Leland Yee Receives Nearly 300,000 Votes In Primary Despite Corruption Charges
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- More than two months after being charged in a federal corruption case, suspended State Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) received more than 200,000 votes for Secretary of State in Tuesday's primary election.
More than 287,000 votes were cast for Yee, about 10 percent of the total. Yee was third place in the balloting and received more votes in the contest than five other challengers.
Yee received 10,494 votes or 12.4 percent in San Francisco, with 100 percent of city precincts reporting. In San Mateo County, Yee received 5,851 votes or 9.7 percent, also with 100 percent of precincts reporting. Yee's district contains portions of both counties.
State Sen. Alex Padilla won the Democratic nomination in Tuesday's race, with 29 percent of the vote. Pete Peterson, executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at Pepperdine University, also received 29 percent to win the Republican nomination.
Both nominees will face off in the November general election.
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Authorities arrested Yee in late March for allegedly soliciting and taking campaign contributions in exchange for political favors. He is also accused of being involved in a conspiracy involving arms trafficking.
More than two dozen others have been arrested in the case, including reputed Chinatown gangster Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, and San Francisco political consultant Keith Jackson.
The state senator suspended campaigning for Secretary of State after his indictment.
Yee has pleaded not guilty on all charges and is free on $500,000 bond.
