Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 6.
- San Franciscans in disbelief over Kamala Harris loss.
- Adam Schiff clinches easy victory in Senate contest.
- And voters toughen penalties for theft and drug crimes.
Election 2024
1.
Presidential race
In San Francisco, where Kamala Harris forged her political ascent, former Mayor Willie Brown was so sure of her presidential victory on Tuesday that he declared her the winner before the polls closed. Dressed in a maroon suit and top hat, he told a large watch party outside John’s Grill that it was “the first celebration of her victory.”
By nightfall, Harris’s hometown supporters had begun to shed tears and slump onto the pavement. “I’m trying not to freak out,” one woman told a reporter. While early results showed Californians supported Harris by a margin of roughly 18 percentage points, it wasn’t enough to stem the wave of battleground states that lined up for Donald Trump, who sealed his victory early Wednesday.
Across large areas of the state, mostly rural areas of the Central Valley and North State, there were celebrations. But for California as whole, where no Republican has held statewide office in more than a decade, the election set up a “nerve-wracking fork in the road,” noted CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff.
Down the path of a Harris victory, one of California’s own would have potentially brought the state’s Democratic priorities nationwide. Instead, California now faces a replay of four years of combative showdowns with Washington, D.C., while again assuming a familiar role: America’s rebel state. SF Standard | S.F. Examiner | L.A. Times
- See how California voted in the presidential contest.
2.
Senate race
Rep. Adam Schiff cruised to victory over Republican Steve Garvey, a former L.A. Dodgers star, in the race for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Dianne Feinstein. The outcome was hardly in doubt in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly two to one, analysts said. As Schiff addressed supporters in Los Angeles late Tuesday, Democrats were aware of the votes trending toward Trump, who recently called Schiff “the enemy from within.” “I am committed to taking on the big fights to protect our freedoms and to protect our democracy,” Schiff said. L.A. Times | CalMatters
- See latest Senate results.
3.
Ballot propositions
California restored tougher penalties for drug and property crimes, granted a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, and appeared poised to approve $10 billion in bonds to fight climate change. Here’s where things stood on the state’s ballot propositions early Wednesday:
Approved 👇
Proposition 3: Constitutional protections for same-sex marriage
Proposition 35: Extend a tax on managed health care plans
Proposition 36: Increase penalties for theft and drug crimes
Leaning in favor 👇
Proposition 2: Borrow $10 billion for schools
Proposition 4: Borrow $10 billion to fight climate change
Defeated 👇
Proposition 33: Repeal ban on local rent controls
Leaning against 👇
Proposition 5: Lower votes needed to fund local projects
Proposition 6: Limit forced labor in state prisons
On a razor’s edge 👇
Proposition 32: Raise state minimum wage to $18
Proposition 34: Regulate spending by certain health care entities
- See the latest proposition vote totals.
4.
Local contests
- Daniel Lurie, a Levi’s heir, held a sizable lead in the contest for San Francisco mayor, which shaped up as a referendum on incumbent Mayor London Breed’s response to crime and homelessness. S.F. Chronicle
- Preliminary vote results showed overwhelming support for a pair of recall efforts targeting progressive public officials in the East Bay. They would oust Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. SF Standard
- George Gascón, the progressive district attorney in Los Angeles County, lost decisively to challenger Nathan Hochman, who said Angelenos were ready for a “safer future.” L.A. Times
- In San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria pulled out to a significant lead over challenger Larry Turner, a police officer. S.D. Union-Tribune
Track results from local regions 👇
San Diego County | Orange County | Los Angeles County | Coachella Valley | Central Coast | San Joaquin Valley | San Francisco Bay Area | Sacramento County | North State
5.
Legislative races
The Republicans wrested away control of the Senate from the Democrats late Tuesday, but the House remained too close to call as analysts looked to several battleground contests in California that could tip the balance. Five Republican incumbents in California were in races considered “tossups” going into Tuesday. Of those, four were breaking Republican and one Democrat in early voting. But officials warned that the results could weeks to confirm because of the additional time that California provides for mail ballots to arrive. A.P. | CalMatters
- See where the vote stands in battleground House races and across all California districts. 👉 N.Y. Times
- Track state Senate and Assembly races.
6.
Other election odds and ends:
- California favored Democratic candidates and causes, with at least one big exception — crime. “I don’t think Californians are turning to the right,” said John Pitney, professor of government. “But on certain issues, and especially crime, Californians have never been as true-blue as the national stereotype would suggest.” Modesto Bee
- Some Californians were getting ready to leave the United States even before Tuesday’s vote. Mykel Dicus, 54, of the Bay Area, recently returned from a scouting trip to Spain. “If a regime like MAGA should win this election, I’m very scared,” he said. “I just feel like it’s time to enjoy a life that’s free from any American worry.” L.A. Times
- After squashing an endorsement of Kamala Harris at the Los Angeles Times, owner Patrick Soon-Shiong denied claims by his daughter that the move was related to Gaza. But he appeared to confirm that it was a factor in an internal email obtained by Drop Site News.
7.
Scenes from across California on Monday and Tuesday 👇
Statewide
8.
Leonard Francis, the Malaysian defense contractor at the center of a sprawling Navy bribery scandal, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday, 11 years after he was first arrested and two years after he escaped and fled to Venezuela. Known as “Fat Leonard,” Francis, 60, has barely spoken publicly. “I sincerely regret my misconduct that led to this day,” he said, asking for mercy from the federal court in San Diego. Francis pleaded guilty to providing cash and prostitutes to dozens of Navy officers in exchange for inflated contracts to service U.S. Navy vessels. S.D. Union-Tribune | KPBS
- “You almost feel sick at the amount of consumption that Francis visited upon the U.S. sailors who became his lap dogs in exchange for champagne, sex and cash.” A new book tells the sordid story of “Fat Leonard.” N.Y. Times
9.
A study found toxic pesticides in nearly 80% of air samples collected in several California farming regions. Yet state officials insist that the findings, published by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, are no cause for worry. Activist groups aren’t buying it. “People need to let the state know that we can’t continue growing food by poisoning neighbors,” said Jane Sellen, of Californians for Pesticide Reform. “Fumigation is just unsustainable. It gets everywhere, it drifts for miles and it hangs around for days. It causes cancer.” L.A. Times
10.
Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs, agreed to pay California $122 million to settle claims that its pharmacies helped fuel the opioid crisis by improperly monitoring prescriptions, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday. The payout comes as part of a nearly $1.4 billion settlement reached between Kroger and dozens of states, local governments, and Native American tribes, in which Kroger admitted no wrongdoing. Several other large pharmacy chains have reached similar settlements over the last two years. L.A. Times
11.
In the new movie “Here,” the story skips back and forth through the various stages of life for a couple portrayed by Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. Rather than use makeup or multiple actors, artificial-intelligence software seamlessly transforms the actors into older and younger versions of themselves. The result is a movie that couldn’t have been made three years ago, said director Robert Zemeckis. The New York Times Magazine cited “Here” in a piece that asks, “What if A.I. is actually good for Hollywood?”
12.
Runners are using their legs to create digital artworks across San Francisco. So-called run artists plot routes that will depict works of art when recorded by the GPS tracking app Strava. For his Whitney Houston run, pictured above, Frank Chan covered an astonishing 71 miles in a little over 13 hours. SF Standard
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