California Ballots: Party Loyalty Drives Sweep, Insurance Race Stalled

Voters in California maintained a two-party dominance pattern that has excluded Republicans from statewide power for two decades. The Associated Press called five of the six down-ballot races on Tuesday, confirming a complete Democratic takeover of the state’s top administrative positions. This result extended a streak that began in 2006, the last year a Republican won a statewide office in the state.

The margin between the parties remained remarkably consistent across the different contests. Kim Nalder, director of the Project for an Informed Electorate at Sacramento State University, noted that the vote shares were almost identical for every statewide race. She observed that voters adhered strictly to party lines rather than differentiating between individual candidates based on personal policy views. Nalder suggested that Californians were voting based on nationwide trends, mirroring the national shift that saw Democrats gain control of both the House and the Senate.

She added that many voters may not have detailed knowledge of the specific roles, leading them to rely on the simplest cue available, which is party affiliation. This behavior underscores a lack of deep engagement with the specific duties of these offices, from insurance regulation to state fiscal management.

One race remained too close to call as of Wednesday afternoon. The contest for insurance commissioner pitted former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim against three-term state Senator Ben Allen. With 51.7 percent of expected votes counted, Kim led Allen by a narrow margin of 52 percent to 48 percent. The commissioner holds authority over the state’s insurance industry, including the power to approve rate increases and investigate fraud.

The two candidates proposed different approaches to the state’s insurance market. Kim, a former director of the Working Families Party, advocated for a single payer state-run plan to cover catastrophic fire damage. She secured endorsements from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and the California Federation of Labor Unions. Allen, backed by the California Democratic Party and U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, criticized Kim’s proposal for lacking detail. He campaigned on improving the current system, citing his legislative record on insurance industry reform.

In the other five races, Democrats secured decisive victories. Attorney General Rob Bonta won reelection against Republican Michael Gates, capturing 63.8 percent of the vote with 59.6 percent of expected ballots counted. Bonta was first appointed to the role in 2021 by Governor Gavin Newsom. Secretary of State Shirley Weber defeated Republican Donald Wagner with 64.7 percent of the vote. Weber, who was appointed in 2020, oversees statewide elections and business licensing.

The rotation continued in the treasurer and lieutenant governor races. State Treasurer Eleni Kounalakis defeated Republican Jennifer Hawks to take over the role, receiving 64 percent of the vote. Kounalakis is responsible for public investments and issuing bonds for major infrastructure projects. Fiona Ma, a Democrat, won the lieutenant governor seat, defeating Republican Gloria Romero with 63.8 percent of the vote. The lieutenant governor serves as the state’s second-in-command and assumes the governor’s duties if the office becomes vacant.

Incumbent Controller Malia Cohen retained her position, defeating Republican Herb Morgan with 63.8 percent of the vote. Cohen serves as the state’s fiscal watchdog, auditing government agencies and administering payroll for state employees. Her victory completes the Democratic sweep of the remaining statewide offices, leaving only the insurance commissioner seat in doubt.