- Californians voted for some GOP-backed proposals and against some liberal ones.
- They voted in favor of increased criminal penalties and appeared ready to reject an increase in the minimum wage.
- Other blue states showed significant rightward movement on Election Day.
Even the bluest states in the US were not immune from a significant rightward shift on Election Day
This was evident in California, America’s most populous state, which has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1988. Known for its liberal politics, California has often drawn the ire of Republican politicians and some pro-business billionaires like Elon Musk. . Musk moved Tesla to Texas in 2021 and said he would also move X and SpaceX out of California this year, citing laws he said attack “families and companies.”
“Paradise lost” is how Donald Trump, now president-elect, referred to California during a campaign stop in the Coachella Valley last month, adding: “Whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican or an independent, this election is your chance to send a message to the world, the people of California will not take it anymore.”
While Vice President Kamala Harris easily won California over Trump, a closer look at the numbers and votes at the state and local level reveals a more nuanced story than the progressive reputation the Golden State has earned.
California voted to increase criminal penalties and oppose rent control
California voted overwhelmingly to increase penalties for certain drug and theft crimes, despite Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s opposition to the measure, which he called a step back toward “mass incarceration.” About 70% voted in favor of the proposal as of Friday.
Voters also rejected a proposal that would have given local governments more power to impose rent control 61% voted against. Landlords, realtors and some pro-housing groups opposed the measure, but the California Democratic Party, tenant groups and some unions supported it.
Although the races had not been called until Friday, voters in California appeared poised to reject two proposals backed by liberal groups: raising the state’s minimum wage and outlawing forced prison labor.
However, California voters voted to protect a state constitutional right to marry regardless of gender or race and to issue conservation bonds.
California voted in favor of a measure that would increase penalties for some drug and theft crimes. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Local races also suggested a move down the middle
Incumbent San Francisco Mayor London Breed lost re-election to Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat and political outsider. Lurie, the Levi Strauss heir, spent more than $8 million of his own money on his campaign.
Although Lurie is a Democrat, he received support from several Republican groups in San Francisco, which have criticized Breed’s handling of crime, drug use and homelessness in the city. The San Francisco Republican Party had Lurie and candidate Mark Farrell as their top picks for mayor.
In Los Angeles County, voters rejected incumbent District Attorney George Gascon, a prosecutor known as one of the most progressive in the country. Gascón was elected in the wake of the 2020 racial justice protests.
Los Angeles voters instead elected former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, a former Republican who ran as an independent and has promised to undo Gascon’s policies, which he said made it difficult to fight crime.
More signs that California was getting redder
Before Election Day, there were some signs that the state’s electorate had shifted to the right. A poll by the Public Policy Institute of California said the number of registered Democrats this year was about the same as in 2020, while the share of registered Republicans increased by several hundred thousand.
Although the share of Californians who switched parties from Democrat to Republican was small, PPIC found it was more common among black, Latino and younger voters — all groups with which Trump drew support elsewhere.
California is still counting its votes, so exactly how much the presidential vote has changed from 2020 to 2024 is unclear. As of Friday, with about 63% of the votes counted, it appeared that some interior constituencies were poised to flip from blue to red.
Other blue states with a larger percentage of their votes counted as of Friday also showed a steady rightward trend.
Harris easily won Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Maryland — but by significantly smaller margins than President Joe Biden won them in 2020.