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Election updates

2024 election results: Trump wins second term, Harris concedes presidential race

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A man speaks at a podium in front of American flags
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

President Donald Trump has defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris to become the United States’ 47th president, marking an extraordinary political comeback.

Follow our live coverage and updates.

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With new Trump presidency, California is in for the fight of our lives

Donald Trump pointing a finger
Donald Trump arrives at his election night party at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

Donald Trump has soundly won another term as president and in perhaps the most stunning part of this election, it wasn’t even that close.

As much as California is waking up to a new era of Trump power, we are also waking up to the fact that the majority of Americans do not share the values that this state holds dear: the ideas of equality; of respect for all people and our planet; of a rejection of racism and misogyny; of a desire to advance civil rights rather than roll them back in the name of Christianity.

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‘Do not despair,’ Harris tells supporters as she concedes the election

Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledges supporters at Howard University
Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledges supporters at Howard University after conceding the presidential race to Donald Trump on Wednesday.
(Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday acknowledged her defeat to President-elect Donald Trump in a speech marked by emotion as well as a resolve to never give up the fight for a more just union.

“My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country, and full of resolve,” Harris told supporters at Howard University, her alma mater.

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How both Trump and abortion access won the 2024 election

Abortion rights protesters rally
Abortion rights protesters rally near the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022.
(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

Abortion access was on the ballot Tuesday and voters supported it in seven of 10 states nationwide, giving an overwhelming win for the abortion rights movement since the matter became a states’ issue after the fall of Roe vs. Wade.

But the issue’s biggest proponent on a national ticket? She couldn’t win.

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Column: Political novice Ysabel Jurado celebrates on her road to Eastside history

Ysabel Jurado, lower right,  poses for a selfie with Los Angeles city council members.
Ysabel Jurado, lower right, running for Los Angeles City Council District 14, poses for a selfie with Councilmember Nithya Raman, former L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin, in cap, Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, background, and others at her election night party.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Ysabel Jurado marched into the Highland Park hipster bar Block Party on election night dressed to impress her cheering supporters.

Hot pink power suit and heels. Fuschia satin blouse. Hoop earrings. Hair tied back with a clip. A smile as wide as the double-digit lead she had over the incumbent, Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León, in early returns.

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Tide shifts against criminal justice reform among California voters

A man wears a mask that says "Vote."
The 2024 election results in California include the passage of a tough-on-crime ballot measure, along with confirmed or likely defeats for two progressive district attorneys and an initiative to give prisoners more labor rights.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)

In deep-blue L.A. County, the “godfather of progressive prosecutors” lost his reelection bid by more than 20 percentage points to a former Republican.

In the Bay Area, voters appear to have recalled another reform-minded district attorney. And statewide, a tough-on-crime ballot initiative passed with overwhelming support.

Four years after nationwide calls for police accountability and a reimagining of the criminal justice system led to big wins for reform candidates in California, voters dramatically reversed course Tuesday night.

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California, it’s going to be OK. This is still our moment

A woman wears a mask designed to filter out airborne particles during a Los Angeles smog alert.
Sera Segal-Alsberg wears a mask designed to filter out airborne particles during a Los Angeles smog alert.
(Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times)

By the time I started working as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times three decades ago, the California dystopia genre was already well established.

Three times in the early 1990s, the cover of Time magazine trumpeted the Golden State’s demise: “California: The Endangered Dream.” “California: State of Shock.” “Los Angeles: Is the City of Angels Going to Hell?”

It’s easy to see Kamala Harris’ defeat as one more loss for California, both because she is a product of the state and because so much of her political philosophy was formed here. But does fatalism blind us to what California’s role needs to be right now and what it can do to move the world forward?

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At Kamala Harris’ alma mater, tears as she concedes the presidency

Supporters react to election results  at Howard University.
Supporters react to election results during an event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Howard University on Tuesday.
(Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)

Kamala Harris’ supporters finally heard from the vice president on Wednesday afternoon. But her address at Howard University was far from the speech they wanted, and many listened in tears.

