Californians fed up with soaring crime have overwhelmingly voted to replace Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, the so-called godfather of progressive prosecutors.
Gascón — who immediately introduced sweeping criminal justice reforms when elected in 2020 — got less than 40% of the vote as he lost to Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who campaigned against the controversial DA’s “public safety failure” during his four years in office.
“The voters of Los Angeles County have spoken and have said enough is enough of D.A. Gascón’s pro-criminal extreme policies; they look forward to a safer future,” Hochman said in a statement early Wednesday.
“As D.A., I look forward to representing all of the people, whether they voted for me or not, since their safety will be my responsibility,” he promised.
Gascón has yet to comment on the race.
During his campaign, Hochman, who was predicted to win, emphasized the rising violent crime in the county, a trend also seen statewide and at the national level.
Violent crime jumped 8% in Los Angeles County from 2019 to 2023, according to California Department of Justice Data, the Los Angeles Times reported — although it rose more in other California counties with traditional prosecutors.
Gascón survived two recall attempts as the state grew increasingly unhappy with his soft-on-crime policies, including eliminating cash bail, not seeking the death penalty and an unwillingness to try juveniles as adults.
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Finally! People in LA are fed up with Gascón’s 'criminals-first' policies. Eliminating cash bail and refusing to try juveniles as adults has made our streets dangerous. Hochman’s win is a victory for public safety and common sense. Crime was up, morale in the police department was down—change was overdue.
Gascón’s policies were never 'pro-criminal'; they were about justice. People act like Hochman’s going to wave a magic wand and stop crime by locking people up. It won’t work. These 'tough' policies only lead to overcrowded prisons without addressing the root causes of crime. This was a short-sighted decision.
Reality check: crime is up. Gascón’s policies did nothing to make LA safer, and voters spoke. It’s not about being anti-reform; it’s about finding policies that don’t come at the cost of public safety. Hochman represents a balanced approach, and I think he’ll find the middle ground.
Gascón lost because he ignored working-class people dealing with real problems. The rise in violent crime hit us the hardest. We can’t feel safe in our neighborhoods, and he didn’t seem to care. Hochman gets it, and I hope he sticks to his word on cracking down.
As a mother, safety is my top concern. I used to be okay with Gascón’s progressive ideas, but when crime started creeping closer to home, I realized we needed a different approach. Hochman might be a bit old school, but maybe that’s what we need. We can’t just ignore victims in favor of criminals.
Really disappointed. Gascón was trying to bring real reform to a broken system. Ending cash bail and focusing on rehabilitation over punishment is how we move forward. Hochman just represents a return to failed 'tough on crime' policies. This election is a huge setback for justice reform.
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