Historical Firsts and Power Shifts: The Latest 2022 Midterm Election Results
It’s been three weeks since the midterm elections and the final picture in most cities and counties is much clearer.
November 8 yielded historical milestones, with San Mateo electing its first Latina supervisor and Alameda electing its first black district attorney. In counties like Riverside and Orange, the election flipped the balance of power, giving each county a board of supervisors controlled by Democrats.
Below are up-to-date results as of November 28 for some of the key local races we were watching.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF
As County News has reported, incumbent Alex Villanueva has conceded his re-election bid to Robert Luna, the former chief of the Long Beach Police Department. With just 15,105 ballots to be processed, Luna leads Villanueva 61.26% to 38.74%.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 3
West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath has been elected to Board of Supervisors District 3, beating out Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys). This district encompasses large parts of West LA and the San Fernando Valley and is home to some 2.06 million residents.
Horvath’s election means the board will maintain its all-female status. At 40 years old, Horvath will also be the board’s lone millennial.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 5
Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez has unseated incumbent Jeff Hewitt in District 5, flipping the balance of power on the board. Gutierrez is a Democrat, while Hewitt is a Libertarian.
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICTS 4 AND 5
The balance of power has also changed in Orange County, which will have its first Democratic majority in four decades. Katrina Foley, a Democrat, has won the District 5 seat over Republican State Sen. Pat Bates. District 5 encompasses the county's coastal and south county cities.
In District 4, incumbent Lincoln Chaffee has sailed to re-election despite the Democratic Party's endorsment of another Democratic challenger, Sunny Park.
SAN DIEGO SHERIFF
San Diego Undersheriff Kelly Martinez will be the first female sheriff in county history after beating her opponent, prosecutor John Hemmerling, 58.6% to 41.4%. Martinez was endorsed by the retiring sheriff, as well as Democratic politicians like Board of Supervisors Chairman Nathan Fletcher and Mayor Todd Gloria. Hemmerling had the Republican Party’s endorsement and that of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 2
The “Battle of the Bruces” in SLO Board of Supervisors District 2 is still too close to call. As of Wednesday, the Democrat Bruce Gibson was ahead of the Republican Bruce Jones by just 37 votes.
ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
In a major win for the social justice movement, civil rights attorney Pamela Price has declared victory in the Alameda County District Attorney’s race. Price will succeed Nancy O’Malley, becoming the first Black district attorney in county history.
Price is an advocate for the social justice model. She opposes mass incarceration, cash bail, and trying youth as adults. She had previously run unsuccessfully for the position.
“This campaign has always been about creating real justice for Alameda Co. I am confident our message of Justice with Compassion for a Safer Alameda Co. has resonated with voters. Almost everyone agrees the system is broken. My administration will begin an era of change that ultimately will make us stronger and safer,” Price said.
ALAMEDA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 3
Former Alameda Vice Mayor Lena Tam will succeed the late Wilma Chan in District 3. Voters chose Tam over her challenger, Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan.
SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
As previously noted, the November election turned out to be a victorious one for the appointees of Mayor London Breed. Former SFPD communications manager Matt Dorsey, who was appointed to District 6 after the departure of Matt Haney, has won election to the seat. Breed appointee Brooke Jenkins also won election as district attorney.
In Board of Supervisors District 4, Joel Engardio has unseated incumbent Gordon Mar. This is the first time an incumbent supervisor has been unseated since the switch to district-based elections in 2000.
SAN MATEO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 2
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will welcome its first ever Latina representative. Noelia Corzo, a San Mateo-Foster City School Board Trustee, has won the District 2 seat over her challenger, Belmont Council member Charles Stone. Corzo will replace three-term Supervisor Carole Groom.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY SHERIFF
Former Palo Alto Police Chief Bob Jonsen appears to have won the Santa Clara County sheriff's race. Jonsen benefitted from his status as an outsider thanks to years of alleged corruption and mismanagement at SCSO under Sheriff Laurie Smith.
See the latest election results for the aforementioned counties below:
