 However, due to the crowded nature of the primary (eight Democrats and four Republicans filed) she only got 32% of the vote, well short of the 50% vote needed to win outright.In the run-off election, she defeated Republican Betty Chu (her cousin-in-law and a then-Monterey Park City Councilwoman) 62%–33%.Chu was heavily favored due to the district's heavy Democrat tilt and with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+15, it is one of the safest Democrat districts in the nation.