Rep. Ruiz Leads By Wide Margin In 36th Congressional District

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — In California’s 36th Congressional District race, Democratic incumbent Dr. Raul Ruiz (Palm Desert) has a large lead Wednesday over Tea Party Republican challenger Erin Cruz.

The Associated Press has declared Ruiz the winner, but many votes are still being counted. If he is the official victor once all ballots are tabulated, Ruiz will garner a fifth term representing much of Riverside County in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Approximately 400,000 vote-by-mail and 25,000 provisional ballots still must be processed in Riverside County. Work on those began Wednesday morning. Ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day also remain to be counted. The next updated results will be posted at 6 p.m. Thursday.

It's unclear how many uncounted ballots remain in the 36th Congressional District, but Ruiz's lead is significant:

You can see the results for the race as they roll in by checking out the table below. Be sure to refresh this page for the latest.

The 36th District stretches across the Coachella Valley and into the San Gorgonio Pass, including the cities of Banning and Beaumont.

In the March 3 presidential primary election, Ruiz was the clear winner of that race. He captured 96,266 votes or 60.5 percent of ballots cast in the district, compared to Cruz who garnered 33,984 votes or 21.4 percent. Two other Republicans and one Democratic write-in candidate were also on the ballot. The three losers captured just over 28,000 votes — nearly all going to the two GOP candidates.

Ruiz is an emergency physician who works in the Coachella Valley, where he grew up. Elected to the district in 2012 after beating incumbent Mary Bono Mack, Ruiz maintains that he is not a career politician "and I never will be." He argues that members of Congress are public servants who "should absolutely not receive special privileges at the expense of taxpayers."

According to his campaign website and statements, Ruiz supports protecting Medicare and social security, as well as the environment. He also wants to see affordable healthcare for all, equal pay for equal work, expansion of paid family and sick leave, increased access to affordable child care, and more services for military veterans.

He is married with two children.

According to Cruz's campaign website, her priorities were tax decreases, an end to DACA, building a border wall, enhanced national security, and opposition to gun safety legislation, among others.

Cruz is a mother, widow, businesswoman and author — she is a native Southern Californian, born and raised in the state, and identifies as a Tea Party Republican and constitutional conservative, according to her bio.