California Primary Election: Breakdown of key races, voting information
Super Tuesday is officially here. California voters will decide on a number of key races including, US President, Prop. 1, US Senate as well as local races such as LA County DA and Measure HLA.
California has a "top-two" primary system in which all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party, and the top two finishers advance to the general election in November.
Below is a breakdown of key races, as well as how to register to vote and where to vote.
Presidential Race
Both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican front-runner Donald Trump hope to claim victories that will help them move beyond the primaries and focus on their expected general election rematch. On the other hand, Nikki Haley faces a tough slate of contests mostly in the types of reliably Republican-voting states where she has struggled to win support or in states where party rules heavily favor the former president.
Super Tuesday has the largest delegate haul of any day in the primary calendar, representing more than one-third of the total delegates available in each party’s nomination process and more than 70% of the delegates needed to mathematically clinch either party’s nomination. Neither Trump nor Biden will be able to claim the title of "presumptive nominee" on Super Tuesday. The earliest that could happen is March 12 for Trump and March 19 for Biden.
California US Senate
In the competitive race for US Senate, 27 candidates are looking to replace the seat once held by the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Four candidates quickly rose to the top of the poll-- Democrats – U.S. Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee — and Republican and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey.
Schiff was the front-runner for most of the race, but the latest Berkeley IGS poll released March 1, showed Garvey in a statistical tie with Schiff. The poll found Garvey the choice of 27% of likely voters, while Schiff received the backing of 25%. Porter was in third at 19%, and Lee trailed with just 8%. Garvey, one of the very few Republicans on the ballot, gained strong support from Republican and strong conservative voters, 67% of whom now back Garvey.
RELATED: Steve Garvey now tied with Adam Schiff in US Senate race
This year, there are two primary elections on the ballot. One is to fill the remaining months of Feinstein's current term and the other is for the full six-year term starting in January 2025. Garvey leads in the partial term Senate race, with 29% of the preferences, ahead of Schiff and Porter.
California's Prop. 1
Prop. 1 is a statewide ballot measure that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said would transform the outdated mental health system and address the ongoing homelessness crisis.
At the center of the proposition is the question of how counties could use funding that comes from a voter-approved tax on millionaires in 2004. Revenue from the tax, now between $2 billion and $3 billion a year, has mostly gone to counties to fund mental health services as they see fit under broad guidelines. It provides about one-third of the state’s total mental health budget.
RELATED: Prop 1: What to know about California's mental health measure
The ballot measure would give the state more power over how it’s spent. It also would allow the state to borrow $6.38 billion to build 4,350 housing units, half of which would be reserved for veterans, and add 6,800 mental health and addiction treatment beds.
US House Races
There are several top House races to watch in California. The most notable race is for Congressional District 47-- to replace Rep. Katie Porter. Top candidates include Dave Min, Scott Baugh, Max Ukropina and Joanna Weiss. In 2022, Porter beat Baugh, a Republican, by only three percentage points. Orange County's 47th District was once solidly Republican terrain known as "Reagan Country," for its ties to former Republican President Ronald Reagan. But like much of California, it gradually grew more diverse and Democratic.
California’s 30th Congressional District is also up for grabs after Adam Schiff announced a run for Senate. Notable candidates in that race include former LA City Attorney Mike Feuer, ‘Boy Meets World’ actor Ben Savage, state senator Anthony Portantino, LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin, Assembly member Laura Friedman as well as a few other candidates.
In the 31st Congressional District, Rep. Grace Napolitano is retiring and endorsed Sen. Bob Archuleta. Only two Republicans are listed on the ballot for this race.
In Orange County's 45th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Michelle Steel is facing four Democratic challengers.
In the San Joaquin Valley's 22nd Congressional District, Republican incumbent David Valadao is fighting to keep his seat. He is challenging Republican Chris Mathys and Democrats Melissa Hurtado and Rudy Salas.
LA County District Attorney
Eleven candidates are looking to unseat current District Attorney George Gascón. His challengers include local prosecutors Jonathan Hatami and Eric Siddall, former federal prosecutors Jeff Chemerinsky and Nathan Hochman, deputy DA Maria Ramirez and John McKinney, Craig J. Mitchell, David S. Milton, Debra Archuleta, Dan Kapelovitz, and Lloyd "Bobcat" Masson.
RELATED: LA County DA Race: A look at the candidates trying to unseat George Gascón
Several of his challengers told FOX 11 that the DA's office needs change, new leadership. They say the people of LA deserve a DA that will protect them, keep the community safe and properly prosecute criminals. Since taking office in 2020, Gascón has faced backlash for his sweeping policy changes and soft approach on crime.
According to the California Elections and Policy Poll, only 24% of LA County voters approve of the job Gascón is doing as district attorney, while 51% of likely voters disapprove.
A recent USC Dornsife/ Price Center for Urban Politics and Policy poll, released before the DA debate in early February, had Gascón in the lead with 15%. Hatami trailed behind with just 8%. Meanwhile, 64% of voters were still undecided.
LA County Board of Supervisors
Incumbent county Supervisor Janice Hahn is being challenged by former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank.
The District 4 seat represents more than 50 communities, including Artesia, Long Beach, Pico Rivera, Torrance, Whittier, along with the unincorporated areas of East La Mirada, Santa Catalina Island, Westfield, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Harbor City, San Pedro and Wilmington.
RELATED: Alex Villanueva looks to unseat Janice Hahn from LACo Board of Supervisors
Hahn is running for her third and final term. She was elected in 2016 and re-elected to another term in 2020.
Measure HLA – Los Angeles
Measure HLA is a ballot initiative that would require the city of Los Angeles to redesign hundreds of miles of streets as part of an effort to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
If approved by the voters, HLA, also known as Healthy Streets LA, would require the city to implement modifications described in its Mobility Plan 2035 whenever certain street improvements are made to at least one-eighth of a mile of roadway.
RELATED: Measure HLA: Pros and cons to LA's 'Healthy Streets' initiative
Additionally, it would require the city to create a website so the public can follow the progress of Mobility Plan projects, and give residents the right to sue if the city fails to comply with Measure HLA.
Proponents of Measure HLA argue that redesigning street space during repaving and street work will create safer environments for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit users, while opponents raise concerns about its impact on emergency response times and traffic flow.
Voting on Election Day
On Election Day, March 5, voting centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. After receiving your ‘Official Sample Ballot’ you can scan the QR code inside to find your local voter center or a ballot drop box. You can also find your local vote center by entering your zip code on the state website at sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place.
The last day to register to vote in the primary election was February 20. If you haven't registered yet but still want to vote, you will need to complete the Same-Day Voter Registration and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.