In local elections, voters reject candidates who are seen as soft on crime

Voters in California were vocal about their concerns about crime on Tuesday. Not only did they overwhelmingly approve a statewide ballot initiative that imposed additional penalties for drug offenses and retail theft, but they also fired several local officials who were seen as too soft on crime.

“This is definitely a signal that times have changed,” Nicole D. Porter, senior director of advocacy at the Sentencing Project, said of the ballot measure, which passed with 70 percent of the vote. “The reform atmosphere in 2024 will be significantly more limited than in previous years.”

Both Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price were recalled by voters on Tuesday by a margin of nearly 2-1. Both were the target of well-financed campaigns criticizing them for allowing crime to spiral out of control, although both could point to some statistical improvements within their overlapping jurisdictions.

District Attorney George Gascón, widely considered one of the most progressive prosecutors in the country, was unseated in a regular election in Los Angeles. His opponent, former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, promised to be tougher on crime and beat Gascón by more than 20 percentage points.

In San Francisco, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins easily won re-election against a more progressive challenger. Jenkins took on the role two years ago after voters recalled Chesa Boudin, another senior member of the progressive DA.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed trailed in the first round of voting against Daniel Lurie, an heir to the Levi's fortune. Lurie blamed Breed for the city's crime and high homeless rates. San Francisco uses ranked-choice voting, so the final result won't be known for several days.

Across the country in Florida, Andrew Warren failed to win back his job as prosecutor in Hillsborough County. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis fired Warren two years ago, saying he wasn't enforcing all laws. DeSantis' replacement pick, Suzy Lopez, won with a tough, anti-crime message.

However, Monique Worrell succeeded in her comeback attempt. She was fired last year by DeSantis as a prosecutor in Orange and Osceola counties “for neglecting her duty to diligently prosecute crimes in her jurisdiction.”

This year, criminal justice reform advocates have pointed to the district attorney race in Harris County, which includes Houston, as a bright spot. In March, Sean Teare defeated Kim Ogg in the Democratic primary and ran on a progressive platform. On Tuesday, however, Teare defeated Republican Dan Simons with less than 1 percent of the vote. “This shows us that our message was not as widely received as we all thought, and we need to figure out how to communicate our message more clearly,” Teare said Tuesday night.