One of the country’s most progressive prosecutors, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, was leading in partial results in his bid for reelection, with Nathan Hochman, a one-time California attorney general candidate who ran as a Republican in 2022, was closely behind him, the Associated Press reports. Tuesday’s nonpartisan primary pit incumbent Gascón against 11 opponents, including county judges and former federal prosecutors, such as Hochman. Partial returns showed Jonathan Hatami, a prosecutor within Gascon's office, in third place. It was too early to know which two candidates will advance to a runoff in November to lead an agency that prosecutes cases in the most populous county in the U.S. Partial returns showed none had enough to win the primary outright with 50%-plus-one vote.
Gascón’s challengers are seeking to harness voters’ perceptions of public safety, highlighting shocking footage of a series of brazen smash-and-grab robberies at luxury stores. But while property crime increased nearly 3% within the sheriff’s jurisdiction of Los Angeles County from 2022 to 2023, violent crime decreased almost 1.5% in the same period.