Election Day is upon us in California. While the top race, the presidential primary, may be all but settled, all 53 of California's Congressional seats are up for election today, as is one US Senate seat, two statewide ballot initiatives and many local offices.
Tuesday's primary election also marks the first test of Latino power under the State's new "Top Two" open primary system, as well as the new legislative districts created by the citizen committee. Because of the changes (both put in place by California voters), observers are predicting one of the most competitive election primaries in decades.
Put simply, a "Top Two" open primary means that state voters will be free to select candidates for Congress and the statehouse regardless of their own political party affiliation. The top two vote-getters in each race will proceed to the November General Election. Essentially, the race could end up Dem vs Dem.
California's new system was the brainchild of Abel Maldonado, a former Republican state senator and lieutenant governor from Santa Barbara County. The method is supposed to be a way to get rid of primaries dominated by the extreme left and right of their parties, allowing moderate candidates to emerge. The immediate result is that many "safe seats" are now gone, with many veteran incumbents announcing retirement or finding themselves facing serious challenges.
Californians will also decide on two statewide initiatives Tuesday:
Proposition 29 would impose a $1 tax on packs of cigarettes to fund cancer research, as California is one of only a few states that have not increased cigarette taxes in recent years.
Proposition 28 would slightly loosen the State's strict term limits for lawmakers, cutting the number of years they may serve from 14 to 12 but allowing them to complete the entire time in either the Assembly or Senate, which they cannot do now.
One of the most closely watched races is in Los Angeles County, where voters will choose a District Attorney expected to address allegations of gang-like cliques among sheriff's deputies, unlawful use of force in the prisons and the future of California's three-strikes law.
In Compton, a voting rights lawsuit brought by Latino residents has resulted in a reform measure to utilize district-wide elections for City Council, rather than citywide, with the hope of gaining more representative elected officials.
Between 2000 and 2010, California's Latino population grew increased by 27.8% to 14 million. The Latino electorate was decisive during the 2008 presidential primary and many statewide races. However, there is only one way to ensure that our political power continues to grow, and that is to make sure you and your friends and families get out to vote.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Polling place locations and other voter information can be found on county election websites: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Diego, Santa Clara, Alameda, Fresno, Sacramento and Kern.
And, if you're not registered, there's no better time than the present! It takes 3 minutes here and please share the page with friends and family.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
2 California cities voters approve pension cuts - The Guardian
ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press= SAN DIEGO (AP) — Voters in two major California cities overwhelmingly approved measures to cut retirement benefits for city workers Tuesday in contests being closely watched as states and local governments throughout the country struggle with mounting pension obligations.
In San Diego, 67 percent voted in favor of Proposition B while 33 percent were opposed. More than 65 percent of precincts reported.
The margin in San Jose was even wider, with 71 percent in favor of Measure B and 29 percent opposed. Nearly half of precincts reported.
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed called the vote a victory for fiscal reform.
"The voters get it, they understand what needs to be done," he said in an interview.
Supporters had a straightforward pitch: Pensions for city workers are unaffordable and more generous than many private companies offer, forcing libraries to slash hours and potholes to go unfilled.
"We believe people are tired of having services cut back because of big pensions," San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, a Republican who is being forced from office by term limits, said recently.
Shrinking tax revenues during the recession are also responsible for service cuts, but pensions are an easy target. San Diego's payments to the city's retirement fund soared from $43 million in 1999 to $231.2 million this year, equal to 20 percent of the city's general fund budget, which pays for day-to-day operations.
As the pension payments grew, San Diego's 1.3 million residents saw roads deteriorate and libraries and recreation centers cut hours. For a while, some fire stations had to share engines and trucks. The city has cut its workforce 14 percent to 10,100 employees since Sanders took office in 2005.
San Jose's pension payments jumped from $73 million in 2001 to $245 million this year, equal to 27 percent of its general fund budget. Voters there approved construction bonds at the beginning of the last decade, but four new libraries and a police station have never opened because the city cannot afford to operate them. The city of 960,000 cut its workforce 27 percent to 5,400 over the last 10 years.
