California races in the November 5, 2024 election, including U.S. Congress, Senate and California Assembly, ballot measures and key local races, are being closely watched, with some still undecided. This GT Alert provides known results as of November 10, 2024, unless otherwise noted.

US Senate

Democrat Adam Schiff defeated Republican Steve Garvey, receiving 57 percent of the vote for both the partial term and a full six-year term. He will replace Sen. Laphonza Butler, whom the governor appointed in October 2023 to fill the seat of former Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

US House of Representatives

At least eight races in California are still too close to call. The outcome of these races could determine control of the US House of Representatives.

California state races

California Senate Democrats have held a supermajority for 12 years, and Republicans are nowhere near breaking it in the 2024 election, despite 36 of the 120 lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly leaving office due to term limits or other reasons (including a handful of assembly members running for Senate).

In general, the balance of power will not change in either house. Republicans would need to pick up five seats in the Senate and nine seats in the Assembly to crack the supermajority. At most, the results will swing one or two seats either way, maintaining Democratic supermajorities in both chambers.

New members to the state legislature could be at an all-time high in the 2025 legislative session, possibly more than in 2012, when 44 new members took office.

California Senate

The Democratic supermajority is safe. Key Senate races include:

• District 1 Senate: The Associated Press has called the race for Republican Megan Dahle, who leads Republican David Fennell with 76 percent of the vote.
• Senate District 5: Democrat Jerry McNerney leads Republican Jim Shoemaker. McNerney has 52% of the vote.
• Senate District 19: Republican Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh leads Democrat Lisa Middleton by just over six points. Bogh has 53% of the votes.
• Senate District 23: With 52%, Republican Suzette Martinez Valladares leads Democrat Kipp Mueller.
• Senate District 37: Republican Steven Choi, with 51 percent of the vote, maintains a slight lead over Democrat Josh Newman.

California Assembly

The Democratic supermajority in the Assembly also remains safe. Notable races include:

• District 7 of the assembly: Republican Josh Hoover, with 54% of the vote, leads Democrat Porsche Middleton.
• Assembly Sector 27: With 53% of the vote, Democrat Esmeralda Soria leads Republican Joanna Garcia Rose.
• Assembly Sector 36: Republican Jeff Gonzalez, with 51 percent of the vote, maintains a slight lead over Democrat Jose Acuña Jr.
• Assembly Sector 40: With 53 percent of the vote, Democrat Pilar Schiavo remains ahead of Republican Patrick Lee Gipson.
• Assembly Sector 58: Republican Leticia Castillo, who has 51% of the vote, leads Democrat Clarissa Cervantes. This race was not closely watched before the election.
• Assembly District 76: Democrat Darshana Patel, with 53 percent of the vote, widened her lead over Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane.

State ballot measures

• Proposition 2: Issue Public Education Bonds – APPROVED

  California voted to pass Proposition 2, which authorizes the state to issue $10 billion in bonds to improve public and community schools. Proposition 2 was passed with 57% of the vote.

• Proposition 3: Enshrines marriage rights in the state Constitution – PROPOSED

  Sixty-one percent of voters voted yes on Proposition 3, which amends the California Constitution to enshrine the fundamental right to marry regardless of sex or race and removes language from the state constitution that states marriage is only between a man and a woman.

• Proposition 4: Bonds for Safe Drinking Water and Climate Change Response – APPROVED

  Proposition 4, which authorizes $10 billion in bonds for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention and climate protection, passed 58 percent to 42 percent.

• Proposition 5: Lowering the voting threshold for passing local measures for housing and transportation bonds – FAILED

  Fifty-six percent of Californians voted “no” on Proposition 5, which would have reduced the vote needed to pass local affordable housing and transportation bond measures from two-thirds voter approval to 55% voter approval.

• Proposition 6: Banning involuntary servitude in state prisons – FAILED

  California voters failed to approve Proposition 6, which would have amended the state constitution to eliminate the current provision that allows prisons and jails to force incarcerated people to work. Fifty-five percent of voters voted “no” on Proposition 6.

• Proposition 32: Raise the minimum wage – FAILED

  Proposition 32 sought to increase California’s hourly minimum wage. It failed, with 52% of voters voting “no”.

• Proposition 33: Repeal the prohibition of city and country rental ordinances – ESCUT

  Proposition 33, which would have repealed an existing law barring city and county governments from setting rent caps, failed. Sixty-one percent of voters voted “no.”

• Proposition 34: Restraining spending by certain health care entities – APPROVED

  Voters narrowly approved Proposition 34, which will require certain health care providers to spend most of the revenue from the federal prescription drug rebate program on direct patient care. Fifty-two percent of voters voted yes.

• Proposition 35: Provides permanent funding for Medi-Cal services – APPROVED

  Proposition 35 passed with 67% of voters voting “yes.” It would make permanent an existing tax on managed health insurance plans to provide revenue to pay for Medi-Cal services.

• Proposition 36: Allows for felony charges and increased penalties for certain drug and theft offenses – APPROACHED

  Proposition 36 will allow felony charges for possession of certain larceny drugs under $950 if the offender has two prior drug or larceny convictions. Seventy percent of voters voted yes.

Key local races

• The mayor of San Francisco

  Daniel Lurie won the San Francisco mayoral race, receiving 56 percent support and beating incumbent Mayor London Breed.

• The mayor of Oakland and the district attorney

  Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao looks set to be recalled, with 64% of voters voting yes. If Thao is recalled, Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas will serve as interim mayor until a new mayor is elected in a special election. Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price also appears to be recalled. Sixty-five percent of voters voted to recall her. If Price is recalled, her successor would be appointed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and serve until the next election in 2026.

• Los Angeles District Attorney

  Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor, won the race for Los Angeles District Attorney over incumbent George Gascón. Although the count is not final, Gascón lost to Hochman, who received 60% of the vote on the evening of November 9.

• Mayor of Sacramento

  Sacramento’s mayoral race remains undecided. Rep. Kevin McCarty, with about 54% of the vote, has a 9-point lead over Flojaune Cofer. It is estimated that 57% of the votes have been counted. Incumbent Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who has served since 2016, did not run for re-election.

• Mayor of San Diego

  Incumbent Todd Gloria, with 55 percent of the vote, leads challenger Larry Turner by more than 10 points as of the afternoon of Nov. 9.

Conclusion

The results of these races and ballot measures reflect counts as of November 10, unless otherwise noted, and are subject to change.

Rocco Pallin also contributed to this article.