Election results in San Francisco and Los Angeles were the latest sign of a troubled Democratic voter who remains deeply dissatisfied and concerned about public safety.
LOS ANGELES – Progressive Democrats were beaten on the defensive in their own party over crime and homelessness on Wednesday after voters in two high-profile California races delivered a strong warning about the potency of law and order as a political message in 2022.
The landslide recall of a progressive prosecutor in San Francisco, Chesa Boudin, and the strength of a Republican-turned-Democratic mayoral candidate in deep-blue Los Angeles, Rick Caruso, who tirelessly ran as a criminal fighter to clean the streets, showed how far voters’ concerns about public safety have been captured – even in some of the nation’s most progressive corners.
The results provided fresh evidence of the depth of voter frustration in major U.S. cities over quality of life issues. They were also the last sign of a troubled Democratic voter who had been promised a return to normalcy under President Biden but still did not remain satisfied with the state of the nation.
On Wednesday, the day after the California election, Mr Boudin’s abduction and Mr Caruso’s strong performance – he is currently the top vote-getter – were parsed and taken apart by the Democratic Party’s moderate and liberal factions. as the party tries. keep their fractious coalition together in an increasingly brutal 2022 political environment.
“What’s clear is that Californians want the streets to look different than they do today,” said Anne Irwin, founder and director of Smart Justice California, a criminal justice advocacy group. But she confirmed the notion that the results were a punishment for progressive politics. “We will lose battles here and there. That does not mean we will lose the war.
For Democrats, the issue of crime and disorder exposes the racist and ideological divisions of the party, threatening to drive a wedge between some of the party’s core areas: Some voters are calling for action on systemic differences, others focus on their own sense of security in their homes and neighborhoods.
“People who take to the streets feel in danger in many cases, and that needs to be addressed,” said Willie Brown, a Democrat who is the former mayor of San Francisco.
But Mr Brown said too many Democrats did not want to talk about “what the police are doing” for fear of crossing the party activist class and “A.O.S. or A.O.C. or whatever that woman’s name is,” he dismissed the Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the influential progressive.
In 2019, Mr Boudin’s victory was welcomed as a watershed for the progressive prosecution movement. A former public defender who switched sides of the courtroom became a symbol of success as he vowed to reduce racist differences, fight mass prison and more aggressively hold police accountable. He then promised that “the hard-on-crime policies and rhetoric of the 1990s and early 2000s are on their way out.” Instead, he is.
In Los Angeles, Mr. Caruso, a luxury real estate developer, spent $ 41 million to advance to a runoff against Representative Karen Bass, a Democrat and former president of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Of course, two elections in two cities do not fully capture the dynamics of a subject as complex as criminal policy. And even on Tuesday, those left not only suffered losses in prosecutorial contests, but also shot up some victories. But the mere fact that fears for public safety were central drivers in such heavily democratic bastions is an ominous sign for the party in November, said strategists in both parties.
“If the Democratic primary shows a shift toward the middle on police and crime issues, then it’s an even greater concern when you think of the November local elections,” said Jeffrey Pollock, a pollster for Mr Caruso, who also for at-risk Democratic congressional candidates in other states.
Progressive blame the media, outside money, Republican politicians and Mr Caruso’s wealth – he outspent Mrs Bass 10 to 1 – for the setback.
But there was also introspection on retrospect.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington and leader of the House of Progressive Caucus, said several factors led to the urban fear: rising housing costs, which have exacerbated homelessness, closed store fronts in downtown that are not pandemic-prone. Losses have recovered, lawlessness to a degree and the perception of the unusual crime being perpetrated by Republican politicians.
She also suggested that the phrase “defunct police” oversimplified the democratic message.
“I in no way want to dismiss the concerns that people have about public safety,” she said, adding, “We should not put all this at the feet of law enforcement. We should support efforts to addressing public safety that goes to the root causes – and we should hold accountability accountable.
Another test could dream up: George Gascón, the progressive district attorney from Los Angeles who moved to eliminate cash bail and on his first day more alone to impose low-level insults, also faces a potential recall. Signature meeting to qualify for a vote is well underway.
Centrists and former lawmakers welcomed the successful San Francisco recall as a devastating blow to the Progressives, while more liberal activists and members of Congress dismissed it as a only-in-San Francisco phenomenon, more about Mr. Boudin’s mistakes, money or dismissed the phenomenon. Features of the recall.
“It’s clear that the toxic Defund the Police movement is dead and is being replaced by a ‘Defund the Progressive District Attorney’ movement,” said Bill Bratton, the former New York police commissioner and former Los Angeles police chief who supported Mr Caruso. . and knew in ads for him, posted on Twitter.
Whitney Tymas, president of the Justice and Public Safety PAC, who spends a lot of time in the district of attorneys on behalf of progressive prosecutors, strongly disagreed.
