As the November congressional elections fast approach, states across the union are holding primaries to see which candidates will have the opportunity to compete. Today, June 7, South Dakota, New Mexico, New Jersey, Montana, Mississippi, Iowa, and California will hold primary races, but these are not the only votes taking place. All eyes are on the West Coast as a major recall election captivates public attention.
Jungle Primaries
With California's "jungle primary" system for congressional, state executive, and state legislative offices, the Golden State is the one to watch. In total, 26 people will compete to be on the card for the next governor. Incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom will almost certainly appear in the top two, who will go on to compete for the mansion, and with few high-profile candidates entering the fray, he is virtually certain to win this November.
When it comes to congressional positions, incumbent Republican Representative Mike Garcia is polling well against his opponents for California's 25th District. His latest numbers give him 44%, a ten-point lead over Democrat challenger Christy Smith.
US Democrat Senator Alex Padilla – who was appointed to the position after Kamala Harris left to become vice president – is a likely shoo-in to retain both the nomination and the seat. The contest has some 20 contenders, with only one candidate (besides Padilla) standing out. Republican constitutional attorney Mark P. Meuser is polling far behind Padilla (14% compared to the incumbent's 44%) but is well ahead of the rest of the pack, meaning these two will most probably be facing off come the election.
A pivotal race to watch is the Los Angeles mayoral contest. This heavily left-leaning district has a crowded playing field, but with rampant crime and a broken justice system, voters may be willing to look a little further to the right. Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso – a billionaire mall developer – seems set to go head-to-head with US Rep. Karen Bass (one of President Joe Biden's early considerations for the VP spot). While both are registered Democrats, Caruso sits on the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, has a tough-on-crime approach, and supports funding the police. If he can beat Bass, it will mark a significant blow to the ultra-progressive policies that have captivated LA for the last decades.
California or Bust
While Californian voters are casting their ballots for who will represent them statewide, San Francisco will also have the opportunity to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin via Proposition H. Boudin is, at best, a controversial figure. One of the many DAs backed by George Soros money; Boudin also has a distinct militant pedigree that he inherited from his mother and father.
Before her recent death from cancer, Kathy Boudin spent 22 years in prison for her role in an armed robbery with leftist terror group, the Weather Underground. The DA's father, David Gilbert, was sentenced to 75 years for his role as the getaway driver. The botched robbery resulted in the deaths of three people.
However, it is not for Chesa Boudin's family history that he is facing a recall, but rather for his soft-on-crime approach that has seen the streets of San Francisco become less safe with each passing day. As Liberty Nation's Graham J. Noble observed, Boudin has:
"… an apparent disregard for public safety and an almost unfathomable leniency toward hardened and violent criminals. As if there was a deliberate plan to foment a more violent and less stable and safe society, one might speculate if one were given to conspiracy theories."
Most major polling suggests that Boudin will be recalled, despite a strong campaign from his supporters.
Putting aside the internal politics and typical intrigue that goes hand in hand with US elections, the real story is that of a country in crisis through crime and maladministration. As the famous adage says, "so goes California, so goes the nation." And today's contests may well put truth to those words.
