cawacko
Well-known member
They say as California goes, so goes the nation. Being on the right, I'm always fascinated (locally) to see how much liberals will accept. George Cascon was a progressive prosecutor who lost on Tuesday. In San Francisco we recalled our progressive prosecutor and replaced him (a white male) with a black/latino Democrat who has been much more aggressive in going after criminals. And in Alameda County (Oakland) they just recalled the progressive DA, Pamela Price.
These progressive DA's get elected on platforms claiming we need more racial justice in the law, more rehabilitation instead of prisons, hold cops accountable etc. But once the real world kicks in, crime increases and people feel unsafe - even those who proclaim themselves progressive have a tipping point on how much they'll accept. On crime it seems people in LA, SF and Oakland have reached that point (for the moment).
Gascón is part of a string of West Coast district attorneys who have faced backlash from voters.
George Gascón, who rode a criminal justice reform wave after George Floyd’s murder to become the Los Angeles County District Attorney, has lost his reelection bid, according to The Associated Press.
The progressive prosecutor was defeated handily by Nathan Hochman, a Republican-turned-independent former tax attorney.
Gascón came into office in 2020 promising to turn back the county’s history of lock ‘em up law enforcement. He ended cash bail, declined to seek the death penalty and halted the use of sentencing enhancements, a position he partially rolled back over time.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic crime spike, however, these policies sparked instant controversy. Opponents launched two recall attempts, both of which failed to qualify for the ballot. He attracted a slew of challengers in his reelection race; Hochman, the best fundraiser of the pack, emerged as his challenger.
Hochman ran to Gascón’s right, though he refrained from making his campaign a larger referendum on criminal justice reform.
These progressive DA's get elected on platforms claiming we need more racial justice in the law, more rehabilitation instead of prisons, hold cops accountable etc. But once the real world kicks in, crime increases and people feel unsafe - even those who proclaim themselves progressive have a tipping point on how much they'll accept. On crime it seems people in LA, SF and Oakland have reached that point (for the moment).
George Gascón, Los Angeles’ embattled progressive prosecutor, loses reelection bid
Gascón is part of a string of West Coast district attorneys who have faced backlash from voters.
George Gascón, who rode a criminal justice reform wave after George Floyd’s murder to become the Los Angeles County District Attorney, has lost his reelection bid, according to The Associated Press.
The progressive prosecutor was defeated handily by Nathan Hochman, a Republican-turned-independent former tax attorney.
Gascón came into office in 2020 promising to turn back the county’s history of lock ‘em up law enforcement. He ended cash bail, declined to seek the death penalty and halted the use of sentencing enhancements, a position he partially rolled back over time.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic crime spike, however, these policies sparked instant controversy. Opponents launched two recall attempts, both of which failed to qualify for the ballot. He attracted a slew of challengers in his reelection race; Hochman, the best fundraiser of the pack, emerged as his challenger.
Hochman ran to Gascón’s right, though he refrained from making his campaign a larger referendum on criminal justice reform.
