LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nathan Hochman defeated George Gascón in the race for Los Angeles County district attorney, unseating an incumbent known as the godfather of progressive prosecutors.
Hochman, a former federal prosecutor, calls himself a “hard middle” candidate who would reject both mass incarceration and the “public safety failure” of Gascón’s tenure the past four years.
He advanced out of a primary field of 11 challengers and spent most of the campaign attacking Gascón policies that he says led to increased crime and a lack of consequences for juvenile offenders. During debates he spotlighted rising violent crime in the county, a trend also seen statewide and at the national level.
“The voters of Los Angeles County have spoken and have said enough is enough of D.A. Gascón's pro-criminal extreme policies; they look forward to a safer future,” Hochman said in a statement early Wednesday. “As D.A., I look forward to representing all of the people, whether they voted for me or not, since their safety will be my responsibility.”
A representative for Gascón's campaign did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
Hochman’s victory reflects growing discontent in the state with progressive district attorneys who have pushed criminal justice reform. Previously there were two attempts to recall Gascón that failed to qualify for the ballot; San Francisco voters ousted one of the first reform-minded prosecutors elected to office in 2022. Oakland voters were asked in Tuesday’s election whether to recall their own district attorney Pamela Price, another progressive prosecutor, but it was too early to call.
Gascón co-authored a ballot measure passed by California voters in 2014 that reclassified certain low-level drug and property crimes as misdemeanors instead of felonies. Also Tuesday, voters approved a measure to partly roll back that law, making shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders again and increasing penalties for some drug charges.
Despite Gascón being a former Los Angeles police officer, Hochman had the support of local police unions.
He was also endorsed by victims’ advocacy groups; former district attorney Jackie Lacey, whom Gascón defeated in 2020; developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso; and more than 70 current and former county elected officials. Hochman raised nearly $4 million for the campaign.
Hochman's victory was applauded by the prosecutors' union, which in a statement called it a “pivotal moment in the fight to return balance and accountability to the justice system.”
A Southern California native, Hochman emphasized his past prosecutorial experience as assistant U.S. attorney in California’s Central District. He has also practiced as a private defense attorney.
He previously ran unsuccessfully for California attorney general as a Republican, but was an independent in this race and describes himself as a lifelong centrist.
FILE - Lyle, left, and Erik Menendez sit with defense attorney Leslie Abramson, right, in Beverly Hills Municipal Court during a hearing, Nov. 26, 1990. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
FILE - Nathan Hochman, and independent candidate for Los Angeles County District Attorney, talks during a news conference in Los Angeles, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes,File)
FILE - Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón speaks to members of the media in Los Angeles, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)
DETROIT (AP) — Between redistricting and incumbents forgoing reelection, four congressional seats in Michigan were key targets as the parties vied for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Republicans sought to flip two open congressional seats in central Michigan as the GOP tries to broaden its majority. Both were redrawn in 2021, yielding Democratic victories in the midterm elections. Now this year's races have been true tossups, some of the most competitive in the country, with millions of dollars poured into the campaigns.
Incumbents easily won Michigan’s other congressional races. They include Republicans Jack Bergman, John Moolenaar, Bill Huizenga, Tim Walberg and Lisa McClain; and Democrats Debbie Dingell, Haley Stevens, Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar.
After longtime Democrat Dan Kildee announced he would not seek reelection in Michigan's 8th District, Republicans saw the first opportunity in decades to flip the seat red. Kildee had served since 2012 when he succeeded his uncle Dale Kildee, who represented the area including the cities of Flint and Saginaw in Congress for 36 years.
For Republicans, former news anchor and Trump administration immigration official Paul Junge is making his third bid for Congress after losing to the younger Kildee in 2022 by about 10 points.
Junge appealed to voters over economic and immigration concerns. He also attacked Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet over national security and sought to tie her to a Chinese-based battery manufacturing company looking to build in Michigan that has been a target for Republicans.
McDonald Rivet, a freshman state senator, painted Junge as a Californian outsider and cast herself as a middle class pragmatist. She focused her messaging on preserving reproductive rights and like her opponent, the economy.
Republican Tom Barrett won his bid for Michigan’s 7th congressional district, flipping the open seat in central Michigan away from Democrats. Barrett prevailed against Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr. in a competitive race for the seat that includes the state capital of Lansing.
Barrett is a former state representative and senator. He previously ran for the same seat in the 2022 midterms but lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who vacated the seat to run for U.S. Senate.
Hertel is a former state senator who more recently served as Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s legislative director.
Their race was expected to be one of the closest in the country. Both candidates criticized the other over national issues such as reproductive rights and national security. Barrett tried to appeal to crossover voters with messaging on inflation, the economy and security at the southern border.
Hertel conceded to Barrett in a statement at 3 a.m. by wishing the Republican well and thanking his own supporters.
“To every single volunteer, supporter, and member of Team Hertel who helped our campaign—from building yard signs, to donating a few bucks, to knocking doors and making calls—I will forever be grateful, and I am sorry this election did not turn out differently," the statement said.
Democratic freshman U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten has secured her second term representing Michigan in Congress.
In 2022, Scholten became the first Democrat to represent the city of Grand Rapids in the U.S. House since the 1970s after the district was redrawn.
“I set out to build a new political home in West Michigan, and with this decisive victory, we’ve proven that what we made is built to last,” Scholten said in a statement posted to X.
However, the district in western Michigan is still seen as a Republican stronghold, especially in the populous Kent County. The Republicans targeted the county with multiple visits as former President Donald Trump campaigned to return to the White House.
The county went for Trump in 2016 and President Joe Biden in 2020.
Voters in Michigan's 10th congressional district — which includes the all-important suburbs of Macomb County north of Detroit — will decide a rematch between Republican incumbent Rep. John James and Democrat Carl Marlinga.
Marlinga lost by just 1,600 votes in 2022, and the district is now seen as competitive, drawing money and attention from Democratic national groups.
Michigan Democratic House candidate Curtis Hertel speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Jenison Field House on the campus of Michigan State University, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Rep. John James, R-Mich., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Macomb Community College Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
