Jim Nielsen is heading back to the Legislature. The Gerber Republican easily won election to the vacant 4th Senate District seat in a special election held Tuesday. Nielsen tells KNCO he is ready to get to work.
click to hear Jim Nielsen
Republican Jim Nielsen lead  Democrat Mickey Harrington by  two to one in early returns with 66.7 percent of the vote to 33.3 percent.

In Nevada County   Assistant Clerk Recorder Gail Smith says the vote was 60 percent for Nielsen and 40 percent for Harrington.
click to hear Gail Smith
Nielsen succeeds former Sen. Doug LaMalfa, (R-Richvale) who stepped down ahead of his election to Congress last September  hoping his replacement could win election in a primary consolidated with the November general election to save the cost of a run-off vote. But Nielsen fell just below the  50 percent plus one vote needed to win outright, and the special election was held January 8.

Nielsen, who spent the last four years representing the 2nd Assembly District, was also Senate GOP leader in the state Legislature in the  1980s.  Nielsen will be eligible for two full four-year terms in the Senate after filling out LaMalfa’s remaining two years.   Disitrict 4 covers all or part of 12 counties from Placer north to the Oregon border. Nielsen says he will be sworn in  tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock.