California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Ventura County fire explodes, trapping residents, causing injuries and burning homes -- The Mountain fire in Ventura County has grown to 1,500 acres and injured several people who were hospitalized, according to the county’s fire department. The high winds mean retardant-dropping airplanes are unable to aid in the firefighting effort. Noah Goldberg and Jireh Deng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Lopez: Trump return could be a growing California nightmare. But leave the U.S? No need -- My first thought, not particularly original, was to leave the United States. But then I realized I already have. I live in California. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

New Los Angeles DA vows to reverse predecessor’s ‘social experiments’ -- The Republican-turned-independent defeated George Gascón as progressive West Coast district attorneys face a voter backlash. Alex Nieves and Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/6/24

California girds for war with Trump -- State Attorney General Rob Bonta has already prepared legal arguments against everything from a possible national abortion ban to Project 2025 targets. Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/6/24

Donald Trump Returns to Power, Ushering in New Era of Uncertainty -- He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris. His victory signaled the advent of isolationism, sweeping tariffs and score settling. Shane Goldmacher and Lisa Lerer in the New York Times$ -- 11/6/24

‘Trump’s America’: Comeback Victory Signals a Different Kind of Country -- And while tens of millions of voters still cast ballots against Mr. Trump, he once again tapped into a sense among many others that the country they knew was slipping away, under siege economically, culturally and demographically. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 11/6/24

Will Trump enact Project 2025? Here’s what’s in it -- Project 2025 was designed during the campaign to be a comprehensive plan for the next Republican administration to lurch the country to the right. It’s written by officials who served in Trump’s first administration and will probably serve in his second. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 11/6/24

Chabria: With new Trump presidency, California is in for the fight of our lives -- As much as California is waking up to a new era of Trump power, we are also waking up to the fact that the majority of Americans do not share the values that this state holds dear: the ideas of equality; of respect for all people and our planet; of a rejection of racism and misogyny; of a desire to advance civil rights rather than roll them back in the name of Christianity. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Senator-elect Schiff vows to protect democracy without naming Trump -- He did not mention Trump, his bitter adversary, by name, but he implicitly invoked the Republican presidential candidate by vowing to guard the country’s democratic institutions. Schiff said that, as senator, he is “committed to taking on the big fights to protect our freedoms and protect our democracy.” Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/6/24

With Donald Trump as president, Gavin Newsom poised to become ‘leader of the resistance’ -- Even as Donald Trump’s victory represents a devastating loss for Democrats, it carries a political silver lining for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is now positioned to become the leader of the Democratic resistance. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/24

What we still don’t know about the election: House control, popular vote -- While Trump is projected to win the presidency and Republicans the Senate, control of the House is still unclear and some swing states are not yet called. Leo Sands, Victoria Bisset and Mark Berman in the Washington Post$ -- 11/6/24

Garofoli: Californians did their best. Now they must prepare for Trump’s worst -- It’s not your fault, California. Blame the 67 million (and counting) Americans who voted for Donald Trump, even after he inspired an insurrection, was convicted of multiple felonies, was found liable for sexual assault and continued to spout rhetoric that was racist, authoritarian and typically false. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 11/6/24

Nathan Hochman wins race for Los Angeles County D.A., beating George Gascón -- A tumultuous first term in office for Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón ended in a failed reelection bid, with challenger Nathan Hochman defeating him by a wide margin. James Queally and Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Why Californians got tougher on crime: Bleak downtowns and attention-getting retail thefts -- Californians overwhelmingly backed Prop. 36 to lengthen criminal sentences for certain theft and drug offenses, and to direct more people to drug treatment after convictions. Voters’ views changed on public safety after the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigel Duara and Joe Garcia CalMatters -- 11/6/24

Progressive criminal justice reform was all the rage. The election shows the backlash continues -- With the attempted recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price ahead by a wide margin in early returns, and Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón beaten badly in his reelection bid, voters favoring a tougher approach to crime were poised to all but excise California’s cast of progressive prosecutors not long after they thundered into office. Megan Cassidy, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/24

Proposition 33, the rent control statewide ballot measure, is rejected by California voters -- California voters on Tuesday rejected an effort to allow stronger rent control laws in California, the third time such a measure was turned down in recent years. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Race too close to call for Calvert and Rollins in California’s 41st Congressional District -- The highly competitive U.S. House race in Riverside County between Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving GOP member of California’s congressional delegation, and Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, was too close to call on election night. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

California’s 47th Congressional District is too close to call for Min or Baugh -- The race between Republican Scott Baugh and Democratic state Sen. Dave Min for the fiercely fought open House seat in coastal Orange County remained too close to call Tuesday night as votes continue to be counted. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Levin and Gunderson in tight race for California’s 49th Congressional District -- The race between Democratic Rep. Mike Levin and his Republican challenger Matt Gunderson for California’s 49th Congressional District in San Diego and Orange counties remained too close to call Tuesday as votes continue to be counted. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Garcia and Whitesides locked in battle for California’s 27th Congressional District -- The hotly contested congressional race between Republican Rep. Mike Garcia and Democrat George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff, to represent northern Los Angeles County was too close to call on election night. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Valadao and Salas locked in tight race for California’s 22nd Congressional District -- The Central Valley race between Republican Rep. David Valadao and his Democratic challenger Rudy Salas for California’s 22nd Congressional District was too close to call on election night, with officials continuing to count votes. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

California Congressional District 13 too close to call; John Duarte battles for reelection against challenger Adam Gray -- In one of the most closely watched U.S. House races in the country, results in the Central Valley contest between GOP Rep. John Duarte and Democratic challenger Adam Gray for California’s 13th Congressional District were too close to call on election night, with vote counting scheduled to continue. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Catch up quick: Here’s what happened to California election results while you were sleeping -- Against a national red wave, Californians sent a top Trump nemesis to the US Senate, and favored Democrats in House and state races. But they also toughened criminal sentences and rejected more rent control. Ryan Sabalow and Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 11/6/24

California General Election Unofficial Election Results Cal Sec of State

California elections results in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

San Francisco Election Results in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/24

San Francisco Mayor Election in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/24

California voters approve anti-crime ballot measure Prop. 36 -- California voters on Tuesday approved a November ballot measure that will impose stricter penalties for repeat theft and crimes involving fentanyl, steering away from recent progressive policies that critics blamed for increased lawlessness. Anabel Sosa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Democrat Adam Schiff wins California’s U.S. Senate race -- Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, who rose to national prominence as a key antagonist of former President Trump, easily beat Republican and former Dodgers All-Star Steve Garvey on Tuesday night to win California’s open seat in the U.S. Senate. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Bay Area House results: Simon, Liccardo lead in open congressional races -- Two new Bay Area lawmakers will be heading to the U.S. House of Representatives in January, joining Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who secured her 20th election to Congress to represent San Francisco in early results. Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/24

Nation looks to California as Republicans and Democrats fight for control of the House -- The fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives may remain unresolved Tuesday night as votes are counted in several competitive races in California that could determine whether Democrats or Republicans win the majority. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

San Francisco Mayor Election -- Results of ranked choice voting in S.F. mayoral race, live maps of voting by precinct and analysis on each candidate's performance. The list is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/24

Recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is ahead in early returns -- The recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was ahead in early returns on Tuesday, with 64% of voters backing her removal from office. Nearly 36% of voters opposed the recall. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/24

Kevin McCarty leading over Flojaune Cofer in early results for Sacramento mayoral election -- McCarty had about 56% of the vote and Cofer had 44% as of 8 p.m. Theresa Clift, Emma Hall and Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/6/24

Wildfire winds

Whipping winds expected to bring ‘extreme and life-threatening’ fire conditions to Los Angeles -- Because of unusually strong winds, the National Weather Service has issued a rare Particularly Dangerous Situation red flag warning for wide swaths of L.A. County and southwest California, stretching from late Tuesday through Thursday. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24

Valenzuela

Public funeral for Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela set for Wednesday morning -- A public funeral Mass for Fernando Valenzuela — beloved Mexican-born pitcher, Dodgers legend and the inspiration for “Fernandomania” — will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/24