• Californians voted for some Republican-backed proposals and against some liberal proposals.
• They voted in favor of increasing criminal penalties and appeared ready to reject an increase in the minimum wage.
• Other blue states showed significant rightward movement on Election Day.

Even the most optimistic American states have not been immune to a move to the right on election day

This was evident in California, the most populous US state, which has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1988. Well known for its liberal politics, California has often drawn the ire of Republican politicians and some pro-business billionaires such that Elon Musk. Musk moved Tesla to Texas in 2021 and said this year he would also move X and SpaceX out of California, citing laws he said attack “families and businesses.”

“Paradise lost”, that’s what it is Donald Trumpnow president-elect, referenced California during a campaign stop in the Coachella Valley last month, adding: “Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or independent, this election is your chance to send a message the world, the people of California will no longer stand it.”

While vice president Kamala Harris While the state easily won California against Trump, a closer look at the numbers and votes at the state and local levels reveals a more nuanced story than the progressive reputation the Golden State has earned.

California voted for increased criminal penalties and against rent control

California voted overwhelmingly to increase penalties for certain drug and theft-related crimes, despite Democratic rule. Gavin NewsomOpposition to this measure, which he described as a step backwards towards “mass incarceration”. On Friday, about 70% of votes cast in favor of the proposal.

Voters also rejected a proposal giving local governments more power to control rents, with 61% voted against. Landlords, real estate agents and some pro-housing groups opposed the measure, but the California Democratic Party, tenant groups and some unions supported it.

Even though the election had not yet been called as of Friday, California voters appeared poised to reject two proposals backed by liberal groups: increasing voter turnout. state minimum wage and ban forced labor in prisons.

California voters, however, voted to enshrine the state’s constitutional right to marry without regard to sex or race and to issue bonds for the conservation of natural resources.

Local races have also suggested a move to the middle

Outgoing Mayor of San Francisco London Breed lost his reelection bid to Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat and political outsider. Lurie, heir to Levi Strauss, spent more than $8 million of his own money on his campaign.

Although Lurie is a Democrat, he has received support from some Republican groups in San Francisco who have criticized Breed’s handling of crime, drug use and homelessness in the city. The San Francisco Republican Party had Lurie and candidate Mark Farrell as their first choices for mayor.

In Los Angeles CountyVoters rejected incumbent Prosecutor George Gascón, a prosecutor known to be among the most progressive in the country. Gascón was elected following the 2020 protests for racial justice.

Los Angeles voters instead elected former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman, a former Republican who ran as an independent and promised to reverse Gascón’s policies, which he said made it difficult to fight crime.

Other signs that California was getting redder

Before Election Day, there were signs that the state’s electorate had shifted to the right. A survey by the Public Policy Institute of California indicates that the number of registered Democrats this year was about the same as in 2020, while the share of registered Republicans increased by a few hundred thousand.

Although the proportion of Californians switching from the Democratic to the Republican Party is small, the PPIC found that this phenomenon was more common among black, Latino and younger voters – all Trump groups gained support with other places as well.

California is still counting its votes, so it’s unclear how much the presidential vote has changed between 2020 and 2024. As of Friday, with about 63% of votes counted, it appeared some inland counties were about to turn from blue to red.

Other blue states with a larger share of their votes counted Friday also showed a steady rightward trend.

Harris easily won Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Maryland — but by significantly smaller margins than President Joe Biden did in 2020.