A specialblanket primary was held on April 10, 2001, of which DemocraticAmbassadorDiane Watson won nearly a third of the vote in a field of sixteen candidates. She handily defeated her main challenger, Republican Noel Irwin Hentschel, in the special general election. Watson was redistricted to the33rd district for the2002 election, in which she was elected to a full term.
Julian Dixon was first elected in1978 to represent the28th district. He never faced serious competition during his tenure, and would serve eleven terms. Before starting his twelfth term, to which he was elected with 83.5% of the vote, he died inLos Angeles of aheart attack.[2]
