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Tag: primary election

  • Councilmember Nithya Raman to run for L.A. mayor, challenging onetime ally Karen Bass

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    Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman is running for mayor, shaking up the field of candidates one final time.

    Raman said she will challenge Mayor Karen Bass, her onetime ally, campaigning on issues of housing and homelessness, transparency and “safety in our streets.”

    In an interview, Raman called Bass “an icon” and someone she deeply admires. But she said the city needs a change agent to address its problems.

    “I have deep respect for Mayor Bass. We’ve worked closely together on my biggest priorities and her biggest priorities, and there’s significant alignment there,” said Raman, who lives in Silver Lake. “But over the last few months in particular, I’ve really begun to feel like unless we have some big changes in how we do things in Los Angeles, that the things we count on are not going to function anymore.”

    Saturday’s announcement — hours before the noon filing deadline for the June 2 primary election — capped a chaotic week in L.A. politics, with candidates and would-be candidates dropping in and out of the race to challenge Bass, who is seeking a second four-year term.

    Raman would immediately pose a formidable challenge to Bass. She was the first council member to be elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America, which scored an enormous victory last fall with the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

    Councilmember Nithya Raman jumps in the race for mayor, challenging former ally Karen Bass in the June primary.

    (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

    At the same time, Raman has deep ties to leaders in the YIMBY movement, who have pushed for the city to boost housing production by upzoning single-family neighborhoods and rewriting Measure ULA, the so-called mansion tax, which applies to property sales of $5.3 million or more.

    Raman’s eleventh-hour announcement caps what has been the most turbulent candidate filing period for an L.A. mayoral election in at least a generation. She launched her bid less than a day after another political heavyweight, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, decided against a run.

    Until Raman’s surprise entry, the field had seemed to be clear of big-name challengers. Former L.A. schools superintendent Austin Beutner ended his campaign on Thursday, citing the death of his 22-year-old daughter. That same day, real estate developer Rick Caruso reaffirmed his decision not to run.

    Bass campaign spokesperson Douglas Herman did not immediately provide comment.

    Raman’s announcement comes as Bass continues to face sharp criticism over the city’s handling of the Palisades fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Unlike some of the candidates, Raman has not publicly criticized Bass about the city’s preparation for, or response to, the disaster.

    Bass, 72, faces more than two dozen opponents from across the political spectrum.

    Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, a Republican, has received praise from an array of Trump supporters, including Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, of Florida. Pratt has focused heavily on the city’s handling of the fire, which destroyed his home.

    Spencer Pratt poses for a portrait in Pacific Palisades.

    Spencer Pratt poses for a portrait in Pacific Palisades.

    (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

    Democratic socialist Rae Huang is running against the mayor from her political left. Huang has called for more public housing and for a reduction in the number of police officers, with the cost savings poured into other city services.

    Brentwood tech entrepreneur Adam Miller, who has described himself as a lifelong Democrat, said the city is on a downward trajectory and needs stronger management. The 56-year-old nonprofit executive plans to tap his personal wealth to jump-start his campaign.

    Also in the race is Asaad Alnajjar, an employee of the Bureau of Street Lighting who sits on the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council. Alnajjar has already lent his campaign $80,000.

    At City Hall, Raman’s entrance into the mayor’s race is a bombshell, particularly given her relationship with Bass.

    In December 2022, not long after taking office, Bass launched her Inside Safe program, which moves homeless people indoors, in Raman’s district.

    Two years later, while running for reelection, Raman prominently featured Bass on at least a dozen of her campaign mailers and door hangers. Raman’s campaign produced a video ad that heavily excerpted Bass’ remarks endorsing her at a Sherman Oaks get-out-the-vote rally.

    Raman, whose district stretches from Silver Lake to Reseda, ultimately won reelection with 50.7% of the vote. In the years that followed, she continued to praise Bass’ leadership.

    In November, while appearing at a DSA election night watch party for Mamdani, Raman told The Times that Bass is “the most progressive mayor we’ve ever had in L.A.”

    Last month, Bass formally announced that she had secured Raman’s endorsement, featuring her in a list of a dozen San Fernando Valley political leaders who backed her reelection campaign.

    Raman ran for office in 2020, promising to put in place stronger tenant protections and provide a more effective, humane approach to combating homelessness. On her campaign platform, she called for the transformation of the LAPD into a “much smaller, specialized armed force” — but never specified what exactly that would mean.

    A woman takes a photo with her phone at the C. Erwin Piper Technical Center on Saturday.

    A woman takes a photo with her phone at the C. Erwin Piper Technical Center on Saturday.

    (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

    Since then, the LAPD has lost about 1,300 officers — a decrease of about 13%. The City Council has put in place new eviction protections for tenants, while also capping the size of rent increases in the city’s “rent stabilized” apartments, which were mostly built before October 1978.

    Raman does not face the same political risks as Horvath, who had already been running for reelection in her Westside and San Fernando Valley district. Horvath, had she run for mayor, would have had to forfeit her seat on the county Board of Supervisors.

    If Raman loses, she would still hold her council seat, since she does not face reelection until 2028.

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    David Zahniser, Noah Goldberg

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  • Luzerne County keeps Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton drop boxes for Nov. 4 election

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    Sep. 17—Luzerne County will again provide mail ballot drop boxes inside two county-owned buildings in Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre for the Nov. 4 general election, a county election board majority decided Wednesday.

    It is the same drop box plan used for the May 20 primary election.

    The box in the Penn Place Building lobby in Wilkes-Barre captures photographs of both the face of the person at the box and each side of the envelope inserted along with the date and time the images were captured.

    Purchased for $12,000 from Runbeck Election Services, the box also has multiple points of internal fire suppression in the event an explosive material is somehow inserted through the opening. The slot itself is fitted to the width of a mail ballot envelope to prevent the insertion of more than one ballot at a time.

    County Election Director Emily Cook said prior to the meeting the box “worked very well,” accurately tracking information in the pilot program and “resolved a lot of concerns” about security.

    As in the primary, a standard mailbox-style drop box will be set up in the Broad Street Exchange Building in downtown Hazleton for the general election.

    Cook said she does not believe the expense of a Runbeck drop box is warranted at the Broad Street Exchange because it typically has the lowest usage, but that could change in the future.

    Board member Rick Morelli asked why the board was voting again, because nothing changed.

    Board Chairwoman Christine Boyle said confirmation was required because the last vote in April was specific to the primary. Going forward, the board won’t be voting on drop boxes unless there are changes, Boyle said.

    Four board members — Boyle, Morelli, Albert Schlosser and Daniel Schramm — confirmed the drop box plan.

    Board Vice Chairwoman Alyssa Fusaro, one of two Republicans on the board, voted no and has said the boxes are not mandated through legislation to comply with statewide election uniformity requirements.

    Morelli, the other Republican board member, has said there were discussions last year about expanding to five drop box locations and that providing only two is a good compromise.

    The board requires video surveillance cameras in both county buildings to record footage of the drop boxes throughout their use.

    Cook said Wednesday she is aiming to start sending mail ballots to the outside printing vendor by the end of next week as part of her effort to get them in the hands of voters as early as possible.

    Details about the available drop box hours will be publicly released around the time they are activated.

    Cook also updated the board on the bureau’s response to a bipartisan election board spot-check of drop boxes announced at last month’s meeting.

    Boyle and Fusaro had reviewed some Penn Place drop box photographs and video surveillance footage from the primary election and found 36 instances in which voters deposited more than one ballot.

    They concluded most appeared to involve voters dropping off ballots with the same family surname or physical address, Boyle had said. Of the 36 instances: 31 dropped off two ballots; three dropped off three; and two dropped off four.

    Cook said Wednesday she has referred the information to the county District Attorney’s Office for its review.

    Campaign finance reports

    In another matter Wednesday, Cook briefed the board on the election bureau’s new procedure for the public to obtain campaign finance reports.

    The bureau had decided in June that it would require the public to submit a form to view campaign finance reports instead of posting them online.

    Cook had said caution was raised about the online posting of home addresses of candidates and elected officials during a conference for eastern Pennsylvania election office officials held shortly after the June shooting deaths of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their residence and another shooting that seriously wounded state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their house.

    Cook had said the bureau does not have the manpower to redact addresses for multiple reports annually, dating back years. County Controller Walter Griffith had proposed hiring an outside vendor to handle the posting and redaction.

    Cook told the board on Wednesday that the bureau compared packages from two outside vendors and is in the process of entering into a contract with one. Work to efficiently redact addresses will begin as soon as the contract is approved, she said.

    Pittston ballot question

    The board also approved a Pittston City home rule charter amendment referendum that will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.

    City voters will decide if they want to change the elected treasurer/tax collector position to an appointed department director when the current elected term expires the end of 2027. If a majority of voters approve the referendum, the qualifications, powers and duties of the director position would be “adjusted to correspond with a position held by a city employee,” an accompanying explanation said.

    Fusaro voted against the ballot question because she did not believe it was clear enough for voters. The related explanation appears in legal notices and at polling places but not on the ballot.

    Other board members agreed but opted to keep the question as submitted because Cook said a change would force the bureau to redo ballot proofing and other work based on the way the current voting system is designed.

    Cook said such ballot alterations won’t significantly set the bureau back if the county switches to a new voting system from Hart InterCivic — a change county council is set to vote on next week.

    Even if the county changes voting systems, Boyle said efforts should be made to encourage municipalities to submit ballot questions earlier, when possible, for board review.

    Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.

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  • Early voting begins for Mass. primary

    Early voting begins for Mass. primary

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    BOSTON — Massachusetts voters can go to the polls beginning this weekend to nominate candidates for Congress and a handful of contested legislative and county races as early voting gets underway ahead of the state primary.

    From Saturday to Aug. 30, cities and towns will allow registered voters to cast early ballots ahead of the Sept. 3 primary. No excuse or justification is required to cast a ballot ahead of time. Voters can also vote by mail, but must request their ballots by a Monday deadline, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Saturday is the deadline to register to vote.

