In California, the tight Congressional races that could tip the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives are too close to call as of this afternoon, but the Republican candidates are leading. Meanwhile, Burbank Congressman Adam Schiff is getting a promotion to the Senate. A couple of high-profile ballot initiatives also passed, like re-criminalizing some theft and drug offenses, and enshrining marriage equality in the state constitution.
What messages did Golden State voters send yesterday?
“I think voters are concerned about crime and unhappy with the circumstances, on the streets of our cities,” says Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento bureau chief for The Los Angeles Times. “We saw that theme running across many races, a statewide ballot measure that's getting tough on crime, the ouster of George Gascon as district attorney in Los Angeles, the recall of a district attorney in Alameda County in the Bay Area, and the ouster of two mayors in San Francisco — where all of those races, crime and homelessness were major themes.”
Californians overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36. It rolls back some criminal justice reforms enacted by Proposition 47, which state residents passed a decade ago.
“[Prop 47] took a whole bunch of crimes that were, at the time, felonies and made them misdemeanors. These were considered non-violent crimes. They were property crimes or drug crimes,” Rosenhall explains. “And the idea was to put some of that money that was going into incarcerating people for those crimes, and instead shift it toward drug treatment, anti-recidivism programs, etc., and treat those crimes with a lower punishment. And one of the reasons was to reduce the prison population. … Ten years ago … the prisons were busting at the seams.”
She adds, “[Proposition 36 is] basically taking some of those things that had been made a misdemeanor and allowing them to be treated as a felony on the third offense. So the first time and the second time someone was busted for these crimes, they would still be treated as misdemeanors. On the third offense, a DA could have the option of prosecuting them as a felony.”
More: Criminal justice reform hits a backlash this election season
In the Bay Area, residents appear to have voted overwhelmingly to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. Meanwhile, San Francisco Mayor London Breed faces a tough race and is currently in second place, behind Dan Lurie.
“In all of those instances, what we're seeing is a pretty clear distaste for the incumbents. In all of those cases, they are all women of color, and they are all losing their office, including London Breed. [She] had gone pretty conservative in a lot of her positions. She's definitely a moderate by San Francisco standards and on criminal justice. … In both places, the voters are calling for a change. And in Oakland, it's unclear who the mayor will be, because this vote yesterday was just, ‘Do you want to recall the mayor? Yes or no?’ There was not a slate of replacement options on the ballot.”
What happens next in San Francisco is still unclear due to the city’s ranked choice voting system: “Voters choose a first choice and a second choice when they vote. And so the votes are all still being tabulated. And right now, Daniel Lurie, the philanthropist, he is ahead, but the votes are still being counted. That one is not final, but it is looking like London Breed is probably not going to be re-elected.”