California primary election: From Senate to City Council, here's where key SoCal races stand
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Californians voted for presidential and Senate nominees in Super Tuesday's primaries and weighed in on a host of other local and state races. While election day has come and gone, results are continuing to pour in. Some races have projected winners while others are still too close to call. Here's a look at where key races across Southern California stand.
- Southern California Election Results: See the latest for local races here
- Super Tuesday Results: Track national primary election results here
California Presidential Primary results
ABC News projects that President Joe Biden will win the California Democratic primary and former President Donald Trump will win the California Republican primary.
California has gone Democratic in its general election presidential choices for decades, meaning Biden is widely expected to take the Golden State's delegate-heavy prize in November. The last Republican presidential nominee to carry the state was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
U.S. Senate primary election results
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey will advance to a November election to decide who will fill the U.S. Senate seat held for three decades by the late Dianne Feinstein, ABC News projects. In the separate race to fill the remaining weeks of Feinstein's term, ABC News also projects Schiff and Garvey will advance to the general election in November.
In this special election primary, as of Tuesday evening, with 48% of the expected vote reporting, Schiff has 33% of the vote, followed by Garvey with 32% of the vote. The dual Senate results out of California mean that current U.S. Rep. Katie Porter is no longer in the running for a congressional seat this cycle.
California Proposition 1 primary election results
California voters were split in early returns over Proposition 1, a statewide ballot measure touted by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a necessary step to tackle the state's ongoing homelessness crisis.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the vote stood at 50-50 with 50% of the estimated total vote reporting.
Proposition 1 would be the first major update to the state's mental health system in 20 years. The measure needs a simple majority vote to pass. It was too early to call Tuesday night, and it could take days before the final results are tallied.
Primary election results from Southern California counties
Los Angeles County primary election results
Orange County primary election results
Ventura County primary election results
Riverside County primary election results
San Bernardino County primary election results
Los Angeles County District Attorney primary election results
Incumbent Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón jumped out to an early lead Tuesday night in his bid to retain his seat.
With about 55% of the votes tallied, Gascón had about 21% of the ballots counted, followed by Nathan Hochman at 18%. If the early results hold, it means Gascón and Hochman are headed for the November runoff.
Gascón was facing 11 challengers in the nonpartisan primary. The race essentially became a referendum on the perception of safety in Los Angeles County. Blaring headlines and footage of brazen smash-and-grab robberies at luxury stores have painted a picture of lawlessness. But in 2023, violent crime decreased more than 3% in the city of Los Angeles and nearly 1.5% in the county compared to the year before.
City of Los Angeles Measure HLA primary election results
A Los Angeles city measure that would require the city to make street and sidewalk improvements was leading by a large margin with majority of votes cast. The yes vote for Measure HLA was nearly 63% of the total cast, with about 37% in opposition.
The measure aims to protect pedestrians and cyclists from cars on more than 2,500 miles of Los Angeles city streets. It would add more bike lanes, bus-only lanes and pedestrian-friendly features to streets. Proponents said it would help reduce crashes and protect cyclists. Opponents, however, argued it would reduce lanes for car traffic, making the city streets more congested and in some cases more dangerous. Firefighters, for example, say it could slow their response time to emergencies. City analysts say it would cost billions of dollars for taxpayers.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 4 primary election results
Incumbent Supervisor Janice Hahn was easily fending off a challenge from Los Angeles County's controversial former sheriff Alex Villanueva in early results. Hahn was taking about 55% of the vote in the initial batch of results, to Villanueva's 30%. John Cruikshank stood at 15% in those initial results. If Hahn stays above 50% she'll win the race outright, avoiding a November runoff. Hahn has held the 4th district seat since 2016 and her father Kenneth Hahn served on the board for four decades.
Hahn and other board members clashed sharply with Villanueva during his single term as sheriff over issues such as control over deputy gangs, and his resistance to oversight by the county.
Villanueva lost his bid for re-election in 2022 to Robert Luna marking a rare defeat for an incumbent sheriff in Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles City Council, District 14 primary election results
Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León took an early lead with 27% of the vote in the race for District 14, early returns show. Trailing behind him were Miguel Santiago with 20% of the vote and Ysabel J. Jurado with 19% of the vote.
City Council members typically don't have a difficult time retaining their seats once they win their first election. But incumbent de León has become a controversial figure in the past year, ever since audio recordings leaked of him making racially charged comments during a private meeting about council redistricting. Participants in that conversation faced calls to resign, and in fact former Council president Nury Martinez did step down from her seat. Councilman Gil Cedillo had already lost his bid for re-election at that point, and was out of office once his term expired in December.
