Steve Westley Wins Controller”s Office

Republican candidate Tom McClintock is conceding defeat in the race for state controller — handing Democrats their first sweep of California´s statewide offices in more than a century.

The State Senator from Northridge issued a statement today conceding the close race to dot-com millionaire Steve Westly — 13 days after Election Day. As of today, Westly is leading McClintock by three-tenths of a percentage point with less than 200-thousand ballots still to be counted. But many of the remaining ballots are in counties where Westly did well in early tabulations.

Westly is a former vice president of the e-Bay online auction house and a political newcomer. His victory signifies Democrats´ first sweep of eight statewide offices since 1882. Democrats also control both chambers of the Legislature. Republicans last won all statewide offices in 1946.