California Today: What we know so far about California’s primary results

Representative Adam Schiff and the former M.L.B. player Steve Garvey will face off in November for a U.S. Senate seat.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 6, 2024 By Soumya Karlamangla California Today, Writer It's Wednesday. Early takeaways from California's election results. Plus, why vote-counting takes so long in the state. Voting at the Glendale Express Hotel in Glendale on Tuesday. Jenna Schoenefeld for The New York Times A number of races from Tuesday's primary election in California remain too close to call, but the most-watched contest is a done deal. Representative Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor in Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, and Steve Garvey, a former Major League Baseball player, will advance to the general election in November for a full term in the U.S. Senate seat that Dianne Feinstein held for more than three decades before she died last year. As of early this morning, with just under half of the ballots counted, Schiff, a Democrat, had about 33 percent of the vote and Garvey, a Republican, had 32 percent. Representative Katie Porter, an Orange County Democrat, was running a distant third with about 14 percent of the vote, and Representative Barbara Lee, a progressive Democrat from Oakland, was fourth with 7 percent. The results were effectively the same in the special primary being conducted at the same time to fill the last few weeks of the current Senate term, from Election Day in November until the end of the year. In that contest, which attracted fewer minor candidates, Garvey was running ahead of Schiff, 35 percent to 31 percent, with Porter at 16 percent and Lee at 9 percent. California's election system pits all candidates against one another in the same primary, regardless of party, and the top two vote-getters advance. So the general election could have been a contest between Schiff and another Democrat, Porter or Lee. That kind of intraparty battle for a Senate seat has happened twice before in California. But this time, Garvey's name recognition as a former star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres helped consolidate Republicans behind his campaign — and so did Schiff's advertising strategy, as my colleague Shawn Hubler reported. Even so, Democrats far outnumber Republicans in California, so Schiff is expected to win both head-to-head contests in November, for the remainder of the current term and for the new one that starts in January. The outcome of many other races on Tuesday's ballot may not be known for days, or even weeks. California's vote-counting process is slow, largely because most of the state's 22 million registered voters cast mail-in ballots, and they can be postmarked up to the day of the election. "It looks like it takes forever because it does," Paul Mitchell of Political Data, a consulting firm based in California, told my colleague Corina Knoll. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT The state's U.S. House races are worth watching as results continue to trickle in. Several are rated among the most competitive in the country and could help determine which party will win control of Congress in November. You can track the latest results here. Here's what else we know about what voters chose on Tuesday: San Francisco drug screening: With San Francisco experiencing a record number of overdose deaths, Mayor London Breed made a surprising proposal: to require that people receiving financial aid from the county undergo a screening process if they are suspected of drug addiction. The measure appeared to be on its way to passage in early results, a sign that the city may be moving away from its longtime progressive identity. Republican nominee for president: As of early this morning, Trump had about 79 percent of the vote, with Nikki Haley at 18 percent and Ron DeSantis less than 2 percent. Only registered Republicans could vote in this contest. Los Angeles district attorney: George Gascón's election to the post in 2020 was seen as a major victory for the movement to elect liberal prosecutors after nationwide protests against police brutality. This time around, he faced 11 challengers, most of them running to his right. With just over half the vote counted as of early this morning, Gascón was leading the primary field, with his opponent in November likely to be Nathan Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general who was the Republican nominee for attorney general of California in 2022. Mental health measure: The only statewide ballot measure was a $6.4 billion plan championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to build mental health treatment beds and housing, a key part of his approach to addressing homelessness. The yes vote was slightly ahead of the no vote in early results. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. The California State Athletic Commission said it had lost the champion boxer Paul Banke's pension records. Leon Bennett/Getty Images The rest of the news The California State Athletic Commission acknowledged that it had lost the champion boxer Paul Banke's pension records, and voted to pay him a lump sum of $21,000, The Los Angeles Times reports. The commission said that the disappearance of Banke's records was probably an "isolated incident," but that it could not rule out other boxers being affected. The California Supreme Court voted to uphold limits on when young people convicted of serious crimes are eligible for parole hearings, CalMatters reports. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Southern California A San Diego man is the first person in the nation to be arrested and charged with smuggling banned greenhouse gases into the United States, a felony offense, federal prosecutors said. The man pleaded not guilty. Northern California Hundreds of thousands of young Chinook salmon that were released into the Klamath River died from "gas bubble disease" as they passed through a tunnel at the base of the Iron Gate dam, state fish and wildlife officials said. The disease results from environmental or physical trauma caused by extreme changes in water pressure. WHAT YOU GET Yoshihiro Makino On Location The Incredible Expanding $150,000 House: It's Not 500 Square Feet Anymore. Even a quarter of a century ago, the one-bedroom house was a bargain in Los Angeles. Several renovations later, it's the home of their dreams. By Tim McKeough WHAT WE'RE EATING Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Andie McMahon. Ricotta Toast With Roasted Grapes Recipe from Raquel Villanueva Dang Adapted by Ligaya Mishan 30 minutes Makes 2 to 3 servings Tell us Amid all the upheaval of the pandemic, there have been moments of hope and positive change. What have been your pandemic silver linings? Tell us at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Downtown San Jose. Jim Wilson/The New York Times And before you go, some good news San Jose is one of the best places to live in the country for quality of life, according to the 2023-24 rankings from U.S. News and World Report. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT U.S. News ranked 25 cities according to how they scored on the outlet's "quality of life index." The index includes factors like how satisfied residents say they are with their day-to-day lives, the availability of health care, access to education and crime rates. San Jose was ranked fourth among the 25 cities, behind Ann Arbor, Mich.; Boulder, Colo.; and Madison, Wis. The outlet cited the city's diverse population, its proximity to the Silicon Valley tech hub and its distinctive character. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Soumya P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword. Maia Coleman and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for California Today from The New York Times. To stop receiving California Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018