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WESTSIDE - There were some surprising results from the "topsy turvy" June 2nd Primary that saw former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra move along with conservative talking head Steve Hilton in the race for California Governor as incumbent LA Mayor Karen Bass finished first in the runoff against Councilwoman Nithya Raman (CD-4), but 9 points off her 2022 performance against billionaire developer Rick Caruso.
Bass, who raised roughly $3.2M is hardly out of the woods as Raman's campaign closed strong in the final weeks and the question now becomes, who will get the lion's share of the Spencer Pratt vote of nearly 220,000 primary voters or just a shade over 25%?
Is either Bass or Raman even politically palatable for the Pratt supporter?
Crystal Litz is the President of LP Campaigns, a political consulting firm with offices in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Litz, who specializes in judicial contests had several winners on June 2nd with others locked in runoff contests come the fall.
I asked Litz what was the most surprising result either statewide or here in Los Angeles?
"The big surprises were right here in Los Angeles," offered Litz.
"The City Attorney race was a shocker. Deputy DA John McKinney got in late and managed to knock off an incumbent – not an easy feat. I was for Hydee Feldstein Soto and thought she deserved another term, but now the mission is clear: we need to do everything we can to stop the DSA candidate, Marissa Roy. I think you’ll see a lot of Democrats and all the moderates rally behind McKinney."
What about this race to replace the retiring Ben Allen in Senate District #24?
"24 was just disappointing. Dr. Sion Roy was my choice. He ran a terrific campaign, worked incredibly hard, and would have made an outstanding Senator. John Erickson is one of the most polarizing figures in local politics. When your own hometown Democratic clubs won’t endorse you, that’s telling. Stonewall and West Hollywood-Beverly Hills Democrats both passed. That speaks volumes."
Brian Goldsmith, who accumulated several high-profile endorsements from such national Democrats as former US Senator Barbara Boxer, former speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finished second to the West Hollywood council member in another contest that has a traditional Democratic moderate versus a more progressive leftist. Erickson received 18.50% to Goldsmith's 18.28% or 62,271-55,521.
And who has the edge for LA Mayor and California Governor respectively?
"Mayor Bass and the DSA-backed Raman are hardly the choices I think most Angelenos were hoping for. Looking at the results, I actually think Rick Caruso should have run. Rick is an executive. He knows how to run things. I think there was a far more appetite for competent leadership than people realized."
"And for Governor, could it possibly be less inspiring? The excitement was in the primary. Now we’re left with Xavier and Hilton and we’re basically waiting for the coronation (of Becerra). The whole thing feels remarkably anti-climactic. I think I’m going to miss Katie Porter’s constant profanity," chuckled Litz.
And what is your take on the LA City Attorney's race come the fall?
"That was the shock of the night. McKinney deserves credit. Coming in late and knocking off an incumbent is double tough. November is now about stopping the DSA from taking over another important institution. I suspect many Democrats who still believe in competent government are going to unite behind McKinney. I certainly will. And have."
Roy leads the field with 43% or 320,139. McKinney finished second with 28.61% or 212,421. Feldstein-Soto trailed badly with just 18% or 133,574.
Was the Pratt candidacy just a political novelty?
"No. Spencer Pratt wasn’t the story. Frustration was the story. People are frustrated with homelessness, public safety, affordability, and the general feeling that nobody is really driving the bus. Spencer Pratt simply tapped into that frustration. And frankly, I think his candidacy proved something else: Rick Caruso probably had a bigger opening than many people realized."
"People aren’t looking for celebrities. They’re looking for leadership. And they’re desperate enough for it that they’re willing to consider a reality tv star," explained the Kentucky bred consultant.
You’re a Traci Park fan. Where does she go from here?
"I really like Traci Park. She’s one of the most impressive elected officials in LA right now. She’s smart. She’s fearless. She’s independent. And she actually governs. Imagine that. She shows up, she does the work, and she’s willing to make difficult decisions. That’s rarer than it should be. Every other elected in LA needs to be taking notes. Whatever she decides to do next, she’ll have an army of supporters. Me included."
Park won reelection comfortably defeating civil rights attorney and DSA backed Venetian Faizah Malik 50%-40%, or 51,845-34,198.
In the end, did Caruso make the right decision not to run for mayor based on the results?
"Ironically, I think the results suggest exactly the opposite."
"Looking at the field we ended up with, I think this was a big missed opportunity. Certainly, I would have voted for him again – as it was, I struggled to find a candidate I felt comfortable with, and I know of many others who felt the same," offered Litz.
Any other observations or predictions?
"Moderate Democrats continue to stubbornly refuse to die. For years we’ve been told we’re extinct. Yet election after election, voters continue rewarding candidates who seem serious, pragmatic, and interested in governing rather than performing. The loudest people in politics often mistake themselves for the voters. They aren’t. Most voters are much more moderate and much more sensible than the people claiming to speak on their behalf."
You had several judicial wins. How do your runoff clients look for November?
"Yes. We had a wonderful night and I’m enormously proud of our candidates. Judicial races continue to prove something I’ve believed for a long time: endorsements matter, qualifications matter, and voters are smarter than they’re often given credit for. Donna Tryfman came in a very impressive first in Seat 131 and is poised to be a terrific Judge. David DeJute will continue in Seat 87, and as the Democratic endorsed candidate running against a Republican in this solidly blue county, I expect him to win."
What can be done to shorten the time frame to tabulate the votes and bring closure to these races? Would you support closed primaries moving forward?
"California has turned Election Day into Election Month. But I want accuracy and I want to get this right the first time. So I’m OK with waiting and have really just factored it into the campaign now. As for closed primaries, absolutely."
"I’m a Democrat. I don’t apologize for it and I don’t think political parties should apologize for being political parties. Republicans should choose Republican nominees and Democrats should choose Democratic nominees. That strikes me as perfectly reasonable," Litz replied.
"What we need to stop in its tracks is the discussion of ranked-choice voting. That’s just a bad idea."
So, another Primary election for the books.
(Nick Antonicello is a thirty-three-year resident of the Westside who covered the various judicial, legislative, and statewide races including LA Mayor and California Governor. He is a regular contributor to City Watch LA and can be reached via e-mail at [email protected])
