November Primary Set to Fill Caldera’s Assembly Seat

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Pete Wilson on Tuesday ordered a special election in November to fill the vacant seat of former Los Angeles state Assemblyman Louis Caldera.

Caldera, a Democrat elected to the Assembly in 1992, was appointed by President Clinton in June to serve as managing director of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Caldera’s 46th Assembly District surrounds downtown Los Angeles, including the Civic Center, Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights. It is a stronghold of the Democratic Party, which claims nearly two-thirds of the district’s voters.

Wilson ordered the open primary to be held Nov. 18. If no candidate receives more than half the vote, a runoff election between the top vote-getters from each party will be held Jan. 13.

The period for candidates to file for the race began Tuesday and runs until Oct. 6.

Assembly leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties said Tuesday that they are unaware of any candidate who has announced a bid for the seat.