Special Election Today in CA-12 to fill Lantos' Seat

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We may just be back to 794 superdelegates today after CA-12 elects Jackie Speier to fill Tom Lantos' House seat. If you read yesterday's preview of the special election you'll know that Speier is expected to win the race easily.

Voters in the 12th Congressional District, which spans much of San Mateo County and a slice of San Francisco, will hit the polls today to choose a replacement for U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, who died of cancer Feb. 11.

On the ballot for the special open primary election are five candidates from three different political parties. If any candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, that person will serve out the remainder of Lantos' term, which runs through January.

If no one wins a majority, the district will remain unrepresented until June, when the leading vote-getters from each party square off again.

Jackie Speier, a 57-year-old Hillsborough Democrat who served 18 years in the state Legislature, is considered the favorite to win. Pundits say her lesser-known opponents will likely need a low turnout today to have a chance of blocking her from gaining a majority. - San Mateo Daily News

Speier supports Clinton but isn't sure who she'd vote for at the convention

Given Obama's practically insurmountable lead in the delegate count, Speier would appear to believe that either Clinton will bow out for the good of the party or Democratic leaders will put sufficient pressure on her to step aside.

Even more surprising, Speier said that despite her endorsement of Clinton, she would decide whom to vote for after the primary, leaving open the possibility that she'd go for Obama. She declined to say which candidate would get her vote, but her silence itself was revealing. - Inside Bay Area

Update: Speier wins with 80% of the vote.