California has taken a red turn on key issues, defying its liberal reputation

• Californians voted for some Republican Party-backed proposals and against some liberal ones.
• They voted in favor of higher criminal penalties and appeared poised to reject an increase in the minimum wage.
• Other blue states showed significant movement to the right on Election Day.

Even the bluest states in the US were not immune to a significant crisis On election day, go right

This was clearly visible in California, the most populous US state, which has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1988. California is known for its liberal politics and often draws the ire of Republican politicians and some pro-business billionaires, such as Elon Musk. Musk moved Tesla to Texas in 2021 and said he would also move X and SpaceX out of California this year, citing laws he said target “families and businesses.”

“Paradise Lost” is how Donald Trumpnow president-elect, referenced California during a campaign stop in the Coachella Valley last month, adding, “Whether you’re Democrat, Republican or Independent, this election is your chance to send a message to the world, the people of California will no longer tolerate it.”

While Vice President Kamala Harris California easily defeated Trump, a closer look at the numbers and votes at the state and local level tells a more nuanced story than the progressive reputation the Golden State has earned.

California voted for higher criminal penalties and against rent control

California voted overwhelmingly to increase penalties for certain drug and theft crimes, despite the Democratic administration doing so. Gavin Newsom‘s opposition to the measure, which he called a step back toward “mass incarceration.” About 70% voted in favor of the proposal on Friday.

Voters also rejected a proposal that would give local governments more power to implement rent control 61% voted against. Landlords, real estate agents and some pro-housing groups opposed the measure, but the California Democratic Party, tenant groups and some unions supported it.

Although the election had not yet been called as of Friday, California voters appeared poised to reject two proposals supported by liberal groups: increasing the the state minimum wage and banning forced labor in prisons.

However, California voters voted to enshrine a constitutional state right to marry regardless of gender or race and to issue bonds for the conservation of natural resources.

Local races also suggested a shift toward the center

Incumbent mayor of San Francisco London race lost re-election to Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat and political outsider. Lurie, heir to Levi Strauss, spent more than $8 million of his own money on his campaign.

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Although Lurie is a Democrat, he has received support from some Republican groups in San Francisco who have criticized Breed’s handling of crime, drug use and homelessness in the city. The Republican Party of San Francisco had Lurie and candidate Mark Farrell as its top choices for mayor.

In Los Angeles Countyvoters rejected incumbent District Attorney George Gascón, a prosecutor known as one of the most progressive in the country. Gascón was elected in the wake of the 2020 racial justice protests.

Los Angeles voters instead elected former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, a former Republican who ran as an independent and has vowed to reverse Gascón’s policies, which he said made fighting crime difficult.

Other signs that California was growing redder

Before Election Day, there were some signs that the state’s electorate had shifted to the right. A study by the Public Policy Institute of California found that the number of registered Democrats this year was about the same as in 2020, while the share of registered Republicans increased by a few hundred thousand.

While the share of Californians switching from Democratic to Republican parties was small, the PPIC found that it was most common among Black, Latino and younger voters. groups Trump received support also in other places.

California is still counting its votes, so exactly how much the presidential election changed from 2020 to 2024 is unclear. By Friday, with about 63% of votes counted, it appeared some inland counties were on the verge of moving from blue to red.

Other blue states, which had a larger share of their votes counted as of Friday, also showed a consistent trend toward the right.

Harris easily won Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Maryland — but by significantly smaller margins than President Joe Biden won them in 2020.