Editorial: California’s election results require patience. That’s a good thing.
In the last three election cycles, the state’s electoral map — dominated by the two U.S. Senate seats up for grabs — has been very, very different from the map in 2016. The political landscape has changed dramatically, with Democrats now in the driver’s seat to control the Legislature for the first time since 1995. But there is a flip side to that coin. With the addition of three Republican-leaning districts in the state’s 10th, 11th and 13th Congressional Districts, the odds of a Democratic victory in these areas could improve, and perhaps even change.
The Democrats’ path to victory in California’s primary elections — and the general election — will depend on which races they can win, as well as on which voters show up in the voting booths, and how well they educate themselves and mobilize.
The election results on Tuesday are very encouraging to the state’s Democrats. This includes: the party’s success in the 10th District, which went for Democrat Harley Rouda by a large margin; a surprise victory for Democrat Gil Cedillo in the 9th District against Republican challenger Steve Knight; an expected victory for Democratic businessman John Cox, the incumbent congressman in the 10th District; and a win for Democrat Mike Levin in the Central Valley’s 15th District for the newly created U.S. Senate seat.
The party also has victories to celebrate in the 14th District in the Central Valley and in the 9th District in the Central Valley, as well as in the 4th District in the San Diego area.
The Democrat-controlled legislature will now hold hearings on a number of significant bills, including SB 1, which would create a new independent redistricting commission, and an effort to curb gerrymandering from the courts. There will also be hearings on a number of bills dealing with the state’s drug policy. And several major bills dealing with housing, homelessness, mental health and the criminal justice system will also likely come up for discussion.
California Democrats’ path to victory in the state’s primary elections — and the general election — will depend on which races they can win, as well as on which voters show up in the voting booths, and how well they educate themselves and mobilize.
The election