Opponents, led by public employee unions, say the measures deprive workers of benefits they were counting on when they got hired. Some workers decided against potentially more lucrative jobs with private companies, figuring their retirement was relatively safe.
"This is part of a broader effort to attack workers and to make their lives miserable," San Diego Councilman Todd Gloria said during a debate on the San Diego measure.
Thom Reilly, former manager of Clark County, Nev., and now a professor of social work at San Diego State University, said opponents face a difficult task. He expects the California measures may spawn similar efforts elsewhere if they pass.
"The ones who are actually paying the taxes will never see these benefits in their lifetimes, so there's not a lot of sympathy in the public," he said.
The ballot measures differ on specifics. San Diego's imposes a six-year freeze on pay levels used to determine pension benefits unless a two-thirds majority of the City Council votes to override it. It also puts new hires, except for police officers, into 401(k)-style plans.
More than 100,000 residents signed petitions to put the San Diego measure on the ballot.
Under San Jose's measure, current workers have to pay up to 16 percent of their salaries to keep their retirement plan or accept more modest benefits. New hires would get less generous benefits.
Reed, a Democrat, joined an 8-3 City Council majority to put the measure on the ballot. He said Tuesday that he expected other cities in financial binds to pursue similar measures.
"We're at the leading edge but we're not alone," he said.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
California congressional races: Stark's next opponent appears to be set: McNerney eyes challenger - Contra Costa Times
Democratic challenger Eric Swalwell was well ahead of independent challenger Chris Pareja for the right to take on Rep. Pete Stark in November's general election for the newly drawn 15th Congressional District, early returns showed Tuesday.
Swalwell was off to a such a strong start that he could pose a significant threat to the 20-term incumbent Stark, D-Fremont, come this fall.
Elsewhere in the Bay Area, Ricky Gill was handily dispatching fellow Republican John McDonald to finish second behind Rep. Jerry McNerney in the new 9th Congressional District. In fact, Gill's and McDonald's combined votes in early returns were adding up to more than those garnered by McNerney, D-Stockton, though a spokeswoman said he's confident of victory come November. Gill is among national Republicans' "Young Guns," and McNerney is wearing the bull's-eye.
The battle to replace retiring Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, in the new 2nd Congressional District -- stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border -- looked to be shaping up as a showdown between Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Republican Daniel Roberts, an investment firm CEO from Tiburon; next among the 12 candidates was activist and author Norman Solomon of Inverness.
And, close to the Bay Area, another "Young Gun" -- Colusa County Supervisor Kim Vann -- was leading three other Republicans to finish second behind Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, who had a majority
of the vote in early returns.In the 15th District, Stark, 80, was leading the vote in early returns. Swalwell, 31, a Dublin councilman and Alameda County prosecutor, was close behind while Pareja, 40, a conservative businessman from Hayward was trailing.
"We survived this first heat, we're moving on, and we kept the incumbent under 50 percent," an elated Swalwell said Tuesday night. "A lot of Democrats may have voted for Stark because that's what they knew, but we're confident that in six more months we can talk to them and earn their votes as well."
It might have been better for Stark if Pareja had made the cut instead of Swalwell. It's hard to imagine any voters who backed the tea party-friendly Pareja will leapfrog over the somewhat more moderate Swalwell to embrace Stark, a liberal paragon, in November. Swalwell, meanwhile, will continue trying to chip away at Stark's Democratic base even as he tries to win over those Pareja voters.
He'll definitely be appealing to the "anyone but Stark" bloc, which might have grown as Stark made ill-researched public accusations recently that Swalwell had taken bribes in exchange for favorable Dublin zoning decisions; money from developers with legal problems; and a contribution from a newspaper columnist. None were true, and Stark's apologies seemed to play into Swalwell's narrative that Stark has been in Washington for too long and has lost touch with common folks in his district.
Although Stark is a 20-term incumbent, he contends he still has more to accomplish, including protecting Medicare and Social Security for future generations; cutting military spending, including ending the nation's current wars while avoiding new ones; advancing education bills for disadvantaged children; and bringing more federal funding to district infrastructure projects.