    Turnout is generally low in state primaries, but the lack of contested races means it could drop to new lows with voters more focused on the November crucial presidential election.

    Nevertheless, good government groups are urging voters to take advantage of the state’s expanded voting options to cast their ballots ahead of the primary.

    “With early voting and vote by mail, we have more options for how we choose to cast a ballot and pick our state leaders,” Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to get out and vote before the long weekend.”

    Topping the ballot are three Republican contenders — attorney and cryptocurrency advocate John Deaton, Quincy City Council President Ian Cain and researcher and engineer Bob Antonellis — who are facing off in the GOP primary for a shot at challenging incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has no primary challenger.

    None of the state’s nine Democratic congress members are facing primary challengers, including Reps. Seth Moulton of Salem, and Lori Trahan of Westford. Republicans didn’t field any candidates in 3rd or 6th Congressional district races, ensuring that Trahan and Moulton will win another two years in Congress.

    There are also a handful of contested state legislative primaries, including a rematch between incumbent Democratic Rep. Francisco Paulino of Methuen and Marcos A. Devers of Lawrence in the 16th Essex District race. There are no Republicans running for the House seat.

    Most of the largely Democratic state legislators representing the north of Boston region are facing no primary challengers, and few Republicans are running for the seats.

    On a county level, former Governor’s Councilor Eileen Duff of Gloucester is facing off against Navy veteran Joseph Michael Gentleman III in the Democratic primary for a six-year term as the Southern Essex County Register of Deeds. The winner will fill a vacancy left by former Register John O’Brien, a Democrat who retired on Dec. 31 after 47 years in the post.

    Incumbent Essex County Clerk of Courts Thomas Driscoll will try to fend off a challenge from former Beverly Councilor James FX Doherty on the Democratic ballot. The clerk oversees the superior courts in Salem, Lawrence and Newburyport.

    More than 4.9 million people are eligible to vote in the Sept. 3 primary, elections officials say. The majority, about 63%, are not affiliated with a political party.

    Under the Massachusetts system of open primaries, so-called “un-enrolled” or independent voters can choose a Republican or Democratic ballot.

    Registered Democrats can vote only in the Democratic primary, while Republicans can vote only on the GOP ballot. Libertarians, the state’s other major party, can only vote on their ballot.

    Secretary Of State Bill Galvin is recommending that voters check their city or town’s early voting schedule, and make a plan to vote. He noted that many local election offices have limited hours on Fridays.

    “With the primaries being held on the day after Labor Day, some voters may prefer to vote by mail or to vote early, especially if they have children going back to school that day,” Galvin said in a statement. “The early voting period gives you the chance to vote on whichever day you prefer, at your convenience.”

    Voters also can look up locations and times on the Secretary of State’s website: www.MassEarlyVote.com.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Actor Hill Harper brings empathy, advocacy, and progressive values to U.S. Senate race

    Actor Hill Harper brings empathy, advocacy, and progressive values to U.S. Senate race

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    You’ve probably seen Hill Harper on television.

    Known for his roles in The Good Doctor, Limitless, and CSI:NY, Harper is a talented, versatile actor who brings depth and nuance to his characters. He has earned a loyal fan base because of his ability to authentically convey complex character traits.

    That experience, he says, has taught him a lot about how other people live, and that compassion is what prompted him to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Debbie Stabenow, who is retiring.

    He has emerged as the progressive challenger to frontrunner U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin.

    “Being a performer, an artist, and an actor, you spend your life in other people’s shoes,” Harper tells Metro Times. “You don’t judge your characters. You try to learn from them.”

    Off of television, Harper has shown the same compassion for less fortunate people. The 58-year-old has been a philanthropist and an advocate for higher living wages, universal health care, education, small businesses, criminal justice reform, labor unions, and civil rights. He has served as a spokesperson for the Innocence Project and One Fair Wage and served on former President Barack Obama’s Cancer Panel.

    Hill says so much is at stake in the Aug. 6 primary election. While he and Slotkin are both Democrats, their platforms and experiences are far different.

    “There is a massive difference between her and me,” Hill says.

    Slotkin is a former CIA analyst and Department of Defense official and has established herself as a centrist whose support of Israel has turned off many voters. She voted against a 2020 amendment that would have provided $10,000 in relief on private student loans, opposed removing tax breaks for oil companies tapping into their reserves in 2023, and rejected a bill to prevent Department of Defense contracts with employers found engaging in unfair labor practices. She’s also been accused of not advocating enough for communities of color.

    Slotkin failed to join fellow Democrats in cosponsoring progressive bills such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021.

    Slotkin has received more than $500,000 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and other pro-Israel groups, according to AIPAC tracker. She joined House Republicans last week in sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) after its prosecutors called for the arrest of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister for crimes against humanity.

    “It’s a sad day when our elected representatives are putting special interest dollars in support of their campaign over the truth,” Harper says. “It’s outrageous that 40,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed, most of whom are women and children. Who sits in these seats is a matter of life and death. It’s not hyperbole. It’s not an exaggeration. It’s real. Michigan voters have to decide: Do you want someone to be your next senator who didn’t do the right thing when it mattered? The answer consistently with my opponent is no.”

    While Hill has no experience as an elected official, his resume is undeniably impressive. He attended the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School and has degrees from Brown University and Harvard Law, where Obama was also a student. He and Obama even played basketball together in a prison to interact with inmates.

    “I looked up to Obama, not because he was taller than me, but because he was almost 30 years old coming back to school to contribute to the goals he had,” Harper says.

    A cancer survivor, Harper served on Obama’s Cancer Panel, which is tasked with combating the disease.

    But Harper has an uphill battle to become the state’s first Black U.S. senator. Polls from last month show Slotkin winning by wide margins, and she is trouncing Harper in fundraising.

    But Harper is not one to give up, and he believes the momentum is beginning to shift in his favor. He says many Democrats who are worried about a low turnout in the presidential election in November are beginning to realize that his name on the general election ballot would bring out voters who otherwise would stay home.

    “The seeds are getting planted, and now the momentum is shifting toward us because people are realizing there is a stark difference between my opponent and me,” Harper says. “I’m interested in making solutions for people and leading with empathy and compassion and trying to understand why people feel how they feel. That, to me, is where we have to get to in politics. And I think that’s why my campaign is resonating with people.”

    Harper was hoping to face Slotkin in debates and candidate forums, but he says she has ducked out of them all.

    To demonstrate that his candidacy is about the people, Harper began airing an ad this week that showed a diverse array of people signing a Senate seat.

    “This seat represents the diversity of our people, communities, and businesses,” Harper says in the ad. “And that’s why I’m here — to fight for you. This is your seat.”

    If elected, Harper tells Metro Times he will use that chair to represent Michigan in Washington D.C.

    “I’m going to be a microphone for all of us,” Harper says. “It’s our seat. It’s Michigan’s seat in this 100-person body that decides how $7.2 trillion is allocated.”

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    Steve Neavling

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  • In N.J.’s 3rd District, Herb Conaway wins Democratic primary; Rajesh Mohan gets GOP nod

    In N.J.’s 3rd District, Herb Conaway wins Democratic primary; Rajesh Mohan gets GOP nod

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    In Tuesday’s primary election for New Jersey’s 3rd District of the U.S., five Democrats and four Republicans ran in their parties’ respective contests. Herb Conaway, a longtime Assemblyman and physician from Bordentown, was declared the winner of the Democratic race. Rajesh Mohan, a cardiologist from Holmdel, won the Republican primary. 

    The race for New Jersey’s 3rd District is wide open with incumbent Democrat Andy Kim running for U.S. Senate.

    Polls closed at 8 p.m. and results in both races will be updated below as they become available. All results are unofficial until they have been confirmed by election officials.

    RELATED: Coverage of the Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senate in New Jersey | Republican primary results for N.J.’s 1st District U.S. House seat | Democratic primary results for N.J.’s 2nd District U.S. House seat

    The 3rd District covers nearly all of Burlington County and parts of Mercer and Monmouth counties. Kim is currently in his third term since he was elected in 2018. He was preceded by two-term Republican Congressman Tom MacArthur.

    Democrats

    Herb Conaway has served New Jersey’s 7th legislative district in Burlington Count for 26 years. His legislative efforts at the state level include helping developing the state’s health insurance marketplace, revamping the state’s school funding formula and improving nutritional standards in public schools. Conaway has said the biggest issue in the election is protecting democracy against authoritarianism. He plans to push for codifying abortion rights federally and take action on climate change by incentivizing the development of infrastructure for more planet-friendly technologies.

    Joe Cohn is a civil rights attorney from Lumberton who has worked on behalf of people with HIV/AIDs, seniors and people experiencing workplace discrimination. In his campaign for Congress, Cohn said too many of the nation’s problems are caused by political polarization. He stressed the importance of uniting around bipartisan collaboration. Cohn’s platform called for eliminating age restrictions for Medicare and making health care more affordable, in part by expanding price negotiation for prescription medications. He supports abortion rights and advocates for addressing climate change by prioritizing energy efficiency.

    Carol Murphy is an Assemblywoman in New Jersey’s 7th legislative district, where she was elected in 2017. She said she chose to run for Congress to uplift middle class families by dealing with issues such as rising health care costs, high property taxes, political extremism and women’s reproductive rights. In her campaign, Murphy said the most important goal should be using federal resources to make New Jersey a more affordable place to live.

    Sarah Schoengood is a small business owner from Manalapan who co-owns a company that supplies crabmeat and other seafood from the Mediterranean Sea. Schoengood said she was running for Congress to break the mold of career politicians in Washington, D.C. who aren’t in touch with the needs of regular people. She said the most important issue in this year’s election is protecting women’s reproductive rights. She also supports developing infrastructure for green energy initiatives and providing the industry with a mix of incentives and research dollars.

    Brian Schkeeper is a public school teacher and union member who launched his campaign to fight for more affordable health care and education. He said his priority would be to ensure that Social Security can remain a viable retirement plan and that women’s reproductive rights are protected.

