This year’s California primary election will feature some high-profile races in Southern California, as well as the presidential primary and other statewide races. Here are some crucial local and statewide races to keep an eye on on March 5:
California Presidential Primary
Republicans in California overwhelmingly support Donald Trump. It’s likely he’ll sweep the state’s 169 delegates, the most valuable prize in the nomination race.
California, which is heavily Democratic, will most likely be an afterthought in November 2024; the state’s lopsided electorate ensures a virtual lock for Democrats on Election Day. The last Republican presidential contender to win the state was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
Senate
The California Senate election was expected to be a three-way Democratic battle. Still, the likelihood of a record-low turnout is boosting Republican Steve Garvey, a former baseball star, and might wreck the congressional careers of two renowned progressives.
For months, Rep. Adam Schiff has enjoyed the money and polling advantage in a crowded Democratic field. Garvey’s rise has jeopardized the political careers of Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter. The top two finishers in the March 5 contest, regardless of party, will advance to the November general election.
Proposition 1: Gavin Newsom’s Mental Health Plan
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking voters to support a ballot measure he believes is necessary to address the state’s homelessness epidemic, but social providers warn the change will jeopardize programs that prevent people from being homeless in the first place.
In 2004, voters adopted legislation imposing a millionaire tax to fund mental health services, earning $2 billion to $3 billion in cash annually, most of which has gone to counties to fund mental health programs as they see fit within wide limits.
Newsom wants to give the state more control over how the funds are spent. Proposition 1 would mandate counties to spend 60% of their funds on housing and assistance for homeless people suffering from major mental disorders or substance addiction issues.
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Los Angeles County District Attorney
Los Angeles County voters will decide whether to keep embattled District Attorney George Gascón in charge of the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office. There have been two failed attempts to place Gascón on the recall ballot.
Gascón will face 11 candidates in the nonpartisan primary on March 5. The contest has effectively become a referendum on the perception of safety in Los Angeles County. Blaring headlines and footage of brazen smash-and-grab robberies at luxury boutiques have created a sense of lawlessness.
However, in 2023, violent crime declined by more than 3% in Los Angeles and approximately 1.5% in the county compared to the previous year.
City of Los Angeles Measures HLA
This legislation would mandate the city to build street and sidewalk modifications to safeguard pedestrians and bicycles from autos on more than 2,500 kilometers of Los Angeles city streets. It would increase bike lanes, bus-only lanes, and pedestrian-friendly elements on streets.
Proponents claim it will help minimize crashes and safeguard riders. Opponents contend that it would restrict car traffic lanes, causing city streets to become more congested and, in some cases, deadly. Firefighters, for example, claim it may hinder their response time to crises. According to city analysts, taxpayers would face billions of dollars in costs.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 4
Incumbent Janice Hahn is being challenged by Alex Villanueva, the county’s notorious former sheriff. During Villanueva’s sole time as sheriff, Hahn and other board members clashed sharply with him over topics such as control of deputy gangs and his aversion to county monitoring.
Villanueva lost his re-election attempt in 2022 to Robert Luna, marking a rare setback for an incumbent sheriff in Los Angeles County. Hahn’s family has a lengthy history of occupying public office in the South Bay and Los Angeles. She has been on the county board since 2016 and previously served on the Los Angeles City Council.
She also served in Congress from 2011 to 2016 before leaving to run for county supervisor. Her father, Kenneth Hahn, represented the area as a county supervisor for 40 years, and her brother, James, was mayor of Los Angeles from 2001 to 2005.
Los Angeles City Council, District 14
City Council members often have an easy time holding their seats after winning their first election. However, incumbent Councilman Kevin de León has become a contentious figure in the last year after audio recordings of him making racially offensive remarks during a private council redistricting meeting surfaced.
Participants in that conversation faced calls to resign, and former Council President Nury Martinez did so. Councilman Gil Cedillo had already lost his re-election effort and would leave office when his term expired in December.
But de León defied protesters in City Council chambers, not only remaining in office but also announcing his intention to run for re-election. He is now being challenged by seven people, including Assembly members Miguel Santiago and Wendy Carrillo.