In the 9th District, Gill, 25, who received a UC Berkeley law degree last month, is emphasizing his local roots as a Lodi native; his work in his family's vineyard and RV-park businesses; and his service as a former student member of the state board of education. McNerney, 60, is seeking a fourth term after focusing on veterans' issues, growing the local economy and protecting the Delta's water resources. He recently moved from Pleasanton to Stockton.
McNerney campaign spokeswoman Lauren Smith said Tuesday that primaries tend to bring out more partisan voters, and she's confident the incumbent has "a clear path toward victory in the general election" in a district that President Obama won by an 18-point margin in 2008.
In the 2nd District, Huffman, 48, is a former public interest consumer attorney who has crusaded for environmental causes during his six years in the Assembly, leading both the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and the Assembly Environmental Caucus. Roberts is the founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Roberts & Ryan Investment Inc.
Elsewhere in California, two long-serving Democrats are headed for a November showdown in a bitterly contested Los Angeles County House district.
Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman were closely matched in their fight for the 30th District seat in the San Fernando Valley, a race that has seen more than $5 million in spending. According to early returns, Sherman grabbed about 40 percent of the vote, to 34 percent for Berman. Several Republicans trailed far back, meaning the two Democrats would face off again in November.
In a statement from his campaign, Sherman said the tally Tuesday was "preparation for a victory party in November."
In the narrowly divided 10th Congressional District in central California, Republican Rep. Jeff Denham locked up a November runoff with former space shuttle astronaut Jose Hernandez, a Democrat. Chad Condit, who stressed his independence from traditional political parties, lagged in the single digits; he's. He is the son of former Rep. Gary Condit, who was ousted when his relationship with a Washington intern emerged after her disappearance.
In Ventura County, Supervisor Linda Parks was trailing two other candidates in her bid to claim the 26th Congressional District seat running as an independent. The fastest growing political affiliation in California is "no party preference," and independents now make up about 21 percent of the statewide electorate, and 19 percent of voters in her district. If elected, Parks would become the only independent in California's congressional delegation. But Republican Tony Strickland was leading with 45 percent of the vote, with about 40 percent of the precincts reporting, followed by Democrat Julia Brownley, with 26 percent. Parks had 19 percent.
New district boundaries drawn by an independent commission -- a power once held by state lawmakers and party insiders -- opened the way for competitive contests. Nine of the 53 districts have no incumbent on the ballot, and the open seats have lured a throng of competitors.
With control of the House of Representatives on the line, national Republicans fear California is among the states where they could lose ground, even if it's a longshot for Democrats to pick up the 25 seats they need to reclaim the majority.
The level competition is unfamiliar in California, where for years political deal-making produced districts that virtually guaranteed one-sided results on Election Day. Only one House incumbent lost in California in the last decade, a period when voters grew increasingly disillusioned with Washington.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Josh Richman covers politics. Follow him at Twitter.com/josh_richman. Read the Political Blotter at IBABuzz.com/politics.
Source: www.contracostatimes.com
California Primary 2012: Election live blog - San Francisco Gate
A live blog of Tuesday’s California Primary. Up-to-the-minute results (once the polls close), analysis and all the humor we can find in this dreary, low-turnout election.
Update: 11:20 p.m.
OK, we’re ending the live blog for tonight. Stay tuned to sfgate.com/elections for the latest results tonight, Wednesday and beyond.
Thanks for sticking with us. We leave you with this:
Definition of loyalty: 38,627 Californians have voted for Newt Gingrich for president….and counting #CAPrimary #CA2012
— joegarofoli (@joegarofoli) June 6, 2012
Update:10:47 p.m.
California’s proposed $1-per-pack cigarette tax is getting closer and closer. With just 22.5 percent of precincts reporting, the count is 50.6 percent in favor and 49.4 percent against. That’s a gap of only 26,450 votes. The division has only gotten closer all night. We may not know results tonight unless statewide counting picks up. Monitor the results yourself here. Or follow Comrade Marisa Lagos for the latest.