    Republicans

    Rajesh Mohan decided to run for Congress to apply his clinical approach in medicine to improving government. Mohan’s campaign calls for stronger border protection, ensuring the longevity of Medicare and Social Security, and investing in domestic manufacturing and small business growth. He also seeks to increase investments in mental health care and reduce out-of-pocket costs for medical care by reforming the Affordable Care Act.

    Gregory Sobicinski is a business consultant from Southampton who decided to run for Congress to combat rising inflation, underperforming schools and crime in New Jersey communities. He said the biggest problem facing the country is out-of-control government at all levels creating too much interference in personal decision-making. He is an advocate for expanding nuclear energy to create a cleaner economy instead of wind and solar power. In foreign policy, Sobicinski called for the U.S. to intervene only where strategic interests are at stake.

    Shirley Maia-Cusick is the CEO of a legal services firm and views herself as an independent conservative. As an immigrant from Brazil, Maia-Cusick said she’s ran for Congress to restore the country she discovered when she moved to the United States 30 years ago. She opposes abortion and wants the U.S. to scale back its involvement in foreign conflicts to reduce the national debt.

    Michael Francis Faccone is a Jersey City native who said he hoped to serve in Congress to simplify the way legislation gets crafted. He views collaboration across party lines as an essential part of the democratic process and considers transparency and accountability the most important principles for public service. Faccone said he would advocate for policies to reduce crime and taxes, lower economic inequality and seek to improve racial inequality in criminal justice, education and business.

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • Early voting is now underway for May 21 primary election in Georgia

    Early voting is now underway for May 21 primary election in Georgia

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    Don’t forget to make your voice heard and vote in the upcoming primary election on May 21. Early voting has already started on April 29, so make sure to mark these important dates and deadlines in your calendar. This is your chance to exercise your right to vote and make a positive impact.

    Early Voting April 29 – May 17
    Absentee Ballot Request Deadline May 10 
    Absentee Ballot Return Deadline May 21 (7 p.m.)
    Election Day May 21 (Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
    Runoff Elections (if needed) June 18

    To help you prepare for the election, we have attached the Composite Ballots for the May 21, 2024 General Primary & Nonpartisan General Election below. Please note that these ballots include all contest for each district and are not specific to a voter’s individual precinct/ballot. If you want to see your assigned ballot, please visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.

    Cherokee County Democratic Sample Ballot

    Cherokee County Nonpartisan Sample Ballot

    Cherokee County Republican Sample Ballot

    Clayton County Democratic Sample Ballot

    Clayton County Nonpartisan Sample Ballot

    Clayton County Republican Sample Ballot

    Clayton County Commissioner- District 1 Sample Ballot

    Cobb County Democratic Sample Ballot

    Cobb County Nonpartisan Sample Ballot

    Cobb County Republican Sample Ballot

    Dekalb County Sample Ballot

    Douglas County Sample Ballot

    Fayette County Democratic Sample Ballot

    Fayette County Republican Sample Ballot

    Forsyth County Democratic Sample Ballot

    Forsyth County Nonpartisan Sample Ballot

    Forsyth County Republican Sample Ballot

    Fulton County Democratic Composite Ballot

    Fulton County Nonpartisan Composite Ballot

    Fulton County Republican Composite Ballot

    Gwinnett County Democratic Sample Ballot

    Gwinnett County Nonpartisan Sample Ballot

    Gwinnett County Republican Sample Ballot

    Kennesaw Special Sample Ballot

    Rockdale County Democratic Sample Ballot

    Rockdale Nonpartisan Sample Ballot

    Rockdale County Republican Sample Ballot

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    Staff Report

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  • Maryland Democrats compete for high-profile endorsements ahead of Senate primary – WTOP News

    Maryland Democrats compete for high-profile endorsements ahead of Senate primary – WTOP News

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    On Thursday, two powerful Black women officeholders from Prince George’s County announced they were backing U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-6th) over their own county executive, Angela Alsobrooks (D), who is bidding to become the first Black woman to win statewide office in Maryland, and just the third elected to the U.S. Senate.

    This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.

    Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) endorsed U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-6th) for Senate Thursday. Photo by William J. Ford.

    With mail-in voting already under way, and the election less than a month from now, the number and pace of high-profile endorsements is intensifying in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

    On Thursday, two powerful Black women officeholders from Prince George’s County announced they were backing U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-6th) over their own county executive, Angela Alsobrooks (D), who is bidding to become the first Black woman to win statewide office in Maryland, and just the third elected to the U.S. Senate. Trone also picked up the endorsement of a white female state senator who might also be expected, at first glance, to embrace Alsobrooks.

    But by late afternoon Thursday, the Alsobrooks camp could counter with an endorsement from The Washington Post editorial board, which could help move undecided voters, particularly in the state’s largest jurisdiction, Montgomery County.

    Along the way Thursday, EMILY’s List, a prominent Democratic fundraising group that is backing Alsobrooks, issued a denunciation of Trone. And on Friday, an organization that works, in its own words, to counter “corporate bullies,” will begin airing an ad targeting Trone, the co-owner of the Total Wine & More national liquor chain.

    The punching and counter-punching took place a day before Trone and Alsobrooks face their first — and very likely only — televised debate Friday evening, which could also move the needle. Most political professionals agree that Trone is leading in the Democratic primary at the moment, thanks in part to a barrage of advertising that’s been a product of his willingness to spend more than $41 million of his own money on the campaign so far. But they disagree on how wide the margin is.

    Every endorsement has its own back story and carries its own weight. But the news Thursday that Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) and state Sen. Joanne C. Benson (D-Prince George’s) were backing Trone over Alsobrooks seemed particularly potent.

    Braveboy is Alsobrooks’ successor as state’s attorney and has often praised her in public settings — though the two have clashed occasionally over crime-fighting policy. Benson is the senior female Black officeholder in Prince George’s, having served in the legislature since 1991, with a devoted following in her district.

    They join a roster of Prince George’s women of color in public office who have endorsed Trone, including Del. Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D), the chair of the House Health and Government Operations Committee, Del. Deni A. Taveras (D), and County Councilmember Krystal Oriadha (D). Peña-Melnyk is appearing in a Trone TV ad and Oriadha is in a radio spot highlighting Trone’s support in Prince George’s.

    “Prince George’s County deserves a dedicated champion in the United States Senate who will transcend political differences and unite us all to achieve what’s best for our residents and every Marylander,” Braveboy said. “I don’t just know the person that David Trone is, I know the track record he’s established.”

    Benson said Trone “is in public service for all the right reasons.”

    Even though Trone’s recent endorsements are noteworthy, Alsobrooks still has far more support from Black women officials in her home territory, including Clerk of the Circuit Court Mahasin El Amin, six state lawmakers, and four members of the County Council.

    “Angela’s proud of the support she’s received from Prince George’s leaders, to include the majority of our Council and of our state delegation,” Alsobrooks campaign spokesperson Gina Ford wrote in an email to Maryland Matters Thursday. “Angela is also so honored to have earned the support of the majority of our Democratic federal delegation, but the most important endorsement will come from voters in Election Day.”

    Alsobrooks continues to have far more endorsements from Maryland elected officials than Trone, though the gap has narrowed some in recent weeks.

    On Thursday, state Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery) moved from notably undecided to the Trone column.

    “I’ve been watching and waiting,” she said in a video, adding she is confident Trone will be “100% pro-choice” and suggesting he has a better chance of defeating former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in the fall.

    Although Kagan is a longtime leader on women’s issues in Annapolis, EMILY’s List, the group that promotes Democratic women who support abortion rights and has endorsed Alsobrooks, issued a statement Thursday criticizing Trone for appearing to downplay the importance of electing women to the state’s congressional delegation, which is currently all-male, during a recent television interview.

    During the interview, WJLA-TV’s Brad Bell asks Trone about the argument Alsobrooks allies are making, that the delegation needs more women.

    “We’re probably going to elect two women to the delegation [in November], so that’s going to be off the table pretty shortly,” Trone says, in an apparent reference to leading candidates in open seat races in the 3rd and 6th congressional districts, which have highly competitive primaries. He then pivots to talk about his opposition to the death penalty, his support for Planned Parenthood’s programs, and his refusal to take contributions from corporate political action committees.

    EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler called Trone’s response “deeply insulting.”

    “Rep. David Trone’s dismissive comments on gender diversity reveal a disturbing pattern of tone-deafness and indifference,” she said. “His assertion that the possible addition of two women to an all-male Maryland delegation is enough is not only ignorant, but deeply insulting to those fighting for greater representation and inclusion.”

    Mackler pointed out, as Alsobrooks has, that Trone has made campaign contributions through the years to prominent Republicans who oppose abortion rights. And she reiterated that EMILY’s List “proudly stands with Angela Alsobrooks.”

    But the organization has yet to run any TV ads on Alsobrooks’ behalf, which could help boost her profile as Trone continues to dominate the airwaves. A spokesperson did not respond to an email Thursday asking if EMILY’s List has any plans to go on the air in Maryland before the primary.

    But another advocacy group is about to begin airing an anti-Trone ad. An organization called Fight Corporate Monopolies will announce Friday that it will air the ad on Hulu, Paramount+, YouTube, and additional connected TV services across Maryland.

    The 30-second spot features unflattering pictures of Trone — including one in which he appears to be standing next to former President Donald Trump — along with negative headlines about Total Wine and Trone’s business practices. “Maryland, we don’t need another billionaire bully,” the narrator says at the end of the ad. “Let’s fix our democracy.”

    Even more helpful to Alsobrooks’ candidacy than the ad is the endorsement Thursday from the Post. The editorial board praised her record as county executive and wrote, “Our conversation with Ms. Alsobrooks convinced us she has mastered local and state issues — although she’ll face a learning curve about federal issues unrelated to Maryland and about foreign policy. Her approach to issues gives us confidence she’ll ascend that curve rapidly. Ms. Alsobrooks doesn’t take knee-jerk stands. She’s not full of bluster. She studies carefully and talks to all sides before making decisions.”

    The editorial also called Trone’s record “creditable” and said Democratic voters are lucky to have two good choices for Senate.

