Typically held in March, Super Tuesday is a presidential primary election day where the greatest number of U.S. states hold their primary elections and caucuses, including the state of California. This year, a presidential candidate isn’t the only hot vote on the March 5 ballot. Californians will also vote on a state proposition and a senator.
Out of two available seats, there is now a vacant spot for a California senator, which was previously held for three decades by Diane Feinstein, who passed away in 2023. Currently, there are four leading candidates in this race campaigning to serve in California with Senator Alex Padilla. To further inform The UltraViolet’s readers, whether they can cast a ballot or not, here is a brief rundown of each candidate and their politics. This information and more can be found on Cal Matters.
Adam Schiff
As the current leader in the polls, Schiff is a Democrat U.S. representative who’s been involved in California politics since he was the youngest state senator in 1996. He was elected to Congress in the 2000s. He’s advocating for affordable housing, increasing the federal minimum wage and expanding the nationwide use of renewable energy.
Barbara Lee
Lee is a Democratic congresswoman who also lists her occupation on the ballot as a mother. She’s a progressive Democrat, advocating for universal free child care and federal cash assistance for low-income renters. She also plans to raise the federal minimum wage.
Katie Porter
Porter is a Democratic U.S. representative. She’s originally from Iowa and has a background in law. Her policies include improving the immigration system, combating the climate crisis by reducing carbon emissions and investing in clean energy.
Steve Garvey
Former professional baseball player Garvey is the primary Republican in this race as well as the runner-up in the polls. He’s originally from Florida and famously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Politically, he’s helped fundraise for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. His goals include helping to lower inflation and raising employment rates through bringing businesses back to California by lowering corporate income taxes. Though he promised to not restrict abortion rights, he was a two-time supporter of Donald Trump, who supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
On Super Tuesday, Californians will also vote on Proposition 1, which is backed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. This proposition would target mental health and houselessness in California by allowing the state to sell $6.38 billion in new bonds to build more mental health and substance abuse treatment centers and more housing for unhoused citizens. Bonds are a way that the state borrows money from citizens who purchase them and then repays that money to their investors along with interest over time.
If passed, Proposition 1 would give up to $4.4 billion acquired from the bonds to a California state program that builds more centers for mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment.
Regarding housing, the proposition would give $2 billion to a state program that gives money to local governments to turn hotels, motels and other buildings into housing for people who are houseless or face mental health, drug or alcohol challenges. The proposition also outlines that over half of the $2 billion of those funds would be set aside for veterans, and roughly $140 million of tax revenue generated from the 2004 Mental Health Services Act would be moved to state hands each year to use for these services.
Advocates for Proposition 1 claim that the state measure would establish a modernized health system and assist in successfully tackling houselessness, mental health and substance abuse crises in California, while critics claim the proposition will only raise taxes and prove to be ineffective. For more information on Proposition 1, click here.
Besides these statewide measures, city elections for members of the Los Angeles City Council will take place along with a Los Angeles City measure proposing changes to the Mobility Plan and county elections for a District Attorney. Current Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is vying with 11 other candidates for election. Most of his opponents are challenging a number of his policies and moving towards a more traditional approach to criminal prosecution, according to The New York Times.