#prop29 #cigarettetax still winning, but barely — with 1/4 of votes in, up by 29k votes – just 1.2% #CA2012 — mlagos (@mlagos) June 6, 2012
Update : 10:09 p.m.
Coit tower. (Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle)
The San Francisco Chronicle has called both of the San Francisco ballot initiative contests. (We discussed them below). With 80 percent of precincts reporting, 77 percent of voters said they did not want to end the city’s garbage collection monopoly. Meanwhile, 53 percent of voters approved an advisory resolution calling for limited private events in Coit Tower.
Update: 9:58 p.m.
The Associated Press says Proposition 28, an initiative that would reform the state’s term-limit system, will pass. That isn’t a surprise given that 65 percent of voters have approved the initiative, with 14 percent of precincts reporting. Californians passed some of the strictest term limits 22 years ago. Critics said this year’s effort would reform a system that contributed to budget gridlock and gave lobbyists and bureaucrats too much power, Comrade Marisa Lagos reports. The state’s other initiative, Prop 29, which would raise per-pack cigarette taxes by $1, is awful close. With 14 percent of precincts reporting, 51 percent of voters approve the initiative. The tax is ahead by only 45,000 votes. (See below for background.) Live results of both initiatives here.
Update: 9:48 p.m.
Statewide results are still coming in, but there isn’t anything striking to report. Meanwhile, we’ll stop by the local elections in San Francisco. A guest report from the City Insider team, where voters are deciding on a controversial garbage initiative and a non-binding resolution on the future of Coit Tower.
San Francisco’s 80-year-old garbage monopoly looks likely to continue as voters were overwhelmingly rejecting Proposition A, which would change the way the city handles trash collection. With only mailed ballots counted, voters also were backing Proposition B, an advisory measure that would put strict limits on private events at Coit Tower and earmark concession money for improvement of the city landmark.
Early results for sf #elections, garbage measure is losing, protect #coittower winning: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl… — SF City Insider (@SFCityInsider) June 6, 2012
Update: 8:47 p.m.
Running against 23 other candidates, DiFi has a commanding lead against her opponents. No one expects the California political powerhouse to lose this race, even after the kerfuffle with her campaign finances.
Early CA: Dem US Sen @DianneFeinstein clobbers all comers, w GOPer Elizabeth Emken strong second, birther @DrOrlyTaitzEsqa distant 5th — Carla Marinucci(@cmarinucci) June 6, 2012
Still, has Comrade Deb Saunders points out, Feinstein only has 52 percent of the vote with 9 percent of precincts reporting.
W/ 9% of CA vote counted, @DianneFeinstein barely maintains majority w/ 52.5 % of vote. — Debra J. Saunders (@debrajsaunders) June 6, 2012
Update: 8:23 p.m.
With just 6.3 percent of precincts reporting, it looks like the vote to raise the per-pack tax on cigarettes is going to be close. Prop 29: 53.5 percent have voted yes, 46.5 percent have voted no. That matches what we saw in polling late last month. See below for background on the initiative.
With 5% of votes counted, both statewide props are winning #tobaccotax #termlimits — mlagos (@mlagos) June 6, 2012
Update 8:09 p.m.
Eric Swalwell isn't too far behind Pete Stark. (Michael Macor/The Chronicle)
Surprisingly close early results in Alameda County, where long-time Rep. Pete Stark is trying to fend off insurgent challenger Eric Swalwell. (See below for more background on the race). With just a few vote-by-mail ballots in: Stark has 14854 votes or 44.72 percent of the total. Swalwell has 11690 votes or 35.19 percent of the total. Swalwell has never run for office. Stark has been in Congress for almost 40 years. Track the most recent Alameda County results here.
Update: 8:04 p.m.
We’re still waiting for results to post …
Update:7:55 p.m.
More than half of voters have voted online by mail, which means we’ll have a pretty good sense of what the final results will be when the vote-by-mail numbers post in five minutes. Not a guarantee, but a good idea of trends. Stay tuned here for those results.
Update: 7:45 p.m.
Yes, we know it is boring in California today. So read Comrade Joe Garolfoli’s take on the Wisconsin recall. What to take from the Wisconsin vote.
