Scott Wilk

College of the Canyons Trustee Scott Wilk is headed for the state Assembly, capturing 56.9 percent of the votes in his race against Edward Headington in California’s 38th District.

Among his early priorities, Wilk said he wanted to find like-minded politicians on either side of the aisle who are willing to help him attack some of what he considers misspent funds in Sacramento.

“California has 12 percent of the nation’s population but 32 percent of the nation’s welfare caseload,” Wilk said.

Wilk, a 53-year-old Republican from Santa Clarita, said while he wanted Proposition 30 to fail, he was also unhappy with the fact that if it did, Gov. Jerry Brown’s alternative meant billions of dollars in cuts to the state’s educational system.

Proposition 30 calls for income- and sales-tax increases in lieu of massive cuts to education, among other state services. After trailing early Tuesday evening, the measure came from behind to pass with 53.9 percent of the vote.

Edward Headington

Headington, a Granada Hills Democrat who runs the Burbank-based Headington Media Group, compared the race to a prize fight as the early results rolled in Tuesday.

“This has been a Rocky Balboa candidacy,” he said, referring to the Sylvester Stallone films.

Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, the 38th District’s representative until he’s termed out of office next month, endorsed his successor.

Smyth said his first lessons as an assemblyman involved realizing the scope of issues facing a state as populous and diverse as California.

Assemblyman Cameron Smyth (left) with Gov. Jerry Brown at Hart High School in April 2011.

Smyth said Wilk’s experience – and an open-minded approach – would serve the assemblyman-elect well.

During Smyth’s six years in office, he was named chair of the committee on local government policy, the only Republican in the last 10 years to chair a major policy committee in California’s Democrat-controlled Legislature.

“I would say, ‘Don’t pigeonhole yourself,’” Smyth said, when asked if he had any advice for the winning candidate before the results came in Tuesday. “And truly put the state and your district first, and be willing to work with anyone else who shares that philosophy.”

For full results from Tuesday’s election, click [here].