    With all of Thursday’s drama, the two candidates will appear together at a forum that will air on WBFF-TV in Baltimore Friday at 8 p.m.

    William J. Ford contributed to this report.

    Disclosure: The David and June Trone Family Foundation was a financial supporter of Maryland Matters in 2017 and 2018.

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    Ivy Lyons

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  • More than 10K ballots mistakenly left out of unofficial vote count, Chicago Board of Elections says

    More than 10K ballots mistakenly left out of unofficial vote count, Chicago Board of Elections says

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    CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Board of Elections has admitted to a mistake as the city awaits the outcome of the Democratic primary race for Cook County state’s attorney.

    The board said it is working to add more than 10,000 votes to its total count after its director of public information said he mistakenly left out some vote-by-mail ballots.

    Chicago Board of Elections Public Information Officer Max Bever released a statement, saying vote-by-mail ballots delivered on Monday, March 18 were left out of the count.

    “I traded speed for accuracy in reporting out numbers this week as quickly as I could. I truly regret this error on my part and for the confusion that it has caused the voters of Chicago. I will share updated numbers only when they are accurate and verified,” Bever said.

    Bever said additional counting will continue on Sunday with poll watchers from both campaigns in attendance.

    Bever continued, “I made an error in reporting the number of Vote By Mail ballots received back on Monday, March 18 before Election Day that should have been included in the ‘received by Election Day’ numbers.

    Previously, I reported that 66,399 Vote By Mail ballots were received back and scanned for signature verification by the end of Monday, March 18. I initially reported that 7,009 VBM ballots received back via USPS on Election Day, 3/19/24. This number was incorrect – I only reported on the Vote By Mail ballots received back on Election Day only.

    Approximately 9,143 Vote By Mail additional ballots received back on Monday should have been included in this ‘received by Election Day’ number that would be processed and counted after Election Day, March 19.

    These Vote By Mail ballots received back Monday, March 18, through Tuesday, March 19, were secured in a receiving cage at 69 W. Washington until they could be run through the Agilis scanning machine for purposes including verifying that those voters had not cast ballots during Early Voting or on Election Day, and to prepare signature specimens for verification. These ballots were inspected, processed and counted by election judges on Friday, March 22, through Saturday, March 23, and are already reflected in the unofficial results at ChicagoElections.Gov.”

    Meanwhile, Eileen O’Neill Burke is leading Clayton Harris III by just under 4,800 votes.

    O’Neill Burke has 255,010 votes, and Harris has 250,239 votes.

    Could Cook County SA race go to recount?

    ABC7 Political analyst Laura Washington discusses results from the Illinois 2024 Primary Election.

    City elections officials said we’ll have a better idea of who may come out on top.

    “We will see a drop off by this weekend of what has been appropriately post marked, we anticipate an upload early next week with final results,” said Cook County Deputy Clerk of Elections Edmund Michalowski.

    State law gives election officials until April 2 to count late-arriving ballots, but Chicago and Cook County expect to have a winner before then. And regardless of how tight the race ends up, Illinois law does not mandate an automatic recount. The losing candidate, if they are within 5% of the winning candidate, has to request a recount. That process could take several days.

    The Democratic nominee will go on to face Republican Bob Fioretti and Libertarian Andrew Charles Kopinski in the November general election.

    Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Christian Piekos

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  • 4th District Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García defeats primary challenge by Ald. Ray Lopez, AP projects

    4th District Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García defeats primary challenge by Ald. Ray Lopez, AP projects

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    CHICAGO (WLS) — Three-term U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García has won the Democratic primary against Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, the Associated Press projected.

    The congressman, who dominated in funding and endorsements, was facing his first primary challenger since 2018, when he won congressional office.

    García thanked those who helped make his reelection possible.

    Three-term U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García has won the Democratic primary against Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, the Associated Press projected.

    “I say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart,” García said.

    The congressman, born in Mexico, spoke on Tuesday night of his 41-year journey to bring more diversity to all levels of government.

    Both García and Lopez are Democrats, but they have very different views on major issues. Last month, ABC7 sat down with both candidates to talk about key issues and what might decide the race.

    Lopez had argued García is no longer the right fit for Illinois’ 4th Congressional District, which is predominantly Hispanic and includes working-class communities and neighborhoods on the city’s Southwest Side as well as wealthy suburbs.

    Lopez, 45, is one of the most conservative members of the Chicago City Council, often backing police. He has called García an “extreme Democrat.”

    García, 67, says voters have repeatedly put him in office, including in 2022 after a remap added new territory to the district. He’s also a former state legislator and city alderman.

    García dominated in fundraising, raising $376,000 last year compared to Lopez’s $46,000 in the same time period, according to federal election records. He picked up endorsements from labor groups, while Lopez had support from the Chicago police union.

    But that support was not enough for Lopez on Tuesday night. He has unsuccessfully run for mayor, and now congressman.

    “So Wednesday, city council, back to work, back to doing what I do best. And hopefully, this will be a wakeup call for many members of Congress who saw challengers in the primary that they need to start delivering for their districts,” Lopez said on Tuesday night.

    Earlier Tuesday, Lopez said his day was like most election days for him.

    He brought donuts to poll workers and gave $50 at 20 sites for the workers to buy lunch. He said he has always brought food and added the cash after the COVID-19 pandemic started, because he said the workers preferred to buy lunch and not share.

    “My judges actually asked if they could just buy their own. I said, ‘Fine. We can help facilitate that,’” Lopez said.

    But offering cash to poll workers now has the attention of the attorney general’s Election Integrity Unit, which confirmed the office is looking into a complaint filed by García about Lopez’s gifts to poll workers.

    “This is a distraction when we should talk about issues he’s had months, to talk about things. And all he wants is to talk about is the kind of donut I brought for breakfast,” Lopez said.

    García said the action of giving out money at a polling place is not the image Illinoisans want of their elected officials.

    “It’s fine to take donuts, but when you start passing cash around in envelopes, it sure raises a lot of concerns,” García said. “I think anytime cash is being spread around at a polling place on Election Day certainty suggests there could be efforts to move Chicago backwards. Chicago ain’t moving backward.”

    ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington said García filing the complaint is a way to emphasize the difference between him and Lopez.

    “He may be, more than anything, trying reinforce in the voters’ minds that Ray Lopez is the past represents the Democratic machine’s past,” Washington said.

    Meanwhile, there’s no Republican running in the heavily Democratic district, so García is expected to win outright in November.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Leah Hope

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  • Cuyahoga County reporting low voter turnout for Primary Election

    Cuyahoga County reporting low voter turnout for Primary Election

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    CLEVELAND (WJW) – “A chance to have my voice heard.” It’s a phrase FOX 8 heard often when asking residents in Cuyahoga County why they decided to vote in Ohio’s Primary Election.  

    With both the candidates for the 2024 Presidential Election already determined, Tuesday is all about the highly contested GOP Senate race. 

    It’s the only reason why John Wicktora says he’s voting in the cold. 

    “I want a voice in who is going to be the Republican candidate,” Wicktora said.

    Stephanie Fry says she votes during every election, regardless of what’s at stake. 

    “Because it’s important. These are officials that are going to be representing us and our local community for years,” Fry said.

    Going into the day, early voting numbers in Cuyahoga County were considered to be low. 

    The hope for at least one board of election official is a 40% turnout by the end of Tuesday.

    As of 4:25 p.m., the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is reporting a 15.7% voter turnout rate. 

    Linda Stroemple votes during every election at Saint Pat’s Church located in Kamm’s Corners.  She is stunned when finding out there’s no waiting around to cast a ballot on Tuesday. 

    “I was expecting a big line so I dressed warm, but people will probably come later,” she said. 

    For Stroemple and for several others we spoke with, the process to vote takes just about 10 minutes. 

    It’s a nice bonus in the cold weather, all in an effort to have their voice heard. 

    “If they were going to give away something free here every day, wouldn’t you come and get it? Well they are giving this away for free, so come and do it,” said voter, Bill Terwoord. 

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    Brad Hamilton

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  • L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman pulls past 50%, on verge of outright primary win

    L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman pulls past 50%, on verge of outright primary win

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    In her bid for a second term, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman pulled above 50% for the first time since vote counting began in last week’s primary election, increasing her prospects of avoiding a Nov. 5 runoff.

    The latest batch of returns, released Tuesday, showed Raman with 50.2% of the vote, compared with 39% for her nearest opponent, Deputy City Atty. Ethan Weaver. In third place was software engineer Levon “Lev” Baronian, who had about 11%.

    In a statement, Raman said she’s still waiting for all the votes to be counted. Nevertheless, she called the latest batch of results “very exciting.”

    “It’s been the honor of my life to serve this incredible city as a member of its council, and I very much hope to see what more we can accomplish with four more years of work,” she said.

    Vote counting is expected to resume Wednesday. Raman and her two challengers were competing to represent a district that straddles the Hollywood Hills, stretching from Silver Lake in the east to the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Reseda in the west.

    Raman was running for a second four-year term in a district that is significantly different from the one that elected her in 2020. A year after she took office, the City Council redrew about 40% of the district, taking out such areas as Hancock Park and Park La Brea and adding all or part of Encino, Studio City and other neighborhoods.

    Under the city’s election rules, any council candidate who receives more than 50% in the primary election wins outright.

    Weaver, in a statement, said his campaign “always knew it was going to be a close race.”

    “I do want to say thank you to all the thousands of people who rallied to our campaign,” he said, “and I’m asking for them to be patient while the remaining votes are counted.”

    Weaver, who spent several years as a neighborhood prosecutor, had sought to make major issues of public safety and homelessness. He received huge financial support from unions that represent police officers and firefighters, as well as landlords, business groups and other donors, which spent a combined $1.35 million on his behalf.

    Raman worked to turn that huge outside spending into a negative for Weaver, saying it showed that special interests were unhappy with her votes in support of new tenant protections and against police raises and digital billboards. Her supporters portrayed the race as one that would determine the future of progressive politics at City Hall.

