SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — Californians have known the results of the March 5 primary election for weeks, though the Friday certification of that election has made the tally official.
In a statement Friday evening, the California secretary of state said 7,719,218 voters cast ballots in the election — roughly 35% of registered voters. Of those votes, a vast majority — 6,841,984 — were cast using vote-by-mail ballots.
One of the most closely watched statewide races was Proposition 1, an overhaul of California’s mental health system. Touted by Governor Gavin Newsom, the race was a nail biter for about two weeks as election results slowly trickled in. At one point, the ballot question was separated by about 2,000 votes.
However, the vote spread quickly increased and Newsom declared victory in mid-March. The certified election tally has the measure winning by 3,636,734 to 3,610,511 votes, or 50.2% to 49.8%.
“This is the biggest reform of the California mental health system in decades and will finally equip partners to deliver the results all Californians need and deserve,” Newsom said in a statement last month. “Treatment centers will prioritize mental health and substance use support in the community like never before.”
Proposition 1 issues $6.4 billion in bonds to pay for housing accessible by those with addiction and mental health issues. It also alters how funds from the Mental Health Services Act are used, and pays for more mental health care and drug/alcohol treatment centers.
The state’s other big contest was the race to succeed former U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who died in office in 2023. That contest included two races: one to complete her term and the other for the full six-year term that begins in January.
The seat currently is held by Laphonza Butler, who declined to run.
Seven candidates vied to complete Feinstein’s term. The top two — former professional baseball player Steve Garvey, a Republican, and Democratic U.S. Representative Adam Schiff — will advance to the November general election.
Garvey took 2,455,115 votes, or 33.2%, to Schiff’s 2,160,171 votes, or 29.3%.
Other prominent candidates included U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, both Democrats.
Over two dozen candidates ran for the full term, though Garvey and Schiff garnered the most votes in this contest as well and will face off in November. In that race Schiff took 2,304,829 votes, or 31.6%. Garvey took 2,301,351 votes, or 31.5%.
While Proposition 1 and the U.S. Senate race took up most of the air in the March 5 election, several other contests appeared on California ballots. All state Assembly seats were up for grabs, as well as half of the state Senate.
Lee, Porter and Schiff’s runs for the U.S. Senate left spots open in their U.S. House of Representatives’ seats. That drew several candidates for each of those contests.
Democrat Lateefah Simon took a commanding lead to succeed Lee in her East Bay seat with 86,031 votes, or 55.9%. Democrat Jennifer Tran took second with 22,999 votes, or 14.9%.
The top two candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election in California.
Democratic Assemblymember Laura Friedman is the frontrunner for Schiff’s Los Angeles seat with 46,329 votes, or 30.1%. Republican Alex Balekian took second with 26,826 votes, or 17.4%.
Republican Scott Baugh and Democratic state Senator Dave Min are battling for Porter’s Orange County seat. Baugh took 57,517 votes, 32.1%, to Min’s 46,393 votes, or 25.9%
A proposition on Huntington Beach’s ballot is the target of one of Min’s bills this legislative session. That city had a question that would allow it to require voter ID in municipal elections, offer increased in-person voting locations and monitor ballot drop boxes.
That measure passed 32,892 to 28,701 votes, or 53.4% to 46.6%.
Min’s legislation, Senate Bill 1174, would prohibit local governments from requiring someone to show identification when voting.
The bill earlier this month passed its first hurdle, advancing out of the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee.
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