolumne.
As of June 9, Alvarado-Gil was trailing behind both Brandon and Duarte. Overall, she has 27% of the vote, Duarte has 32% and Brandon has 40%.
The race for California State Senate District 4 has been contentious. A debate held in Modesto showed Duarte, Alavardo-Gil and Democrat Jaron Brandon trading barbs.
Duarte went after Alvarado-Gil for her time in the state Senate as a Democrat and she went after Duarte for her husband’s failed House race. Duarte is married to former CA-13 House representative John Duarte.
In an awkward moment, Alvarado-Gil said Brandon had accused her of sexual misconduct, which Brandon denied and said he was confused by her accusation.
Early in the campaign, Alvarado-Gil accused Duarte‘s campaign manager of recording her phone during a closed Republican luncheon, an accusation Duarte’s campaign claimed was a distraction.
Prior to the campaign, Alvarado-Gil had been the subject of backlash related to her allegations of sexual misconduct by her former chief of staff, Chad Condit. She was also reprimanded by the Senate Rules Committee for retaliation against Stanislaus County Supervisor and Condit’s son, Channce Condit.
In Stanislaus County as of June 8, Alvarado-Gil had 19% of the vote, Duarte had 37% and Brandon had 44%. Another batch of counted ballots will drop on June 11. “Alvarado-Gil and I were opponents but not enemies,” Brandon told The Bee.
Corrin Rankin, Chair of the California GOP said in the statement released June 9:
“I’m proud to call Marie a friend and fellow conservative. She made history with her courageous decision to switch parties and become a Republican. Hers is an example for others, and she truly is a champion for the conservative cause.”
State Republican leader Brian Jones was also quoted in the statement.
“We will miss her as a valued member of our team and a principled fighter who always puts her constituents first.”
Duarte’s supporters were criticized for sending out a mailer with Duarte shown shooting an AI generated gun towards a depiction of Alvarado-Gil.
“I far more respect a loss with dignity by someone who was in the arena and who tried than the Duarte campaign’s lead earned by cruel attacks funded by rich friends so atrocious even the California Republican Party condemned them,” Brandon said. “That kind of person should be nowhere near elected office.”
This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 12:55 PM with the headline "Alvarado-Gil concedes Senate race. Brandon, Duarte to face off in November."