    Raman’s progress on her reelection bid took place on the same day that Ysabel Jurado, another candidate backed by the city’s political left, pulled into first place in her race against Councilmember Kevin de León.

    Like Raman, Jurado had been increasing her share of the vote in each of the county’s daily updates. Jurado now appears to be headed to a Nov. 5 runoff election in that Eastside district.

    Election officials said they have an estimated 126,000 ballots left to count countywide.

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    David Zahniser

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  • Sacramento race for mayor still too close to call, California 2024 primary results

    Sacramento race for mayor still too close to call, California 2024 primary results

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    (FOX40.COM) — The race to be the next mayor of Sacramento is so close that a winner still cannot be projected days after the 2024 primary election.

    As of 4 p.m. on Friday, mayoral candidate Richard Pan had a marginal lead over five other contenders. Pan had 12,495 ballots counted toward him which is 23.93% of the votes, according to election results.

    Dr. Flojaune Cofer, who started off the mayoral race in fourth place, was elevated to second place with 23.26% of the votes. 12,146 ballots have been counted in her favor.

    Right after Cofer is Steve Hansen who accounts for 22.89% of the total votes counted so far. That’s 11,790 ballots.

    Kevin McCarty is not far behind with 22.58% of the votes which amounts to 11,790 ballots counted at the time of this publication.

    The two candidates with the most votes after all ballots have been counted will head to a runoff election on Nov. 5.

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    Veronica Catlin

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  • California Primary Election 2024: Live updates on Super Tuesday election results

    California Primary Election 2024: Live updates on Super Tuesday election results

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    March 5 was Super Tuesday, where 16 states, including California, and one territory, held their primary election on the same day. The contests moved Joe Biden and Donald Trump toward the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations. California’s top-two system advances the top two vote-getters regardless of political identification to the November General Election in statewide, legislative and congressional races. In local races, candidates can win outright. How to vote, track your ballot in California’s 2024 primary election | Catch up with our voter guide here.Here is where to see full California election results after 8 p.m. | Resultados de Primaria Presidencial 2024 en Español.See live updates with results on other Super Tuesday contests here. Below, you will find live updates from state and local races as we receive them.Wednesday, March 69:23 a.m.: Political analyst Mike Luery joined KCRA 3 to break down California election takeaways.He said that he’s never seen a winning candidate get interrupted by protesters during a victory speech like what happened to Rep. Adam Schiff. “Adam Schiff looked like a deer in the headlights,” Luery said. “He looked like he didn’t know what to do.” Luery said that the issue of an immediate cease-fire in Gaza has become a divisive issue for Democrats. On Prop 1, Luery said there is a razor-thin margin of victory despite Gov. Gavin Newsom having put a lot of political capital into that race. See his thoughts on those issues and the Sacramento mayor’s race below.9:02 a.m.: The Sacramento mayor’s race is very tight with Richard Pan, Steve Hansen and Kevin McCarty all having more than 23% of the vote. Flojaune Cofer is at 21%. In the District 4 City Council race, Phil Pluckebaum is leading incumbent Katie Valenzuela, 57.63% to 38.27%. Sacramento Measure C, which would raise taxes for businesses, appears headed to defeat with 60% of the vote against. See full Sacramento city results here. 8:30 a.m.: Here’s a look at the latest election results and updates this morning. 6:26 a.m.: GOP candidate Nikki Haley will suspend her campaign, the AP is reporting. More updates from 6 a.m. are below.Tuesday, March 511:30 p.m.: Here’s a look at where things stand with vote counting in Northern California counties, the Sacramento mayor’s race and other election night takeaways. KCRA 3’s Orko Manna has a view of the count in Stockton and Lee Anne Denyer is in Rocklin. 10:34 p.m.: California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson in a statement reacted to the primary election results so far:“As California’s primary election results roll in, it’s increasingly clear that Californians are fed up with the disastrous policies championed by Democrats from the White House to local office that have led to sky-high prices, surging crime, rampant homelessness, failing schools and more. Republicans are offering commonsense solutions to the many problems that plague our broken state. Voters are ready to send a clear message to radical, far-left Democrats this November that they’ve had enough, and it’s time to put California and our nation on a pathway to success once again.”10:01 p.m.: Democratic Senate candidate Adam Schiff’s election victory speech was interrupted by a fiery crowd on Tuesday night, with protestors chanting, “Ceasefire now!” and, “Free Palestine!”“We want to make sure we keep this kind of democracy,” Schiff said, trying to appeal to the crowd.After several minutes, Schiff thanked his wife, children, campaign staff, and other politicians.“I want to acknowledge the right of our protestors,” Schiff said, when chants still hadn’t died down. “I look forward to working with you all and onward to victory in November!”In the video below, KCRA 3’s Andrea Flores talks about what it was like in the room during the protest. There’s also a discussion about the role of the Israel-Hamas war as an issue in Democratic politics.9:43 p.m.: GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey spoke to his supporters after it was announced he would advance to the November general election.“Let’s celebrate,” Garvey said when he walked out on stage. “Welcome to the California comeback.”In a speech laden with baseball terminology, Garvey highlighted concerns with the border, inflation, homeless crisis, crime and foreign policy. He also appealed to voters tired of career politicians.“We haven’t come this far to only go this far,” Garvey shared with his supporters.9:36 p.m.: Here’s another look at ballot counting in San Joaquin County. 9:29 p.m.: Sacramento’s mayoral race is locked in a tight contest. See full results here. 9:18 p.m.: Proposition 1 is a close contest so far, with 51% of voters in favor of the measure to boost investments in housing and substance use programs. 49% are opposed, with 21 percent of the vote in. See full results here. 9:26 p.m.: “Welcome to the California comeback,” Steve Garvey tells supporters.9:04 p.m.: The AP has called California’s U.S. Senate race for GOP former baseball star Steve Garvey. He’ll face Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff in the general election in November. Learn more here. 9:03 p.m.: Here’s a look at vote counting in Stockton and an early look at results. In the race for mayor, Tom Patti has an early lead. See full election results for races in San Joaquin County here. 9 p.m.: Here’s a look at ballots getting counted in Placer County. 8:58 p.m.: Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley and Democrat Jessica Morse are leading in the U.S. House District 3 race. Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson and Republic John Munn are leading in the U.S. House District 4 race. Republican Rep. Tom McClintock and Democrat Michael Barkley are leading in the U.S. House District 5 race.See full California congressional results here. 8:28 p.m.: The AP projects that Rep. Adam Schiff will advance to the November election in California’s Senate race. It’s not yet clear who the second candidate on the ballot will be. See full California Senate election results here. 8:26 p.m.: Democratic Senate candidate Barbara Lee stopped at her campaign headquarters in Oakland after a day of visiting precincts and making phone calls.She spoke with reporters before she left for Washington D.C.“People understand that I hear them, I see them, that I want to make their lives better,” Lee said. “I’m experienced and have a deep and broad background in foreign policy and international relations. Right now, we need people in the United States Senate who can hit the ground running.” | Learn More in Video Below | What to make of California’s Senate race?8:22 p.m.: KCRA 3’s Brittany Hope has a view of ballot counting in Sacramento County. 8:14 p.m.: The AP projects that Joe Biden will win the Democratic primary in California and Donald Trump the Republican primary. See full California presidential primary results here. 8:10 p.m.: GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey spoke to reporters shortly after polls closed. KCRA 3’s Michelle Bandur was there with him at his election headquarters in Palm Desert.Garvey said crime remains a large concern, specifically pointing out Proposition 47 as being harmful to the state.When asked about being outspent by his opponents, Garvey highlighted the fame from his professional baseball career.“I played in front of millions of people for many, many years. And the currency of that is the trust,” Garvey said. “We feel good about where we are now. Tonight’s the first game of the doubleheader.”7:29 p.m.: “They call it Super Tuesday for a reason,” Trump told supporters Tuesday night with NBC projecting wins for the GOP nominating contest in 11 states. See more national updates here. 7:03 p.m.: Less than an hour to go before polls close in California. 6:39 p.m.: Michelle Bandur will be at GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey’s campaign party tonight. 6:15 p.m.: Hear from voters in Southern California about who they chose for California’s Senate race. The leading candidates are Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee and Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey. 5:43 p.m.: Things are slowing down at a voting location in Stockton. 5:24 p.m.: Here are more images from voting sites across NorCal. See our full coverage at 5 p.m. below. 4:53 p.m.: KCRA’s Lee Anne Denyer has a report from a voting location in Alta, while Carolina Estrada is in Modesto. 4:28 p.m.: KCRA’s Brittany Hope has a look at drive-thru voting in Sacramento’s Natomas area. 4:21 p.m.: Hear from voters in Sacramento during our 4 p.m. news coverage.3:48 p.m.: See below for an update on our coverage of election day at noon. 3:05 p.m.: KCRA’s Andrea Flores, Lysée Mitri and Michelle Bandur are in Southern California for coverage of leading candidates in the U.S. Senate race today. See their full reports after polls close at 8 p.m. Our team coverage will also include Brittany Hope in Sacramento County, Carolina Estrada in Stanislaus County, Orko Manna in San Joaquin County and Lee Anne Denyer in Placer County. 1:47 p.m.: Here are some things to know about voting today in California. If you’re in line by 8 p.m., you can still cast your ballot.If you make a mistake, you can request a new ballot.You have the right to vote if you are a registered voter without having to show a photo ID.You have the right to get election materials in another language.You have the right to ask election officials about election procedures.For those voters who have no party preference, you can request a ballot to vote for president from one of these parties: American Independent Party, Democratic Party or Libertarian Party. The Republican, Peace and Freedom and Green parties do not allow those with no party preference to vote for their presidential candidates in the primary. But you could re-register to vote for those parties at a polling place or vote center. Learn more here.10:30 a.m.: Leticia Ordaz has the latest numbers on voter turnout in Sacramento County. As of 10:30 a.m. the turnout is 17.6%, with 153,096 ballots turned in. The majority of those votes ballot returns have been by mail. 8:30 a.m: Users of the Meta-owned social media sites Facebook and Instagram are reporting a mass outage on Super Tuesday.According to the website Downdetector, over 215,000 users reported complaints of Facebook outages as of 10:20 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Instagram is also down, with over 47,000 reports to Downdetector. 8 a.m.: KCRA 3’s Leticia Ordaz is in Sacramento County as voters submit their ballots on Tuesday morning. 7:50 a.m.: New demographic data released on who has voted in the California Primary Election so far.Across the state, 14% of ballots have been returned as of 7:30 a.m. 3,164,924 ballots have been returned. The majority of them have been from those ages 65 and older.70% of the returned ballots have been from white voters. while Black, Asian and Latino voters make up the majority of the remaining 30%. 50% of the ballots returned have been from Democrat voters. 7 a.m.: Polls are open across California. KCRA 3’s Melanie Wingo was at the Stanislaus County Registrar Voter’s Office at the beginning of Super Tuesday. –KCRA 3’s Lindsay Weber also contributed to this story.

