With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Cooley concedes California attorney general race to Harris
File: Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley (L) and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris (R)
(
Kevork Djansezian & Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
)
Listen
0:52
Cooley concedes California attorney general race to Harris
Cooley concedes California attorney general race to Harris
Republican Steve Cooley, Los Angeles County district attorney, conceded the California attorney general's race to Kamala Harris, giving Democrats a sweep of all statewide offices. Cooley conceded as updated vote tallies continued to widen San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris' lead.
Harris is the first woman, first African American and first Indian American elected to the post.
The day after the Nov. 2 election, the attorney general’s race was too close to call.
In the weeks since then, the lead changed hands four times as counties counted mail-in and provisional ballots.
Sponsored message
But last week Harris took the lead and never let go.
Facing a more than 50,000 vote deficit, with a little over 100,000 votes to count, Cooley conceded in a morning telephone call.
A spokesman told reporters in a conference call that Cooley lost because he was a Republican running in a heavily Democratic state.
“The ultimate outcome to this race was frankly Democrat versus Republican," said the spokesman, Kevin Spillane. "If it was non-partisan, he would have won by several points.”
Polls indicated that at one time, Cooley held a 10-point lead over Harris.
In a statement, the Harris campaign said the Democrat would wait until the vote count concludes next week before she declares victory.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