Dems spinning that Obama beat Romney in WI exit polls, but Cheeseland Dems pissed that Obama/Biden blew off #WIrecall sfg.ly/Mg975e — joegarofoli (@joegarofoli) June 6, 2012
Update: 7:15 p.m.
Polls close in 45 minutes!
Jonathan Stockhus said he didn't feel the new ballots were confusing after he casts his vote at City Hall in Daly City. California held it's primary election June 5th, 2012. (Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle)
Update: 7:02 p.m.
Bored? Here’s what to care about tonight, Part II
1) Warhorse Pete Stark v. the young upstart
Pete Stark. (Russell Yip/The Chronicle)
Rep. Pete Stark, 80, of Fremont, has been in office 19 terms and has never faced much of a challenge. Until this year. Stark had made a number of gaffes along the campaign trail, like accusing his Democratic opponent Eric Swalwell of taking bribes from developers. Stark later apologized and retracted the comment. A week later, Stark falsely accused Chronicle columnist Deb Saunders of donating to Swalwell’s campaign. She didn’t. Stark apologized. Again. Over the course of the campaign, Stark hasn’t made much of an effort to attend campaign events or debates, frustrating many of his supporters, reports Comrade Carla Marinucci. What to watch for: There isn’t much doubt that Stark will win the primary today. But many wonder how much of a bite Swalwell can take out of Stark’s lead and what that will say about the attitude of voters in Stark’s district. 2) The battle for the North Coast Faced with the task of running in a brand-new district, Rep. Lynn Woolsey said enough is enough and retired. That left a vacuum that a number of Democrats rushed to fill. The race has become a bit of a gloves-off brawl between three top Democratic candidates. In one case, Marin County Supervisors Susan Adams dropped an ad that compared business executive Stacey Lawson to Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. As Comrade Joe Garofoli pointed out, that’s quite a charge in a district that historically votes 62 percent Democratic. What to watch for: Who are the last two candidates left standing? Polling points to state Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael as the top guy. But in a new district that goes all the way up the coast, it could turn out any which way.
Update: 6:28 p.m.
Follow these guys for the latest, most up-to-date information:
RT @rickdunham: Make sure to check out @cmarinucci, @joegarofoli & my friends at the SF Chron tonite as they cover exciting #CAPrimary. — Carla Marinucci(@cmarinucci) June 6, 2012
#CA2012 CAPrimary turnout prediction: 35 %. #juneprimariessuck sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl… — joegarofoli (@joegarofoli) June 5, 2012
Update: 5:57 p.m.
Bored? Here’s what to care about tonight, Part I
Newsflash: This isn’t the world’s most exciting election, as Comrade Joe Garofoli noted today.
That said, there are some interesting races to watch:
Orly Taitz (Nick Ut/AP)
She’s running against 23 other candidates, but there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that incumbent DiFi will lose the primary Tuesday. But there’s a good chance she’ll face a so-called birther in November.
Orly Taitz, a Russian-Israeli emigre who lives in Orange County and has degrees in law and dentistry, has gone on national television and said she believes Obama wasn’t born in the United States.
What to watch for: If Taitz comes in second (most other candidates are polling in the single digits) it could be a national embarrassment to both parties, rivaling the candidacy of Christine “I am not a witch” O’ Donnell, notes Comrade Carolyn Lochhead in Monday’s Chronicle.
Cigs. (Michael Macor/The Chronicle)
2) Prop 29: Big-Cig money vs. small cancer money
Just two months ago, 67 percent of voters said they were likely to support a new $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes. Then Big-Cig corporations started dumping money into ads decrying the initiative as a boondoggle that would funnel taxpayer money out of state.
Underfunded anti-cancer and health advocates have spent just a small fraction of that money supporting the initiative and have called in big guns like Lance Armstrong.
Last pollsters checked, support for the tax was down to 53 percent. Forty-two percent said they would oppose the plan, Comrade Marisa Lagos reported in May.
What to watch for: Was Big-Cig’s money enough to change what seemed like an all-but-locked-in result in March?
Source: blog.sfgate.com
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