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    March 5 was Super Tuesday, where 16 states, including California, and one territory, held their primary election on the same day. The contests moved Joe Biden and Donald Trump toward the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations.

    California’s top-two system advances the top two vote-getters regardless of political identification to the November General Election in statewide, legislative and congressional races. In local races, candidates can win outright.

    Below, you will find live updates from state and local races as we receive them.

    Wednesday, March 6

    9:23 a.m.: Political analyst Mike Luery joined KCRA 3 to break down California election takeaways.

    He said that he’s never seen a winning candidate get interrupted by protesters during a victory speech like what happened to Rep. Adam Schiff.

    “Adam Schiff looked like a deer in the headlights,” Luery said. “He looked like he didn’t know what to do.”

    Luery said that the issue of an immediate cease-fire in Gaza has become a divisive issue for Democrats.

    On Prop 1, Luery said there is a razor-thin margin of victory despite Gov. Gavin Newsom having put a lot of political capital into that race.

    See his thoughts on those issues and the Sacramento mayor’s race below.

    9:02 a.m.: The Sacramento mayor’s race is very tight with Richard Pan, Steve Hansen and Kevin McCarty all having more than 23% of the vote. Flojaune Cofer is at 21%.

    In the District 4 City Council race, Phil Pluckebaum is leading incumbent Katie Valenzuela, 57.63% to 38.27%.

    Sacramento Measure C, which would raise taxes for businesses, appears headed to defeat with 60% of the vote against.

    See full Sacramento city results here.

    8:30 a.m.: Here’s a look at the latest election results and updates this morning.

    6:26 a.m.: GOP candidate Nikki Haley will suspend her campaign, the AP is reporting.

    More updates from 6 a.m. are below.

    Tuesday, March 5

    11:30 p.m.: Here’s a look at where things stand with vote counting in Northern California counties, the Sacramento mayor’s race and other election night takeaways.

    KCRA 3’s Orko Manna has a view of the count in Stockton and Lee Anne Denyer is in Rocklin.

    10:34 p.m.: California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson in a statement reacted to the primary election results so far:

    “As California’s primary election results roll in, it’s increasingly clear that Californians are fed up with the disastrous policies championed by Democrats from the White House to local office that have led to sky-high prices, surging crime, rampant homelessness, failing schools and more. Republicans are offering commonsense solutions to the many problems that plague our broken state. Voters are ready to send a clear message to radical, far-left Democrats this November that they’ve had enough, and it’s time to put California and our nation on a pathway to success once again.”

    10:01 p.m.: Democratic Senate candidate Adam Schiff’s election victory speech was interrupted by a fiery crowd on Tuesday night, with protestors chanting, “Ceasefire now!” and, “Free Palestine!”

    “We want to make sure we keep this kind of democracy,” Schiff said, trying to appeal to the crowd.

    After several minutes, Schiff thanked his wife, children, campaign staff, and other politicians.

    “I want to acknowledge the right of our protestors,” Schiff said, when chants still hadn’t died down. “I look forward to working with you all and onward to victory in November!”

    In the video below, KCRA 3’s Andrea Flores talks about what it was like in the room during the protest. There’s also a discussion about the role of the Israel-Hamas war as an issue in Democratic politics.

    9:43 p.m.: GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey spoke to his supporters after it was announced he would advance to the November general election.

    “Let’s celebrate,” Garvey said when he walked out on stage. “Welcome to the California comeback.”

    In a speech laden with baseball terminology, Garvey highlighted concerns with the border, inflation, homeless crisis, crime and foreign policy. He also appealed to voters tired of career politicians.

    “We haven’t come this far to only go this far,” Garvey shared with his supporters.

    9:36 p.m.: Here’s another look at ballot counting in San Joaquin County.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    9:29 p.m.: Sacramento’s mayoral race is locked in a tight contest. See full results here.

    9:18 p.m.: Proposition 1 is a close contest so far, with 51% of voters in favor of the measure to boost investments in housing and substance use programs. 49% are opposed, with 21 percent of the vote in.

    See full results here.

    9:26 p.m.: “Welcome to the California comeback,” Steve Garvey tells supporters.

    9:04 p.m.: The AP has called California’s U.S. Senate race for GOP former baseball star Steve Garvey. He’ll face Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff in the general election in November. Learn more here.

    9:03 p.m.: Here’s a look at vote counting in Stockton and an early look at results. In the race for mayor, Tom Patti has an early lead.

    See full election results for races in San Joaquin County here.

    9 p.m.: Here’s a look at ballots getting counted in Placer County.

    8:58 p.m.: Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley and Democrat Jessica Morse are leading in the U.S. House District 3 race.

    Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson and Republic John Munn are leading in the U.S. House District 4 race.

    Republican Rep. Tom McClintock and Democrat Michael Barkley are leading in the U.S. House District 5 race.

    See full California congressional results here.

    8:28 p.m.: The AP projects that Rep. Adam Schiff will advance to the November election in California’s Senate race. It’s not yet clear who the second candidate on the ballot will be. See full California Senate election results here.

    8:26 p.m.: Democratic Senate candidate Barbara Lee stopped at her campaign headquarters in Oakland after a day of visiting precincts and making phone calls.

    She spoke with reporters before she left for Washington D.C.

    “People understand that I hear them, I see them, that I want to make their lives better,” Lee said. “I’m experienced and have a deep and broad background in foreign policy and international relations. Right now, we need people in the United States Senate who can hit the ground running.”

    | Learn More in Video Below | What to make of California’s Senate race?

    8:22 p.m.: KCRA 3’s Brittany Hope has a view of ballot counting in Sacramento County.

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    8:14 p.m.: The AP projects that Joe Biden will win the Democratic primary in California and Donald Trump the Republican primary. See full California presidential primary results here.

    8:10 p.m.: GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey spoke to reporters shortly after polls closed.

    KCRA 3’s Michelle Bandur was there with him at his election headquarters in Palm Desert.

    Garvey said crime remains a large concern, specifically pointing out Proposition 47 as being harmful to the state.

    When asked about being outspent by his opponents, Garvey highlighted the fame from his professional baseball career.

    “I played in front of millions of people for many, many years. And the currency of that is the trust,” Garvey said. “We feel good about where we are now. Tonight’s the first game of the doubleheader.”

    7:29 p.m.: “They call it Super Tuesday for a reason,” Trump told supporters Tuesday night with NBC projecting wins for the GOP nominating contest in 11 states. See more national updates here.

    7:03 p.m.: Less than an hour to go before polls close in California.

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    6:39 p.m.: Michelle Bandur will be at GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey’s campaign party tonight.

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    6:15 p.m.: Hear from voters in Southern California about who they chose for California’s Senate race. The leading candidates are Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee and Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey.

    5:43 p.m.: Things are slowing down at a voting location in Stockton.

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    5:24 p.m.: Here are more images from voting sites across NorCal.

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    See our full coverage at 5 p.m. below.

    4:53 p.m.: KCRA’s Lee Anne Denyer has a report from a voting location in Alta, while Carolina Estrada is in Modesto.



    4:28 p.m.: KCRA’s Brittany Hope has a look at drive-thru voting in Sacramento’s Natomas area.

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    4:21 p.m.: Hear from voters in Sacramento during our 4 p.m. news coverage.

    3:48 p.m.: See below for an update on our coverage of election day at noon.

    3:05 p.m.: KCRA’s Andrea Flores, Lysée Mitri and Michelle Bandur are in Southern California for coverage of leading candidates in the U.S. Senate race today. See their full reports after polls close at 8 p.m.

    Our team coverage will also include Brittany Hope in Sacramento County, Carolina Estrada in Stanislaus County, Orko Manna in San Joaquin County and Lee Anne Denyer in Placer County.

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    1:47 p.m.: Here are some things to know about voting today in California. If you’re in line by 8 p.m., you can still cast your ballot.

    • If you make a mistake, you can request a new ballot.
    • You have the right to vote if you are a registered voter without having to show a photo ID.
    • You have the right to get election materials in another language.
    • You have the right to ask election officials about election procedures.
    • For those voters who have no party preference, you can request a ballot to vote for president from one of these parties: American Independent Party, Democratic Party or Libertarian Party. The Republican, Peace and Freedom and Green parties do not allow those with no party preference to vote for their presidential candidates in the primary. But you could re-register to vote for those parties at a polling place or vote center. Learn more here.

    10:30 a.m.: Leticia Ordaz has the latest numbers on voter turnout in Sacramento County. As of 10:30 a.m. the turnout is 17.6%, with 153,096 ballots turned in. The majority of those votes ballot returns have been by mail.

    8:30 a.m: Users of the Meta-owned social media sites Facebook and Instagram are reporting a mass outage on Super Tuesday.

    According to the website Downdetector, over 215,000 users reported complaints of Facebook outages as of 10:20 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Instagram is also down, with over 47,000 reports to Downdetector.

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    8 a.m.: KCRA 3’s Leticia Ordaz is in Sacramento County as voters submit their ballots on Tuesday morning.

    7:50 a.m.: New demographic data released on who has voted in the California Primary Election so far.