“Rumors about the death of the movement to support prospective prosecutors are greatly exaggerated,” she said, citing the success in another Bay Area course on Tuesday. In that race, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton, who is currently the state’s only black prosecutor, was far ahead of a hard-on-crime challenger, Mary Knox, an assistant prosecutor who is white.
In another Los Angeles contest, the county’s hard-on-crime sheriff, Alex Villanueva, was forced into a runoff after winning just over a third of the vote.
The landscape of criminal justice has changed rapidly.
In the two years since George Floyd’s assassination of a Minneapolis police officer, the initial “defund the police” rallying cry has since become so politically toxic that it is now more often used by Republicans as an epithet than seriously by Democrats. The energy for the police reform that once cruised has also disappeared, as political strategists say voters – especially in big cities – feel less secure, an emotional reality far more powerful than any crime statistic.
“People are not in a good mood, and they have no reason to be in a good mood,” said Garry South, a Democratic strategist in Los Angeles. “It’s not just crime. It’s homelessness. It’s the high price of gasoline.”
As a sign of how crime can divide the party in unusual ways, public and internal polls have shown how Mr Caruso’s white-collar crime-free campaign has helped him build up with a large number of black men. , even as he ran against Mrs. Bass, who is Black. In an internal poll in May, Mr Caruso did more than 30 percentage points better among black men than women.
Mr Caruso found traction in the difficult Democratic city despite a longtime Republican who then became independent and only joined the Democratic Party, just before he left office. He led a campaign that promised to “clean up” the city and hailed Tuesday’s results as “a great awakening”.
Steve Soboroff, a Los Angeles police commissioner who ran for mayor in 2001 and supported Mrs. Bass this year, was not impressed because of the large expenses. “Caruso produced a glass ceiling made of Waterford crystal glass,” he said.
The results in California are not exactly a wake-up call in Washington. Top Democrats have been fighting for months to address potential vulnerabilities to crime.
Understand the 2022 Midterm Elections
Why are these midterms so important? This year’s race could tip the balance of power in Congress to Republicans, hanging President Biden’s agenda for the second half of his term. They will also mention former President Donald J. Trump’s role as G.O.P. kingmaker. Here’s what you know:
What are the by-elections? Midterms take place two years after a presidential election, at the center of a presidential election – hence the name. This year, many seats are up for grabs, including all 435 seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 of 50 governors.
What does the Mediterranean mean for Biden? With slim majorities in Congress, Democrats fought to get Mr Biden’s agenda through. Republican control of the House or Senate would make the president’s legislative goals an almost impossible one.
What are the races to watch? Only a handful of seats determine whether Democrats retain control of the House over Republicans, and a single state could change power in the 50-50 Senate. Here are 10 races to watch in the House and Senate, as well as several key governor contests.
When do the key races take place? The primary gauntlet is already running. Close-up races in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia were held in May, with more taking place through the summer. Primary elections run until September before the November 8th general election.
Go deeper. What is redistricting and how does it affect the by-elections? How does the election work? How do you register to vote? We have more answers to your urgent middle questions here.
House Democrats have increased local and state attorney funding by more than $ 500 million in this year’s pay package, giving Democratic lawmakers a point of reference for refusing Republican attacks.
And in the White House, Mr Biden made a point to immediately reject the most difficult rhetoric perpetrated by the activist left.
“The answer is not to detect the police,” Mr Biden said in February as he visited New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams, who in 2021 won mainly on a crime-fighting message, set an example. was held as the subject was approached.
Republicans say the issue represents a deep-seated weakness for Democrats – relative to inflation and the economy.
“There are voters in the suburbs and extinctions across this country – they see what’s happening in the cities,” said Dan Conston, the leader of the leading Super PAC for House Republicans, who has already reserved $ 125 million for television commercials this fall. “They are both appalled and concerned about their communities.”
For months, the party’s tensions between the progressive left and laws have been particularly acute in San Francisco.
The city’s mayor, London Breed, who sided with Mr Boudin, last month announced plans to boycott this month’s Pride Parade after organizers banned lawyers’ uniforms. The ban on uniforms was eventually reversed, and so was the boycott.
Across San Francisco, anecdotes abound of burglary, camps, street fires. During the pandemic, drug overdoses are more deadly in the city than Covid-19.
Shortly before Mr Boudin held a news conference on Sunday south of Market Street with Rev Jesse Jackson, a passerby carrying bags on his bicycle fell. A small hand ax, which he was holding, slammed to the ground. He quickly gathered his things, jumped back on the bike and drove off.
In an interview that day, Mr Boudin did not deny the city’s difficulties. But he said his opponents were trying to “scold me for problems that exist in every city in this country – and that have existed in San Francisco for decades.”
