Election night is a thing of the past and the returns we seek may still be days or even weeks away. Regional races for the Congressional seats in the State Assembly and Sacramento County Supervisor are all very much in play.
But ballot tallies still show many winners and losers in the days after Election Day. Here is a sample.
WINNER
Govt. Gavin Newsom, on his way to an election victory on Republican Senator Brian Dahle for a second term as California’s chief executive. The race was called minutes after polls closed Tuesday night, with Newsom leading Lassen County’s Dahle with 58% of the vote. For Newsom, 55, it’s his third statewide victory since taking the governorship in 2018; after crushing a $200 million recall effort to overthrow it in 2021.
WINNER
Reproductive rights.
Californians in large numbers have enshrined the rights to abortion and contraception in the State Constitution, massively passing proposition 1 with 65% of the vote months after the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion.
Newsom defended the ballot initiative — another resounding victory on a big night for the governor — and pointed to a progressive California.
“We have governors who got re-elected tonight in other states who ban books, who ban speech, who ban abortion,” Newsom said Tuesday night. “And here we are in California, we are moving in a completely different direction. It is a deep pride. »
LOSERS
Game initiatives.
California Indian tribes, online sports betting and Golden State gambling halls have poured nearly half a billion dollars into two of the largest costly ballot initiatives in state history only for California voters to overwhelmingly reject both measures. Proposition 26 would have allowed in-person sports betting at tribal casinos. Prop 27, backed by online gaming companies FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM, would have opened up California to online sports betting. The campaigns surrounding the measures had paid off a staggering $462.2 million at the end of Octoberaccording to Ballotopedia.
But California voters had had enough the seemingly endless stream of advertisements and mailings purchased by the millions and the obscure messages of competing measures. Weary voters delivered resounding defeats to both Proposition 26 and Proposition 27. 70% of voters rejected Proposition 26. Proposition 27, the online sports betting initiative, did worse than the Raiders on a road gameloser with 83% of the vote.
WINNERS
Political advisers.
State Indian tribes and online sportsbooks placed historically significant bets on the mutually assured destruction that was Props. 26 and 27. The November elections showed that there were still many millions to be made. Opponents of Proposition 29, last attempt to impose a staff increase in dialysis clinics, reported $89.3 million to see the measure to overcome. Another one $50 million donated in fight against Proposition 30the campaign measure that would raise taxes on the wealthiest Californians to fund programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Checkbooks also came out for local races, including the too-close State Senate battle between the Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby and former state insurance commissioner david jones. The two candidates together have raised nearly $2.5 million in the fight for the Sacramento-area seat. Dollars pile up in race for Assembly District 7, between incumbent Democrat Ken Cooley and Josh Hoover. Cooley raised more than $3.6 million in his fight with Republican Hoover, who raised just under $1 million in his bid to take the seat.
WINNER
Kerri Howell.
The mayor of Folsom was narrowly leading her race to retain her seat just days after being almost withdrawn from the ballot after the city requested his disqualification for potentially violating state election law. Howell allowed Councilman Mike Koslowski to collect signatures for his campaign, she told The Bee in October.
“Let the voters decide,” Howell said.
Folsom voters will decide the fate of this comeback story. Stay tuned to see how it ends.
WINNERS
Tax obligation and measures.
Across Sacramento County, from the Twin Rivers Unified School District to Carmichael to Elk Grove and Galt, voters appeared to put inflation fears aside commit to spending more money to fund schools, affordable housing, public safety and parks. Except …
LOSING
Measure a.
Sacramento County’s proposed half-cent sales tax increase lagging in early yields would help fund the Capital Southeast Connector, the freeway being built to connect Interstate 50 to Interstate 5, as well as light rail expansion and new bridges. Proponents say the tax would raise about $8.5 billion over the next 40 years to meet the needs of a growing population and worsening displacement.
But opponents say the measure is a financial drain on developers and building trades ready to benefit from projects the revenue would fund; would encourage sprawl and dump even more cars on Sacramento-area roads.
WINNERS
Nail biters on election night.
Angelique Ashby and Dave Jones for the State Senate. Kevin Kiley and Kermit Jones for Congress. Pat Hume and Jaclyn Moreno to represent Southern Sacramento County on the Board of Supervisors. Howell from Folsom and newcomer Anna Rohrbough. Porsche Middleton and Natalee Price in Citrus Heights; tight races for school board seats in Natomas and Sacramento Unified. Races are tight all over the electoral map.
WINNERS
El Dorado County Election Officials and voters.
A major storm dumps desperately needed feet of snow at exactly the wrong time on a wintery election day, just as residents head to the polls to vote.
No problem, say voters in El Dorado County, who marched in the snow in larger numbers than expected; and election officials who seemed to pull off the big day without a hitch.
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 5:30 a.m.