    Across the state, 14% of ballots have been returned as of 7:30 a.m. 3,164,924 ballots have been returned. The majority of them have been from those ages 65 and older.

    70% of the returned ballots have been from white voters. while Black, Asian and Latino voters make up the majority of the remaining 30%.

    50% of the ballots returned have been from Democrat voters.


    7 a.m.: Polls are open across California. KCRA 3’s Melanie Wingo was at the Stanislaus County Registrar Voter’s Office at the beginning of Super Tuesday.


    –KCRA 3’s Lindsay Weber also contributed to this story.

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  • Marianne Williamson ‘unsuspends’ her presidential campaign as Americans watch ‘car crash in slow motion’

    Marianne Williamson ‘unsuspends’ her presidential campaign as Americans watch ‘car crash in slow motion’

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    Gage Skidmore, Flickr Creative Commons

    Marianne Williamson campaigning in 2019.

    Marianne Williamson, the former Detroit-area spiritual guru and best-selling author, announced Wednesday that she is “unsuspending” her longshot campaign for president.

    In a video posted on X, Williamson said she was back in the race for the White House, saying American voters are “watching a car crash in slow motion.”

    Williamson, a progressive Democrat who supports universal health care, tuition-free college, and a ceasefire in Israel-Palestine, announced she was suspending her campaign three weeks ago.

    She said she dropped out because she was “losing the horse race.”

    “But something so much more important than the horse race is at stake here, and we must respond,” Williamson said.

    Her re-entry into the race comes one day after more than 100,000 Democrats voted “uncommitted” in Michigan’s primary election as a protest to President Joe Biden’s support of Israel. More than a quarter of Republican voters cast a ballot for Trump opponent Nikki Haley.

    The votes against the standard-bearers of both political parties suggests the leaders are having a tough time forming a winning coalition.

    Williamson suggested the current candidates, including President Biden, are incapable of improving the economy for a vast majority of Americans.

    Williamson also called Trump a “fascist” and “juggernaut of dark, dark vision.”

    Voters deserve a candidate who prioritizes people over corporations and supports student loan debt relief, subsidized health care, reparations, and end to the war on drugs, and guaranteed housing, sick pay, and a living wage, she said.

    “We can do different,” Williamson said. “We can do better. That’s what it is to make this country great again – to return it to a time when we actually had a thriving middle class. And you don’t do that with Donald Trump’s policies.”

    Williamson said the current candidates lack a vision for helping the lower and middle classes.

    “We need to have policies that actually expand opportunities and thus expand the economy and expand the possibilities for the future, for our children, and for our children’s children,” Williamson said.

    “We need to take this country in a direction of hope and possibility and regeneration. That is the vision that will defeat Donald Trump.”

    As more Americans struggle and the gap between the rich and middle class continues to grow, Williamson said voters can no longer wait around for a better candidate.

    “This is serious,” Williamson said. “We need to say to the American people, ‘We see your pain,’ and we need to say to Donald Trump, ‘We see your BS.”

    Subscribe to Metro Times newsletters.

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    Steve Neavling

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  • The top 4 candidates for Sacramento mayor will debate tonight. Watch here

    The top 4 candidates for Sacramento mayor will debate tonight. Watch here

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    KCRA 3 is hosting a debate Thursday night ahead of the March 5 primary election between the top four candidates running for Sacramento mayor.March 5 will be an important day for the candidates because if one of them wins half of the votes plus one extra vote, they can win the race outright. If that does not happen, the top two vote-getters will advance to the November general election.The debate will air on our channel at 7:30 p.m. You can also watch it in the video player above.Come back to this page after the debate for a recap of how it went. Below is what we know about each candidate from our previous interviews with them.Who are the Sacramento mayoral candidates?Dr. Flojaune CoferShe was the first person to announce her candidacy in April 2023.In addition to her work in the medical field, Cofer serves as the senior director of policy for the nonprofit Public Health Advocates, and she was also the chair of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee.Cofer told KCRA 3 that as mayor, her public service experience and her emphasis on community collaboration will help propel Sacramento to new heights.Find more here.Steve HansenIn 2012, Hansen made history as the city’s first openly gay city council member. If elected, he would be Sacramento’s first openly gay mayor.Hansen served on the city council until 2020 following a re-election loss to council member Katie Valenzuela. In the mayoral race, Hansen said the number one issue will be safety.He said that closely tied to safety is the issue of homelessness. Hansen also called for a regional plan to fund affordable housing.Find more here.Dr. Richard PanHe is a pediatrician, a former UC Davis educator and a prominent proponent of vaccinations. Pan began his time in state government in 2010.He served as an assembly member and, more recently, as a senator before reaching the 12-year term limit.As mayor, he said his priorities would include homelessness, economic development and public safety.Find more here.Kevin McCartyOn the same day Steinberg announced he would not run again, Democratic California Assemblymember Kevin McCarty launched his bid.McCarty has been representing Sacramento in the State Assembly since 2014. He has since been the Chairman of the Assembly’s Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. Prior to his time in the Legislature, McCarty served on the Sacramento City Council.McCarty’s announcement also comes months after he was re-elected to serve in the Assembly with 65% of the vote. He is still eligible to serve one more term.Find more here.

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    KCRA 3 is hosting a debate Thursday night ahead of the March 5 primary election between the top four candidates running for Sacramento mayor.

    March 5 will be an important day for the candidates because if one of them wins half of the votes plus one extra vote, they can win the race outright. If that does not happen, the top two vote-getters will advance to the November general election.

    The debate will air on our channel at 7:30 p.m. You can also watch it in the video player above.

    Come back to this page after the debate for a recap of how it went. Below is what we know about each candidate from our previous interviews with them.

    Who are the Sacramento mayoral candidates?

    Dr. Flojaune Cofer

    She was the first person to announce her candidacy in April 2023.

    In addition to her work in the medical field, Cofer serves as the senior director of policy for the nonprofit Public Health Advocates, and she was also the chair of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee.

    Cofer told KCRA 3 that as mayor, her public service experience and her emphasis on community collaboration will help propel Sacramento to new heights.

    Find more here.

    Steve Hansen

    In 2012, Hansen made history as the city’s first openly gay city council member. If elected, he would be Sacramento’s first openly gay mayor.

    Hansen served on the city council until 2020 following a re-election loss to council member Katie Valenzuela. In the mayoral race, Hansen said the number one issue will be safety.

    He said that closely tied to safety is the issue of homelessness. Hansen also called for a regional plan to fund affordable housing.

    Find more here.

    Dr. Richard Pan

    He is a pediatrician, a former UC Davis educator and a prominent proponent of vaccinations. Pan began his time in state government in 2010.

    He served as an assembly member and, more recently, as a senator before reaching the 12-year term limit.

    As mayor, he said his priorities would include homelessness, economic development and public safety.

    Find more here.

    Kevin McCarty

    On the same day Steinberg announced he would not run again, Democratic California Assemblymember Kevin McCarty launched his bid.

    McCarty has been representing Sacramento in the State Assembly since 2014. He has since been the Chairman of the Assembly’s Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. Prior to his time in the Legislature, McCarty served on the Sacramento City Council.

    McCarty’s announcement also comes months after he was re-elected to serve in the Assembly with 65% of the vote. He is still eligible to serve one more term.

    Find more here.

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  • Detroit Councilwoman Mary Waters aims for Thanedar’s congressional seat, pushes for ceasefire in Gaza

    Detroit Councilwoman Mary Waters aims for Thanedar’s congressional seat, pushes for ceasefire in Gaza

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    Steve Neavling

    Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters (center) gathered with supporters Thursday to announce her candidacy for Congress.

    Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters, a former labor union organizer who served three terms in the state House, announced Thursday that she’s running for the U.S. House of Representatives seat held by Shri Thanedar.

    Standing outside Hamtramck City Hall, Waters distinguished herself from her two challengers by calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

    “Voters want the killing to stop,” Waters said. “Most human beings, when you care about people, want to eliminate violence. Kids in Gaza are being killed by the thousands.”

    Waters said Hamtrmack’s mayor and all-Muslim city council plan to endorse her, which is expected to give the progressive Democrat an edge in cities with large Muslim populations.

    The 13th district covers Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods and large swaths of Detroit, the Grosse Pointes, and Downriver communities.

    Thanedar, a Detroit Democrat, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and even criticized fellow Democrats who have shown sympathy toward Palestinians, who have come under a brutal, relentless military campaign by Israel in Gaza. Thanedar also renounced his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America over its response to the conflict and suggested U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American serving in Congress, was an antisemite.

    The other Democrat in the race, former state Sen. Adam Hollier, of Detroit, received more than $2.7 million from the pro-Israel political action committee United Democracy Project when he ran against Thanedar four years ago.

    Hollier, a realtor and captain in the U.S. Army Reserves who previously held governmental staff roles for state senators, ran against Thanedar in 2022 and came in second, winning 23.5% of the vote compared to Thanedar’s 28.3%. He has since secured numerous endorsements, including from Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, a dozen state lawmakers, and the influential Black Slate.

    In November, the Detroit City Council voted in support of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and Waters was one of the biggest proponents.

    Waters invoked Martin Luther King Jr.’s anti-violence philosophy. “We must free hostages immediately and demand a ceasefire now,” Waters said. “As a member of Congress, I will work to cut the Pentagon War budget and use the dollars for safe streets in America by funding community police foot patrols and fighting poverty while increasing social security payments for our seniors.”

    The primary race for Congress will take place in August.

    Waters also said her top issues are seniors, veterans, single mothers and families, public safety, affordable housing, poverty, literacy, foreclosure prevention, jobs, and health care.

    A former labor union organizer, graduate of the University of Michigan, and breast cancer survivor, Waters was the first Black woman to serve as floor leader when she served in the state House, where she racked up a perfect attendance record.

    Waters’s entry into the race adds a new dynamic to the primary contest. As one of two at-large Detroit council members, Waters has proven she can win in the state’s largest city. She unseated incumbent Councilwoman Janee Ayers in the general election in November 2021.

    She also served in the state House from 2001 to 2006 and rose to minority floor leader.