Mr Jackson, a longtime civil rights activist and former presidential candidate, said the remembrance campaign was part of a Republican campaign to stop progressive change. “There is no case against him,” Mr Jackson said in a brief interview. “It’s ideology.”
Representative Ro Khanna, a San Francisco Bay Area Democrat, admitted that Democrats need to rethink how they talk about crime and urban violence as part of a broader messaging recalibration to prevent voters from sounding elitist, whose three favorites TV shows include “Sunday Night Football”, “Monday Night Football” and “Thursday Night Football”.
“We need to be nonjudgmental and show that we love the things that people love,” Mr Khanna said.
Representative Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, who oversees the political arm of the House Democrats, said it would be imperative for the party to figure out how to navigate the complicated criminal policy.
“We must not fall victim to a wrong choice between public safety and criminal justice,” Mr Maloney said. “We better do both.”
Jonathan Weisman, Jennifer Medina and Jill Cowan contributed reporting.
Is Kansas City red or blue?
Kansas City is strongly democratic in the south and east, but tends to be more republican slender in the north.
Is Missouri a Conservative State? In 2016 and 2020, Missouri again voted strongly Republican, this time for Donald Trump, despite Trump losing the last election. This marks the third time in four presidential elections that Missouri has supported a losing Republican.
How did Kansas vote in the 2020 presidential election?
Kansas has six constituencies in the Electoral College. Even though Trump won the state with a solid margin, Biden’s 41.53 percent vote was the highest for a Democratic presidential candidate since 2008 – among the best Democratic statewide increases in the election.
Quand se déroulent les élections américaines ?
On Election Day, the Tuesday following the first Monday in November (until November 2nd, the 8th), American voters are invited to vote for their presidential election. However, they do not directly choose this because the scrutiny is made in Walrecht indirectly.
Qui se présente au Election USA 2020 ?
At 77 and 74, respectively, Biden and Trump are the two oldest Democratic and Republican candidates for the presidency in American history. Trump and Biden’s collaborators are Mike Pence, outgoing Vice President, and Kamala Harris, respectively.
Is Kansas City a good place to live?
Ranked in the Top 50 Best Places to Live in the US, this fast-growing Midwest Metro is an excellent place to live for job opportunities, affordable housing, top-rated colleges, pro sports events, incredible arts and culture, and … of course – some of the best barbecues in america.
What are the benefits of living in Kansas City?
The labor market and economy in KC are some of the best in the country. At 3% unemployment, Kansas City is a whole percentage lower than the national average. While it’s true that incomes are a bit lower here, living costs, things are well balanced.
How much does it cost to live comfortably in Kansas City?
To live comfortably in Kansas City for a family of four, you need to earn about $ 68K per year per household. Your monthly expenses can average $ 3,150 (gas, grocery, monthly utilities, etc.), and your home size could be 1,800 square feet.
What type of government does Kansas City have?
Kansas City has a Democratic mayor.
Who governs Kansas City?
| Kansas City, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| â € ¢ Mayor | Quinton Lucas (D) |
| â € ¢ Body | Kansas City, Missouri City Council |
| Area | |
| â € ¢ City | 318.98 sq mi (826.14 km2) |
How does Kansas City government work?
Kansas City, Missouri is divided into six council districts that are reviewed by the population at least every five years. The mayor and six city council members are elected by a large majority. The other six members of the city council are elected from the neighborhoods they serve.
Who ran against Byron Brown last election?
The person in charge, Byron Brown, ran successfully for re-election against city governor Mark J. F. Schroeder and Erie County lawmaker Betty Jean Grant. A primary took place on September 12, 2017.
Who ran for mayor of Buffalo NY in 2021?
Who won mayoral primary NYC 2021?
The Democratic primary for the 2021 New York City mayoral election was held on June 22, 2021. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has defeated 12 other candidates, including Kathryn Garcia, Maya Wiley and Andrew Yang.
How much does the NYC mayor make? According to the New York Post, the NYC mayor receives a weekly salary of about $ 5,900, which is a salary of $ 258,750 a year.
Who won 2021 election mayor?
Sadiq Khan of the Labor Party was re-elected, winning 40% of the vote in the first preference and 55% in a victory over Bailey.
Who won London Mayor 2020?
Elections in the 2020s saw former Labor mayor Sadiq Khan win the re-election against Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey.
Where does India Walton work?
She left her nursing career after being hired by Open Buffalo as a community organizer with a focus on criminal justice and police reform. In 2017, she became Executive Director of the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust.
Does India have Walton any restrictions against her? Judge E. Jeannette Ogden issued a six-month protection order July 17, 2014, requiring Walton to stay away from the co-worker, said a bill source with knowledge of the case.