In a seismic shift, voters in traditionally progressive strongholds like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland are beginning to send a clear message: The progressive experiment in public safety, housing and drug policy has failed. Decades of policies promising reform and social justice have instead produced a relentless rise in crime, out-of-control homelessness, and the normalization of joint drug use in our communities. Democratic voters have finally had enough.

Rejection of the prosecutors ca George Gascón of Los Angeles County, By refusing to endorse mayors like San Francisco’s London Breed and showing support for candidates who promise to aggressively address homelessness, like Portland’s newly elected Mayor Keith Wilson, voters are signaling the end of the progressive game that led to urban chaos. This reaction marks a return to an agenda focused on public safety, a demand for accountability, and a turn away from ideologies that have left countless communities in ruins.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Gascón, elected in 2020 on a promise to “reimagine” public safety, has become the face of what has gone wrong with progressive criminal justice policies. His tenure was defined by controversial “reforms” that left criminals emboldened and the public horrified.

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Policies such as cashless bail, reduced sentences, and the general rejection of traditional prosecution standards were supposed to right the wrongs of the system. Instead, they gave criminals free rein to continue breaking the law without fear of consequences. Property crimes, car thefts and organized retail thefts rose to unprecedented levels under his watch. As of 2020, homicides have topped 300 in four consecutive years, which didn’t happen once in the 2010s.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon’s term in office is coming to an end after voters rejected his liberal views on how to handle crime. (Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The message was simple: Los Angeles no longer valued law and order. But voters eventually responded, demanding accountability and a return to policies that prioritize the safety of law-abiding citizens over protecting recidivists. They kicked Gascon out of the office for former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman.

Similarly, in San Francisco, Mayor Breed, once a rising star of progressivism, she found herself on the wrong side of public opinion as her city deteriorated. San Francisco, a once-thriving center of culture and innovation, has become infamous for its open-air drug markets, sprawling homeless encampments, and streets littered with needles and human waste.

Progressive policies such as decriminalizing drug possession, establishing “safe” injection sites, and refusing to enforce basic quality-of-life laws have made the city unrecognizable. Even Breed, who has occasionally flirted with stricter law enforcement policies, has been unable to repair the damage caused by years of left-wing rule. Voters’ rejection of Breed, Levi Strauss heir and nonprofit founder Daniel Lurie, reflects a community desperate to restore health and safety to their streets.

Across California, voters passed Proposition 36 — essentially undoing some of the disastrous “reforms” implemented by Prop. 47 – showing that the state’s liberal crime policies may finally be reaching a breaking point. Originally sold as a way to reduce the prison population and give nonviolent offenders a second chance, the reclassification of numerous felonies by Prop. 47 as crimes has led to an increase in the crime rate.

Proposition 36, which reintroduces harsher penalties for repeat offenders, demonstrates a growing awareness among Californians that rampant criminal behavior cannot be excused by progressive ideals. Proposition 36 was supported even as Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, no doubt eager to shore up support ahead of his inevitable run in 2028, called on voters to reject it.

Then there’s Portland – a city that became a national spectacle as protests, riots and “autonomous zones” dominated the headlines for months on end. But more recently, the focus of Portlanders’ anger has become the explosion of homeless encampments. For years, Portland served as a petri dish for every progressive experiment imaginable. Permissive policies towards the camps and open drug use have turned the city into a dystopian cautionary tale. But in the recent election, Portland voters gave the mayor’s office to Wilson, a political outsider who promised to end the homeless crisis with a more aggressive plan to get people home.

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The progressive agenda that voters in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland once supported has now run its course. But we shouldn’t forget the impact this has had on some of society’s most vulnerable – ironically, the very people progressives claim to support.

Homeless people struggling with addiction have been turned into political pawns, used to justify policies that in reality have trapped them in cycles of poverty and addiction. Cities flooded with addiction services handing out free fentanyl kits only saw addiction rates rise, and outdoor drug scenes turned once-lively neighborhoods into no-go zones. Instead of offering a helping hand, these policies have encouraged a devastating lifestyle that is nearly impossible to escape, often costing lives.

The message was simple: Los Angeles no longer valued law and order. But voters eventually responded, demanding accountability and a return to policies that prioritize the safety of law-abiding citizens over protecting recidivists. They let Gascon out of office for former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman.

This reaction should be a wake-up call to Democrats across the country, and it shouldn’t come as a shock. As I detail in my book “What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities,” these policies have delivered little more than misery and chaos, doing the exact opposite of what they should have done. Voters don’t reject progressivism because they’re “reactionary” or “fearful” — they reject it because it hasn’t failed them, plain and simple.

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They don’t vote for tougher policies because they are “ignorant” or “backward,” but because they understand that safety, order, and accountability are the foundations of any functioning society. Politicians like Gascón and Breed refused to acknowledge this, finding themselves on the wrong side of history – and out of a job.

As voters in these cities reclaim their right to safe, livable communities, one thing is clear: The progressive experiment has failed, and no amount of idealism can hide the stark reality of what is being accomplished. With every vote against crime, disorder and chaos, voters are steering the country back to sanity. It is a rebuke of the failed promises of progressivism and a rallying cry for leaders who will put the well-being of their constituents above ideological dogma. The message is clear – voters are done with empty promises and are ready to take back their cities.

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