In somber remarks delivered at the Yard, a large outdoor space on the Washington, D.C., campus, the Democratic presidential nominee said she had conceded the race to Donald Trump and urged a divided country to come together.

“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted — not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” said Harris, 60, a Howard alumna whose surprise candidacy began in July after President Biden announced he would not seek another term. “But hear me when I say: The light of America’s promise will always burn bright.”

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Here are L.A. County’s three new members of Congress

Three photos, with two showing a different woman each and the third photo showing a man.
Los Angeles County voters on Tuesday elected Democrats Luz Rivas, Laura Friedman and Gil Cisneros to Congress.
(Political handout photographs)

Los Angeles County voters in deep-blue districts elected three new Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The Associated Press called three congressional races in favor of Luz Rivas in the San Fernando Valley, Laura Friedman in central Los Angeles and Gil Cisneros in the San Gabriel Valley.

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With Harris down, Newsom’s political stock rises again in California and beyond

Gov. Gavin Newsom and President-elect Donald Trump
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to position himself as the leader of the Democratic resistance to President-elect Donald Trump.
(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press; Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political starpower dimmed as Vice President Kamala Harris rose to the top of the Democratic party in the months before the 2024 election.

That’s all expected to change after her presidential campaign against former President Trump crashed and burned Tuesday and voters elected the Republican to a second term in the nation’s highest office.

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What went wrong for Harris: Trying to ‘turn the page’ while still in office

A supporter wears a Kamala Harris T-shirt with campaign buttons
A supporter waits for Kamala Harris to arrive at a campaign rally outside the Atlanta Civic Center on Saturday.
(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

In the end, Vice President Kamala Harris could not overcome a central contradiction: She was the “turn the page” candidate who served with Joe Biden, the oldest and one of the least popular presidents in history.

“I don’t think there necessarily was a path here for her. If you’re the vice president of an administration people want to fire, you’re way behind the eight ball to start,” said David Axelrod, former President Obama’s lead strategist.

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Levi’s heir Daniel Lurie leads in early returns in heated San Francisco mayor’s race

San Francisco mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie smiles at news cameras.
San Francisco mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie has attracted support from voters who like his appeal as a political “outsider” and want to see change at City Hall.
(Stephen Lam / AP)

Philanthropist and Levi’s heir Daniel Lurie maintained his lead in early returns Wednesday, holding a solid edge against incumbent Mayor London Breed and three other Democrats vying in the heated race for San Francisco mayor.

But with votes still uncounted, the final results were not expected before Thursday. San Francisco’s ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to select multiple candidates by order of preference, complicates the process of quickly identifying a winner.

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Donald Trump ahead in O.C. after losing in the county twice before

Boaters showing their support for Donald Trump
Boaters show their support for Donald Trump during an event in Huntington Beach in July.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Donald Trump was leading in Orange County by more than 10,000 votes Wednesday night, a position that, if it holds, would hand him a victory that’s eluded him for years.

Voters in this historically GOP-dominated county rejected his first bid for the White House in 2016, selecting a Democrat — Hillary Clinton — for the highest office for the first time in 80 years. He met the same fate in 2020 with Joe Biden.

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As with Trump’s last term, California will lead the liberal resistance

A person in an audience raises her hands to her face in a prayer position.
An audience waits for results during an election watch party at Manny’s in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
(Josh Edelson / For The Times)

The last time Donald Trump was president, California led the liberal resistance to his agenda. Now it is poised to reprise the role.

In fact, as Trump’s return to power came into focus late Tuesday, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said he already had a plan to do so — that the state was “1,000% focused” and ready to fight, in court and beyond, for California’s progressive way of life.

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Column: Trump wins and it’s a dark night for America’s soul

A silhouette of Donald Trump with the U.S. flag in background
Donald Trump speaks at an election-eve rally in Reading, Pa.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

A convicted felon and adjudicated sex offender is returning to the White House.

A candidate who spoke of using the military against political foes and called for the summary execution of his critics will again be commander in chief.

