California is a Democratic fortress, but Tuesday’s primary election may have revealed some cracks. Here are takeaways from the vote in the nation’s most populous state.
The developer of high-end malls who sits on the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation spent more than $40 million on the contest, much of it from his estimated $4.3 billion fortune. Bass and her allies have compared Caruso to former President Donald Trump and argue he’s more interested in power than the plight of struggling people on the streets.
In San Francisco, progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin was elected in 2019 after promising a new approach to law enforcement that stressed alternatives to incarceration and ending the war on drugs that disproportionately harmed people of color. He wasy a wide margin Tuesday amid longstanding complaints over open drug use, robberies and vandalism.
One of the marquee races will be in a Democratic-leaning district north of Los Angeles, where Republican Rep. Mike Garcia will have a rematch with the Democrat he defeated two years ago, former legislator Christy Smith.In a closely divided coastal district in Orange County, Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a star of the party’s progressive wing, will face Republican Scott Baugh, a former state legislative leader.
Four Democrats divided the party’s vote, with incomplete returns showing Malia Cohen leading the pack.Regardless of the outcome on the Democratic side, Chen’s challenge will be growing his support beyond the 37% of the vote he had in preliminary primary returns. Recent history shows it will not be easy in a state where Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 2-to-1.Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Sen.