    Waters is also popular among labor union supporters. She previously served as the original organizer of the United Auto Workers Local 2500 while working at Blue Cross Blue Shield.

    In her first term on the Detroit City Council, Waters has become one of the most progressive members, advocating for affordable housing, foreclosure prevention, and water affordability. After a spate of shootings in downtown Detroit in April, Waters announced she was exploring a measure to create gun-free zones in Greektown, the riverfront, Hart Plaza, and Spirit Plaza.
    If elected, Waters said she will be a staunch advocate for her constituents.

    “I will be accessible,” Waters said. “You will see me in person. I’ll be working in the community. I will be more than a picture on a card in your mailbox. I will be more than an expensive TV ad. Please don’t vote for a political ad on your flat screen TV.”

    For his part, Thunder has had a bumpy first term. His former communications director, Adam Y. Abusalah, leveled troubling allegations against Thanedar on social media.

    “In my first meeting with Shri and another staffer (who also quit) he said ‘I don’t care about policies or legislation right now. I just need you to focus on my re-election,’” Abusalah wrote. “I always reminded him that congressional work & campaign work needed to be separate but he didn’t care.”

    Abusalah added, “… what’s important to know is that Shri is all about himself. He’s the most ignorant, self-centered, and uninformed human I’ve ever worked with.”

    He claimed Thanedar was more obsessed with his social media presence than his work as a lawmaker. Abusalah quit as communications director in May, after serving in the role for several months.

    In a statement to Metro Times, Thanedar’s chief of staff, Patrick Malone, said none of the allegations were true and suggested Abusalah was acting out because of Thanedar’s support for Israel following the attack by Hamas.

    Subscribe to Metro Times newsletters.

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    Steve Neavling

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  • Steve Garvey is banking on Dodgers and Padres fans to boost his Republican Senate run

    Steve Garvey is banking on Dodgers and Padres fans to boost his Republican Senate run

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    SAN DIEGO — 

    In the shadow of Petco Park, Steve Garvey was greeted as a Padres hero who played alongside baseball legend Tony Gwynn and helped the team to its first World Series appearance.

    In Los Angeles, voters lit up as they posed for photos with the former all-star Dodgers first baseman who anchored the team’s legendary infield in the 1970s and early 1980s.

    A few knew that Garvey, a Republican, was running for the U.S. Senate. But they all remembered his steely forearms — “Hey Popeye,” one yelled — and success on the diamond in two baseball-mad towns.

    “Is he a Republican?” Kenneth Allen, 56, asked a reporter as Garvey toured the San Diego homeless shelter where Allen works. “I’m a Democrat but if he is the best person for the job, I’d think about it.”

    Garvey’s baseball fame is central to a Senate campaign that, at best, is considered a long shot in a state where GOP candidates running statewide often receive an icy reception from California’s left-leaning electorate. He hopes what propels him into contention is a nostalgia for his playing days and a political message light on specifics but heavy with criticism about the declining quality of life in California and the scourge of illegal drugs flowing through cities.

    This excitement from older fans trailed the 75-year-old first-time politician as he moved through Southern California last week on a listening tour about homelessness. Last fall, he joined a Senate race already dominated by prominent Democratic members of Congress: Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, Katie Porter of Irvine and Barbara Lee of Oakland.

    “Once we get through the primary, I’ll start a deeper dive into the [issues],” Garvey said Thursday outside the San Diego homeless shelter.

    “I haven’t been at this very long, so you got to give me a little bit of leeway here. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not full-speed ahead in policy and coming up with ideas that will make a difference.”

    Since entering the contest Garvey has offered a range of views, including saying he supported closing the U.S.-Mexico border, but also taking decidedly more liberal positions on subjects such as gay marriage and abortion rights — both of which he supports.

    “The people of California have spoken. They have spoken for abortion, and as an elected official my responsibility would be to uphold the voice of the people and I pledge to do that,” Garvey told The Times on Thursday in Compton during one leg of his listening tour.

    Since entering the race, Garvey quickly rose to be the field’s top Republican, increasing his chances of finishing in the top two of March’s primary election and advancing to the November general election. In the latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, which was co-sponsored by The Times, Garvey finished in third with support from 13% of likely voters. He trailed behind Porter and Schiff, who had 17% and 21% support, respectively.

    The Dodgers’ Steve Garvey kisses manager Tommy Lasorda’s forehead in the locker room of Dodger Stadium after the team beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 to win the National League pennant on Oct. 7, 1978.

    (Associated Press)

    Support for Garvey has nearly doubled since August, evidence that he might have enough momentum to consolidate the Republican vote and attract some No Party Preference voters for a strong showing in the March 5 primary.

    It’s why, in part, Porter and Schiff have ramped up criticism of Garvey’s party affiliation and support of former President Trump. The first Senate race debate is this month and the Democrats on stage are expected to go after the late-entering Republican candidate.

    “With Trump’s MAGA loyalists turning out to vote for him in the presidential primary the same day as our election, it could give Garvey the boost he needs,” one recent Schiff fundraising email said.

    Garvey told The Times he voted for Trump twice, reasoning that he was the best choice on the ballot in 2016 and 2020. There were good things Trump did, he said, but he won’t identify them. He previously said he doesn’t have an opinion on who is responsible for the violent pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol three years ago.

    News cameras trail Dodgers great Steve Garvey during his visit to Skid Row in Los Angeles.

    News cameras trail Dodgers great Steve Garvey during his visit to Skid Row in Los Angeles on Thursday. Garvey is campaigning to represent California in the U.S. Senate, an office formerly held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

    (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

    For Garvey to do well in the March primary, he needs the support of California Republicans loyal to the former president. But in doing so, he runs the risk of angering an even larger proportion of the electorate who despise Trump.

    On Thursday he sidestepped the question of whether he’d vote for Trump this fall or accept his endorsement, saying with a smile: “That’s a hypothetical question. If he calls, I’ll let you know.”

    “I’m a moderate conservative,” he said. “I never took the field for Democrats or Republicans or independents. I took the field for all the fans and I’m running for all the people, and my opponents can’t say that.”

    Stanford University public policy lecturer Lanhee Chen, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for controller in 2022, said that Garvey starts with an advantage many Republican candidates lack: People know Garvey and have fond memories of him. If he were to make the runoff, which Chen says is possible, he’ll face the monumental challenge of overcoming Democrats’ enormous voter registration advantage.

    In the general election, Garvey, who said he wants to serve just one term, would hope to consolidate his hold on Republicans and pick off a small margin of Democrats and No Party Preference voters by appealing to moderates — and in particular, Latino voters — who might be attracted to his Catholic faith and focus on economic issues.

    Chen said in a general election he would need to face head-on some of the questions about Trump. The recent Berkeley poll indicated that 34% of likely voters have a favorable view of Trump, compared with 63% who have an unfavorable view, and of that, 58% have a strongly unfavorable view of the Republican presidential front-runner.

    “Every Republican candidate, regardless of where they sit on the spectrum of these questions, is having to address them, which is part of the reason why Trump is such a unique challenge for the Republican Party in a place like California,” Chen said.

    Democratic political consultant Bill Carrick says that Garvey’s rise is a reflection of the weak Republican bench of candidates. The state has a long history of these sorts of candidates, he said — pointing to Hollywood action star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s election as California governor in 2003, when Democratic Gov. Gray Davis was recalled from office.

    Steve Garvey, center, visits Los Angeles' Skid Row.

    Steve Garvey, center, visits Los Angeles’ Skid Row on Thursday, accompanied by executives with the Downtown Center Business Improvement District.

    (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

    In that election, Carrick said that voters in Los Angeles in particular didn’t just see Schwarzenegger as a film star. They saw someone who had been doing charity work in the community and was known to voters on a very human level.

    Garvey, who lives in the Coachella Valley, has flirted with politics for decades after his successful baseball career, which included a World Series title and 10 National League all-star selections that ended in the late 1980s.

    “The Republicans have no farm system now, so nobody moves up the ladder,” Carrick said, pointing to the small Republican minorities in the state Legislature.

    “That leaves it open for people, like Garvey, who have their own capacity to jump in.”

    Still, a general election in which 47% of the electorate are registered Democrats, 24% are Republicans and 22% are No Party Preference will be an uphill battle, Carrick said.

    During his campaign swing last week, Garvey toured a shelter in downtown San Diego before visiting Los Angeles’ Skid Row alongside the head of the Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District Estela Lopez and a local business owner named Sergio Moreno. He took photos with five uniformed Los Angeles police officers and told them, when elected, he’d make sure that people “you arrested weren’t back on the streets before you finished the paperwork.”

    After explaining the challenges of owning property in the vicinity of Skid Row, Moreno told Garvey about the joy he experienced getting a ball signed by him at an event at the Glendale Galleria’s JCPenney in the mid-1970s.

    Dodgers and Padres great Steve Garvey, right, visits Ruben Ramirez Jr., who runs Ruben's Bakery and Mexican Food in Compton.

    Dodgers and Padres great Steve Garvey, right, visits Ruben Ramirez Jr., owner and operator of Ruben’s Bakery and Mexican Food in Compton, on Thursday.

    (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

    Garvey heard a similar message when he arrived at his final stop of the tour — Ruben’s Bakery and Mexican Food in Compton.

    The business’ interior was essentially destroyed after a crowd of more than 100 people robbed the bakery during an illegal street takeover this month.

    But Thursday the 48-year-old establishment was back open and Ruben Ramirez Sr., 83, and his wife, Alicia, 76, were behind the counter in Dodgers gear.

    Both recalled watching games as a family and the joy Garvey brought their family — including Ruben Ramirez Jr., who now runs the store.

    “All my life I wanted to meet him,” Alicia said in Spanish — a Dodgers scarf around her neck. “He’s such a handsome man.”

    She clutched a ball he signed for her and snapped a photo to send to her family. Ramirez Jr. said their family wasn’t political and just works hard. They had little interest in talking politics, he said.

    Garvey didn’t either. He just smiled and shook their hands.

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    Benjamin Oreskes

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