Morning Briefing: An All-Female County Board Of Supervisors

Good morning, L.A.

Like the rest of the country, Angelenos are waiting with bated breath to learn who our next President will be. Locally, we’re also waiting to find out who will take two open City Council seats, become L.A. County’s next District Attorney, and represent three SoCal districts in Congress.

Among the races that have been called, though, is the L.A. County Board of Supervisors’ District 2 seat. The win was cinched yesterday by State Senator Holly J. Mitchell, who beat out City Councilman Herb Wesson. Mitchell’s election means that the powerful governing body – the five supervisors oversee a $36.7 billion budget for 88 cities and millions of residents – is, for the first time, all female.

“I'm honored to have earned the opportunity to represent the residents of the Second Supervisorial District,” Mitchell wrote on Twitter. “This was a community-driven campaign based on creating a more equitable, inclusive, and prosperous LA County. Now is the time to turn our vision into action.”

Keep reading for more details on local, state and national elections, as well as ongoing tallies – and stay safe out there.

– Jessica P. Ogilvie

And The Count Goes On …

Here are the election tallies and results so far, as of early Friday morning:

In L.A.

• L.A. District Attorney: George Gascón v. Jackie Lacey: UNDECIDED
• Measure J To Shift 10% of the L.A. County budget to social services: PASSED
• LA County Board Of Supervisors District 2: HOLLY MITCHELL WINS
• LA City Council District 4: Nithya Raman v. David Ryu UNDECIDED
• LA City Council District 10: Mark Ridley-Thomas v. Grace Yoo UNDECIDED
• LAUSD District 7: TANYA ORTIZ FRANKLIN WINS
• LAUSD District 3: Marilyn Koziatek v. Scott Schmerelson UNDECIDED

Statewide Propositions

• Prop 15 The property tax “Split Roll” initiative: UNDECIDED
• Prop 16 To bring back affirmative action: FAILED
• Prop 17 To allow parolees to vote: PASSED
• Prop 18 To allow some 17-year-olds to vote FAILED
• Prop 20 To toughen some criminal penalties: FAILED
• Prop 21 To give cities more power to enact rent control: FAILED
• Prop 22 To make app-based drivers contractors: PASSED
• Prop 23 New requirements for dialysis clinics: FAILED
• Prop 24 To strengthen online privacy protections: PASSED
• Prop 25 To end cash bail: FAILED

U.S. Congress (all UNDECIDED)

• Congressional District 25: Mike Garcia v. Christy Smith
• Congressional District 39: Gil Cisneros v. Young Kim
• Congressional District 48: Harley Rouda v. Michelle Steel

President of the U.S.

• Joe Biden v. Donald Trump: UNDECIDED

Election Analysis And More

Election Analysis: Proponents of Measure J talk about the perfect storm that made it possible to reallocate funds from the L.A. County budget to incarceration alternatives. In a Facebook post, LAUSD Board 7 candidate Patricia Castellanos conceded the election to Tanya Ortiz Franklin, dashing some teachers’ hopes for a union majority.

Two Political Strategies: Activists took to the streets to decry President Trump’s claim that he won re-election, and to celebrate the likely defeat of incumbent D.A. Jackie Lacey. For corporations financially threatened by progressive policies, getting a measure on the ballot is becoming a common strategy.

Coronavirus Updates: L.A. County health officials reported 2,065 confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday and 25 more deaths – the highest number of new cases since early July.

Take Your Mind Off Politics: Consider the challenges of living on Mars, attend an 818 film fest, explore ceramic sculptures in the Cali sun, and more in this week’s best online and IRL events.

Photo of the Day

Refuse Fascim activists convened Wednesday at a protest in Pershing Square.

(Chava Sanchez/LAist)