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Trump victory puts California clean air initiatives in jeopardy

Heavy traffic on a freeway
Trump’s reelection has put a number of California clean air initiatives at risk, including a rule that would require an increasing number of cars sold to be zero-emission or hybrid vehicles.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Former President Trump’s return to the White House now jeopardizes a slate of California clean air rules that were intended to advance the state’s climate goals and bring it closer to complying with federal air quality standards.

In the last four years, California has adopted some of the nation’s most innovative air regulations, including a ban on new gasoline-powered car sales by 2035 and a prohibition against diesel-fueled trucks visiting state ports and railyards in 2036.

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California voters approve Proposition 4, the bond measure for water and environmental projects

vector illustration of earth on fire
(Los Angeles Times)

California voters have approved a $10-billion bond measure to finance water, clean energy and other environmental projects.

Proposition 4 allocates $3.8 billion for water projects, including those that provide safe drinking water, water recycling projects, groundwater storage and flood control. An additional $1.5 billion would be spent on wildfire protection, and $1.2 billion would go toward protecting the coast from sea level rise.

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Beyond the big stock market rally, what does Trump’s victory mean for the economy?

Donald Trump speaks to attendees during a campaign rally
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to attendees during a Sept. 24 campaign rally at the Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah, Ga.
(Brandon Bell / Getty Images)

What President-elect Donald Trump says he will do and what he actually does have not always been a straight line, but if he follows through on his declared intentions for the economy, it bodes well for American corporations and high-income individuals, at least in the short term. The same cannot be said for the millions of middle-income and even lower-income voters who returned him to the White House.

And down the road, things could turn bumpy for the whole economy, with a return of higher inflation, labor shortages and slower trade and tourism driven by the new broad-based tariffs and mass deportations that Trump promised to pursue on the campaign trail. His general orientation is to pull back from globalization, which would probably have a bigger effect on more internationally dependent economies such as California‘s.

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How Trump overcame a shooting and an unexpected rival to win a historic second term

With blood running down his face, Donald Trump, surrounded by Secret Service agents, raises a fist
Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents after he was wounded in a shooting during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July. The former president has become president-elect.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

From the moment he rode a golden escalator downward and into the queasy gut of American political life, Donald Trump has done it his way — unbridled by precedent, often powered by “alternative facts” and dedicated to the proposition that only he could “make America great again.”

The real estate mogul and onetime reality TV star captured a second term as president of the United States early Wednesday morning — nearly a decade after his now iconic entrance on the nation’s political stage. His candidacy again surmounted innumerable obstacles and defied much of a political establishment that views him with utter disdain.

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Steel and Tran locked in tight race for California’s 45th Congressional District

Side by side photos of Derek Tran and Michelle Steel
California Congressional District 40 race candidates Democratic challenger Derek Tran, left, and GOP Rep. Michelle Steel.
(Derek Tran campaign; Sam Oh)

The competitive race between Republican Rep. Michelle Steel and Democratic challenger Derek Tran for an Orange County swing district was too close to call Tuesday night, as votes continue to be counted.

Steel, 69, and Tran, 44, went head-to-head in one of the nation’s tightest contests for the U.S. House of Representatives. It was one of several House races in California with the potential to shape which party will control Congress next year.

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Race too close to call for Calvert and Rollins in California’s 41st Congressional District

Democrat Will Rollins and Republican Rep. Ken Calvert
Democrat Will Rollins, left, is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Ken Calvert for a Riverside County congressional seat.
(Will Rollins for Congress; Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call)

The highly competitive U.S. House race in Riverside County between Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving GOP member of California’s congressional delegation, and Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, was too close to call on election night.

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Garcia and Whitesides locked in battle for California’s 27th Congressional District

Republican congressman Mike Garcia and Democratic challenger George Whitesides
Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, left, and Democrat George Whitesides are running to represent California’s 27th Congressional District in northern Los Angeles County.
(Associated Press)

The hotly contested congressional race between Republican Rep. Mike Garcia and Democrat George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff, to represent northern Los Angeles County was too close to call on election night.

The race between Garcia and Whitesides to represent California’s 27th Congressional District had been considered a toss-up and was closely watched across the country as one of several swing districts that could help determine which party wins control of the House.

