Latest California Election Returns on Ballot Props and State Legislative Races

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The California Secretary of State’s site shows that 100% of the precincts have reported and the votes have been counted, but it is unknown how many ballots remain for what is the final count. With that caveat—and it may be a big one in some cases, here are the results.

First of all, this appears to have set a modern day record for a primary—for a low turnout—if this is anywhere near the final number—just 22.2% of registered voters cast ballots. This is little more than many special election turnouts, obviously because of the lack of a Presidential contest on the California primary ballot. 3,583,827 votes out of a record 16,123,787 registered voters have been tallied.

98 Goes Down Like a Lead Balloon; 99 Passes in Landslide

Proposition 98, the landlord backed measure on eminent domain that had provisions that would have wiped out rent control laws in many localities throughout California and endangered many tenant protections and environmental laws and the like went down to a flaming defeat, by a 39% to 61% margin. It failed in all coastal counties in California—including the most populated—with the exception of the tiny most northern county—Del Norte. It failed passage even behind the Orange curtain. This, despite an $8 million campaign to try to convince the voters to pass it. It had the opposition of 73 newspapers across the state and the only major newspaper endorsement it received was that of the Orange County Register.

Proposition 99, the measure placed on the ballot as an alternative by some environmental organizations and local government groups, more narrowly drawn to protect homeowners from the effects of the U.S Supreme Court decision in the Kelo case which allowed seizure under eminent domain, passed by a wide 62.5% to 37.5%, and probably puts an end to further initiatives in this area. There is only one county it failed to pass in, tiny Colusa County where it narrowly failed.

Close Races for the State Legislature

The closest Assembly District races include the contest for the Democratic nomination in the 8th Assembly District between Christopher Cabaldon (15,961 votes or 48.4%) to Mariko Yamada, the apparent victor (17,009 votes or 51.6%). There may be more ballots here, but for now, it appears that Yamada won both counties in the district, Solano and Yolo, by about the same razor thin margin that leaves her on this side of the cliff.

In AD 19, centered in Democratic San Mateo, it is unclear whether Jerry Hill, with 11038 votes or 36.9%, or Gina Papan with 10,726 votes or 35.8% of the vote, will be the candidate heavily favored to win in the General Election. Hill, who appears to have the edge, was endorsed by the California League of Conservation Voters. Richard Holober, the Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of California came in third at 8196 votes for 27.3% of the vote. Holober had heavy independent expenditures made against him by the California Chamber of Commerce’s “Jobs PAC.” He had support from the California Nurses Association and the United Health Care Workers.