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Congress: Key Southern California House Races
District 27
Rep. Mike Garcia is the final Republican congressman based in strongly Democratic Los Angeles County. The once-conservative 27th District, which runs across the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys north of Los Angeles, has become one of the country’s most contested battlegrounds.
The district has a 12-point Democratic registration advantage, but Garcia has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to defy the odds and surprise opponents throughout three elections. Garcia was reelected in 2020 with 333 votes, so it has not been easy.
The former Navy fighter pilot and Trump supporter, who has a consistently conservative voting record, was originally elected in opposition to California’s liberal government: “I don’t want my country to turn into what my state has become.”
Garcia’s military career, in which he flew over 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, would be highly received in a district dominated by the defense industry and popular among veterans, Los Angeles police officers, and firefighters.
His Hispanic surname, inherited from his Mexican immigrant father, is expected to serve him well in a district with a sizable Latino population. He has also demonstrated a deep awareness of local issues, such as crime and illegal marijuana cultivation.
George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff, is the leading Democrat in the primary, with support from the House Democrats’ campaign arm. He’s emphasized abortion rights and environmental protection while characterizing Garcia as out of sync with the district.
District 30
Adam Schiff has served this district since 2001. However, he is leaving to focus on his campaign for the United States Senate. The largely Democratic district encompasses Los Angeles and the eastern San Fernando Valley, including Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Tujunga, and West Hollywood.
A large field of applicants is vying for the available seat. Among the more notable names are former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, state Senator Anthony Portantino, LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin, state Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, and “Boy Meets World” actor Ben Savage.
Here is our look at some of the key races and topics that Southern California voters will face in next week’s Super Tuesday election:
VOTER GUIDE: Here's our look at some of the key races and issues facing Southern California voters in next week's Super Tuesday election https://t.co/LiyUWd3BLS
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 29, 2024
District 31
Rep. Grace Napolitano has represented this area in Congress since 1999, albeit her district number has changed over time due to redistricting. At 87 years old, Napolitano is the oldest sitting member of Congress, and she stated last year that she would resign at the end of her current term. The Democratic district encompasses portions of the San Gabriel Valley, including La Puente, San Dimas, El Monte, and Monrovia.
The open seat has drawn a total of 11 contenders. Among them: former congressman Gil Cisneros, who became a multimillionaire and philanthropist after winning a $266 million Mega Millions jackpot in 2010 and recently served as an undersecretary for defense in the Biden administration; Bob Archuleta, a state senator representing parts of LA and Orange counties; Susan Rubio, a state senator in the Baldwin Park area; and Mary Ann Lutz, a former council member and mayor in Monrovia and current member of the Citrus Community C
District 45
Republican Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant, is seeking reelection in a Southern California district designed to give Asian Americans a bigger voice on Capitol Hill. Asian Americans make up the majority of the 45th District, which includes Orange County. Democrats have a slight registration advantage.
Steel won the seat in 2020 and again in 2022 with a 5-point margin in the constituency, which includes the country’s largest Vietnamese population.
This year, four Democrats are running, including Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee father and a Mexican immigrant mother who was backed by the state Democratic Party, and Derek Tran, a lawyer and worker rights champion whose parents were Vietnamese refugees.
Steel has been open in her opposition to tax increases in Congress, claims she strongly supports Israel’s battle against Hamas, and sponsored a bill that expanded control of foreign money in higher education, which passed the House last year.
The campaign will be followed nationwide for signs regarding Asian American voters’ preferences.
District 47
Orange County’s 47th District stretches along the coast southeast of Los Angeles. It was originally known as “Reagan Country,” a region historically associated with conservative politics and noted for its ties to the former President.
However, the county, which was historically predominantly white and Republican, has become more demographically diverse and Democratic, and the seat held by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a U.S. Senate contender, is up for grabs.
Republicans view it as a major target. Former legislator Scott Baugh, who nearly lost to Porter in 2022, is the front-runner for the Republican nomination, while two Democrats, state Sen. David Min and Joanna Weiss, who created a progressive candidate organization, are competing for a spot on the November ballot.