But de León resisted protesters in City Council chambers and not only stayed in office but defiantly declared his intent to run for re-election. He faced challenges from seven candidates during the primary election.
Votes are still coming in and it's too early to call who will advance to the November general election.
Huntington Beach pride flag, voter ID measures primary election results
Voters in this Orange County city were voting on three controversial charter reform measures.
Measure A would require voters to show identification at polls in Huntington Beach. Supporters say it would ensure the integrity of local elections, while opponents say it conflicts with state law and would suppress voter participation. Result: Measure A was ahead by 54% of the vote with 100% of the expected vote reporting.
Measure B would regulate and limit which signs can be displayed on Huntington Beach public property. Critics say it is aimed at preventing the LGBTQ+ Pride flag from being flown on city property, though that flag is not named specifically in the measure. Result: Measure B was ahead by 58% of the voted with 100% of the expected vote reporting.
Measure C would make changes to the city budgeting process and city council procedures. Result: Measure C was ahead by 53% of the vote with 100% of the expected vote reporting.
Primary election results for Key SoCal House Races
Congressional California District 27 primary election results
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia has advanced to the November general election, where he'll defend his position as the last GOP House member anchored in Los Angeles County.
Garcia has won the seat repeatedly despite a sizeable advantage for registered Democratic voters in the district.
His main competition was from Democrat George Whitesides who was also leading. A former NASA chief of staff, he has campaigned on abortion rights and environmental protection.
Garcia gets help from his both his background as a former Navy fighter pilot and his surname, which comes from his Mexican immigrant father and is familiar in a district with a significant Latino population.
Congressional California District 30 primary election results
State Assembly member Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) is leading the race for California Congressional District 30 with 27% of the vote, early returns show. With 61% of the expected vote reporting, Republican Alex Balekian has 21% of the vote and state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) has 14% of vote.
Adam Schiff has represented this district since 2001 but vacated the seat to focus on his bid for U.S. Senate. The heavily Democratic district includes areas of Los Angeles and the eastern San Fernando Valley including Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena, as well as Tujunga and West Hollywood.
A wide field of candidates is seeking the open seat. The other candidates include former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin and "Boy Meets World" actor Ben Savage.
Congressional California District 31 primary election results
Rep. Grace Napolitano has represented this area in Congress since 1999, though her district's number has changed over the years because of redistricting. At 87, Napolitano is the oldest sitting member of Congress and announced last year that she would retire at the end of her current term. The Democratic district includes parts of the San Gabriel Valley including La Puente, San Dimas, El Monte and Monrovia.
The open seat has attracted a field of 11 candidates. Among them: former congressman Gil Cisneros, who became a multimillionaire and philanthropist after winning a $266 million Mega Millions jackpot in 2010 and recently served as an undersecretary for defense in the Biden administration; Bob Archuleta, a state senator representing parts of LA and Orange counties; Susan Rubio, a state senator in the Baldwin park area; and Mary Ann Lutz, a former councilmember and mayor in Monrovia and current member of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees.
Congressional California District 45 primary election results
Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel has advanced to defend her Orange County seat in November. Steel, a South Korean immigrant who has been in Congress since 2020, represents a district that was drawn to give Asian Americans a stronger voice in Washington. It's home to the nation's largest Vietnamese community.
It was not yet clear who Steel will face in the general election. Democrats Derek Tran, the son of Vietnamese refugees, and Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee father, and two others were trailing Steel. Nguyen-Penaloza has the endorsement of the state Democratic Party.
The race will be watched nationally for hints about the preferences of Asian American voters.
Congressional California District 47 primary election results
Republican Scott Baugh and Democratic state Sen. Dave Min were out front in early returns to fill the seat that incumbent Democrat Katie Porter vacated to run for the U.S. Senate.
Baugh, a former state Assembly member, narrowly lost to Porter in 2022 in a district that had once been reliably Republican. His party sees the seat as a top pick-up opportunity in November.
Democrat Joanna Weiss, who founded an organization to promote progressive candidates, was behind Min and Baugh.
Orange County's 47th District runs along the coast southeast of Los Angeles and was once the heart of "Reagan Country," a region long synonymous with conservative politics and known for its ties to the former president. But the county that was once largely white and Republican has grown demographically diverse and increasingly Democratic. Republicans consider it a top target.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
