California Electorate, Newsom React to Trump’s Win

The 2024 election elicited blended responses from California electorate, with some other people elated on the victory of President-elect Donald Trump and the passage of a measure to extend consequences for some crimes, whilst others mentioned the consequences have been not up to exciting.

With the passage of Proposition 36—in the long run licensed via a large margin of electorate to make stronger consequences for repeat offenders of a few drug and robbery crimes—and the defeat of proposals that will have raised taxes, one voter mentioned the citizens’s priorities are transparent.

“We despatched a message to Sacramento that we don’t desire a top crime, top tax state,” longtime Central Valley resident Will Smith informed The Epoch Occasions after ballot effects began coming in past due on Nov. 5. “Persons are bored to death with the best way the state’s been run.”

He mentioned the state’s Democrat supermajority might be in jeopardy in years to come if the state Legislature doesn’t heed the desire of electorate.

“It’s one step and one seat at a time, however we will be able to get again to a balanced executive,” Smith mentioned.

A second-time voter expressed unhappiness with the result—lamenting the lack of Vice President Kamala Harris to Trump—and mentioned the country and the state might be impacted via electorate’ possible choices.

“This election used to be about ladies’s rights and freedom,” school pupil Monica Gomez mentioned on Nov. 6. “It’s unhappy to suppose that thousands and thousands of other people voted in opposition to the ones concepts.”

Combined feelings have been additionally obtrusive in a commentary from Gov. Gavin Newsom the place he highlighted Harris’s ideas and cautioned the incoming president that California’s prison machine stands in a position to take on any perceived stumbling blocks from the government.

He expressed a duty to offer protection to democratic beliefs and take care of an unbiased courting between state and federal governments.

“Federalism is the cornerstone of our democracy,” Newsom mentioned. “It’s america of The us.”

On the Polls

On the polls, reviews various around the board, with commonplace subject matters of affordability and high quality of lifestyles discussed via the ones casting their ballots.

One voter who moved to California from New York this 12 months —Brandon Mach, 36, of Santa Rosa—mentioned the native measures and state propositions—together with the ones associated with reasonably priced housing—have been one of the crucial maximum vital poll pieces.

He mentioned the general public protection measure, Prop. 36 used to be a step too a long way.

“I believe other people charged with crimes, the hammer is put down on them too laborious, and so they’re now not simply horrible individuals who must be thrown away,” Mach mentioned.

His vote for Harris used to be an immediate rejection of her opponent, he mentioned.

“To be blunt, I’d slightly see Trump simply move away,” Mach mentioned.

Some electorate mentioned they needed extra choices—and people with other {qualifications}—have been to be had at the presidential poll.

“You could suppose that during america, we’d have extra competent applicants,” Juanita Davis, founding father of a reinforce products and services nonprofit in Merced, informed The Epoch Occasions whilst ready in line to vote. “If we’re intended to be the industrial superpower, you possibly can suppose we’d have higher politicians that might be a lot more mature dealing with the country.”

Every other first-time voter in California, having moved from Ohio about six months in the past, she encountered demanding situations after the usage of the county registrar’s web site to discover a polling location and used to be directed to the Merced Mall.

After riding to the mall, a retail worker informed her the county stopped the usage of the site for vote casting years sooner than.

“I’ve been to 3 places now looking to vote,” Davis mentioned.

As soon as discovering the American Legion location, she encountered a line with greater than 100 people that stretched in the course of the construction, out into the courtyard, and across the sidewalk.

Consistent with a couple of electorate who made it in the course of the procedure, the wait reached as top as two hours for individuals who sought after to fill out a poll in particular person.

A ballot employee informed The Epoch Occasions that a part of the extend used to be because of vote casting machines going out and in of carrier because of technical difficulties.

Those that arrived with the poll won within the mail may drop off the finished shape with out ready in line.

Additionally caught within the long queue, Eric Test, 46, an agricultural apparatus operator in Merced, informed The Epoch Occasions that the financial system used to be the problem that drove him to vote for Trump this 12 months after skipping the 2020 election.

“The inflation is implausible,” he mentioned. “The cost of the whole lot has long gone up.”

Chopping governmental spending and recalibrating priorities would receive advantages the country, he urged.

“There’s an excessive amount of giving cash away at no cost as an alternative of that specialize in issues that subject,” Test mentioned.

He additionally mentioned Trump will probably be higher supplied to regulate the border and maintain opposed governments—just like the Chinese language Communist Birthday celebration.

“We’d like protection,” Test mentioned. “We’d like coverage.”