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Kim and Kerr locked in tight race for California’s 40th Congressional District

Side by side photos of Democratic challenger Joe Kerr and Republican Rep. Young Kim.
Democratic challenger Joe Kerr and Republican Rep. Young Kim.
(Joe Kerr Campaign, J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)

The race between Republican Rep. Young Kim and Democrat Joe Kerr to represent an inland Orange County district in Congress remained too close to call on Tuesday night as votes continue to be counted.

Though President Biden won California’s 40th Congressional District by a narrow margin in 2020, Republicans maintain a voter registration advantage of roughly 5 percentage points.

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Voters approve school repair measure and Proposition 36, reversing course on criminal justice reform

10 drawings of different logos in red/white/blue in a grid
California voters weighed in on 10 propositions that would affect the state’s climate change response, rent and more.
(Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times)

California voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to reverse course on progressive criminal justice reform, cracking down on theft crimes and the use of the deadly drug fentanyl.

Proposition 36 reforms a law approved a decade ago that reduced some felonies to misdemeanors and was seen as a milestone in California’s attempt to end the harsh tough-on-crime policies of the past.

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Proposition 33, the rent control statewide ballot measure, is rejected by California voters

vector illustration of a hospital and an upside-down house
(Los Angeles Times)

California voters on Tuesday rejected an effort to allow stronger rent control laws in California, the third time such a measure was turned down in recent years.

Proposition 33 would have allowed cities and counties to pass stricter rent control laws than they can now.

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Ysabel Jurado leads Councilmember Kevin de León; Hutt and Nazarian also ahead

Three women smile and wave.
Attorney Ysabel Jurado, center, a candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 14, dances with supporters at her election night party in Highland Park.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Tenants rights attorney Ysabel Jurado held a significant lead over Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León on Wednesday in the race to represent an Eastside district, according to partial returns.

The bruising, yearlong contest pitted Jurado, a first-time candidate, against De León, a veteran lawmaker who was politically wounded by his participation in a secretly recorded conversation that featured racist and crude remarks.

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California voters approve anti-crime ballot measure Prop. 36

illustration of three handcuffs linked together
(Los Angeles Times)

California voters on Tuesday approved a November ballot measure that will impose stricter penalties for repeat theft and crimes involving fentanyl, steering away from recent progressive policies that critics blamed for increased lawlessness.

The Associated Press declared the passage of Proposition 36 about an hour after polls closed, an indication of the strong voter support for the measure.

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Nathan Hochman wins race for Los Angeles County D.A., beating George Gascón

Nathan Hochman speaking at an election event, one man standing nearby.
Nathan Hochman addresses supporters in Beverly Hills on election night. He’s ahead in the race to oust progressive L.A. County D.A. George Gascón.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A tumultuous first term in office for Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón ended in a failed reelection bid Tuesday night, with challenger Nathan Hochman defeating him by a wide margin.

Hochman, who polls long predicted would oust Gascón, held a commanding 23-point lead based on early returns, outpacing the progressive incumbent by more than half a million votes. Gascón called Hochman to concede early Wednesday morning.

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Democrat Adam Schiff wins California’s U.S. Senate race

Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, who rose to national prominence as a key antagonist of former President Trump, easily beat Republican and former Dodgers All-Star Steve Garvey on Tuesday night to win California’s open seat in the U.S. Senate.

The Associated Press declared Schiff, 64, the winner shortly after polls closed, an indication of the congressman’s substantial support in a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1.

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Republicans take Senate majority from Democrats

The U.S. Capitol in Washington.
With control of Congress at stake, House and Senate races will decide which party can boost or block a president’s plans, or if Capitol Hill is divided.
(Jon Elswick / Associated Press)

Republicans seized control of the U.S. Senate late Tuesday after flipping Democratic-held seats, holding onto GOP incumbents and wresting away the majority.

The unexpected battleground of Nebraska pushed Republicans over the top. Incumbent GOP Sen. Deb Fischer brushed back a surprisingly strong challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn.

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