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Republican Rep. Steve Knight concedes to challenger Katie Hill -- Republican Rep. Steve Knight of Palmdale conceded to Democratic challenger Katie Hill on Wednesday as votes were still being counted in the race to represent California’s 25th Congressional District in northern Los Angeles County. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns at Trump’s request -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned on Wednesday at President Trump’s request, ending the tenure of a loyalist he soured on shortly after Sessions took office in 2017 because the former senator from Alabama had recused himself from oversight of the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Devlin Barrett in the Washington Post -- 11/7/18

Trump says government will halt if Dems investigate him -- President Donald Trump, emboldened by Republican election wins in the Senate and scornful of GOP candidates he felt didn’t sufficiently embrace his support, delivered a stark warning to the new Democratic House majority on Wednesday: Investigate me, and I’ll investigate you — and the government will grind to a halt. Eric Tucker Associated Press -- 11/7/18

GOP Reps. Rohrabacher and Knight in peril as California's hardest-fought House races remain too close to call -- Republican Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Steve Knight of Palmdale were both losing their seats in Congress in preliminary election returns Wednesday morning while two other GOP incumbents in California held narrow leads that they might sustain. Michael Finnegan, Joe Mozingo and Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Republican Young Kim poised to be first Korean-American woman in Congress -- Republican Young Kim, a former one-term Assemblywoman, is leading Democrat Gil Cisneros in one of the key House races in the country, California’s 39th Congressional District, according to election returns Tuesday, Nov. 6. Sandra Emerson in the Orange County Register -- 11/7/18

‘Putin’s favorite congressman’ could soon be an ex-congressman -- He’s been called “Putin’s favorite congressman,” but if that’s true, the Russian president might soon have to find a new favorite: Pro-Russia Republican California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher appears to be headed for a narrow defeat against Democratic challenger Harley Rouda in Caifornia’s 48th congressional district. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 11/7/18

Levin maintains lead over Harkey in race to replace Issa -- By 5 a.m today, results show Democrat Mike Levin leading in his bid to take the 49th Congressional District, ahead of Republican Diane Harkey by roughly 5 points — 52.4 percent to her 47.6 percent — according to totals posted by both Orange and San Diego counties. About two-thirds of the precincts had been reported. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/7/18

Orange County voters appear to oust longtime Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas -- Orange County voters on Tuesday appeared to oust longtime Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas in favor of challenger Todd Spitzer, a significant shift for an office that has been repeatedly rocked by scandals in recent years. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

A new Democratic governor must decide how far he wants to lead California to the left -- Few can argue with California Democrats that their sweeping victories on Tuesday are a clear mandate to set in place an agenda for the state that will last well into the next decade. Less clear, though, is what those marching orders should be — and whether voters will embrace the full panoply of demands that have lurched the state’s dominant party leftward since the election of President Trump. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Gavin Newsom’s future looks a lot brighter if Trump wins in 2020 -- The election of Gavin Newsom as California governor has pole-vaulted the former San Francisco mayor into one of the oddest political positions in the country. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

Gavin Newsom ‘loves’ Sacramento, but maybe not enough to live there -- Will the man who once dismissed Sacramento as “just so dull” move to the capital as the next governor of California? He still needs to talk it over with his wife, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom said Saturday, following a campaign rally in Irvine. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/7/18

Gov.-elect Newsom joins Brown in wading into state water war -- California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom joined Gov. Jerry Brown, just moments after the polls closed Tuesday, in asking the State Water Board to postpone a major river restoration plan that would mean less water for farms and cities, including those in much of the Bay Area. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell’s job in jeopardy as challenger Alex Villanueva takes vote lead -- Sheriff Jim McDonnell on Wednesday was in jeopardy of being ousted by voters as challenger Alex Villanueva took a razor-thin lead in the race to lead the sprawling, scandal-tainted law enforcement agency. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

How a tweet turned Prop. C from an underdog to a winner -- When any seemingly long shot campaign winds up striking it big, observers wonder: What was the secret? The key? That splash of fairy dust that turned the likely loser into a winner? Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

Claims of racial profiling on 5 Freeway echo findings against sheriff's deputies in Antelope Valley -- For years, black and Latino residents in the Antelope Valley complained they were the victims of racially biased stops and searches along with other mistreatment by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies. Maura Dolan and Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

FBI raids home and office of Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar -- FBI agents executed search warrants at the home and office of Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar on Wednesday morning and removed multiple boxes before a crowd of stunned City Hall staffers. David Zahniser, Joel Rubin and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

A vice mayor called gay men fairies and declared his ‘straight pride.’ Now, he’s out of office -- A Northern California vice mayor who was heavily criticized earlier this year after writing a newspaper column that many people viewed as homophobic lost his city council seat by a landslide vote Tuesday night. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/7/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Election Results: in the Los Angeles Times in the San Francisco Chronicle, in the Sacramento Bee, in the Los Angeles Daily News$

How Gov-Elect Gavin Newsom could shape California’s future, issue by issue -- Gavin Newsom first ran for governor in 2010, an effort he abandoned and then relaunched in 2015 with the long, long campaign that crescendoed tonight. Now that California voters have given the 51-year-old Democrat the job he has sought for eight years, he is about to discover that winning was the easy part. Calmatters -- 11/7/18

Gavin Newsom’s dilemma: Making a change, while following Jerry Brown’s lead -- After the victory music had quieted, after the introduction by his wife was done, Gavin Newsom took to the stage at a Los Angeles nightclub and began to walk the fine line that will likely define his first year as California governor. Even as he laid out his vision for renewing California, calling it “a land of plenty but… far from perfect,” Newsom praised the man he will replace. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 11/7/18

California governor race: Gavin Newsom wins, faces big challenges ahead -- Gavin Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor who spent nearly eight years waiting in the wings of Sacramento as lieutenant governor, defeated businessman John Cox Tuesday to become California’s next governor-elect. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle Phil Willon, Melanie Mason and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press Angela Hart and Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee Dan Morain Calmatters Ben Adler Capital Public Radio Carla Marinucci Politico -- 11/7/18

Gavin Newsom's message to Trump: California is 'too powerful to bully' -- Claiming victory as California's next governor, Gavin Newsom positioned the state as the alternative to so-called “Trumpism” and the rancorous tone of today's politics. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Gavin Newsom aims at Donald Trump: ‘Roll the credits on the politics of chaos’ -- Without ever mentioning the president by name, Democrat Gavin Newsom on Tuesday night declared his election as California governor a rebuke of President Donald Trump. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/7/18

Cox concedes governor's race but says state "needs a lot of help" -- This campaign, like each of his five previous bids for public office, was punctuated by his predictions of his eventual victory. And this campaign, like the other five, ended in a lopsided defeat. Peter Rowe in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/7/18

Tax credits to labor laws. What everyone wants from California’s new governor -- When Gov. Jerry Brown took office eight years ago, he faced crippling budget deficits that required brutal cuts to public services. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/7/18

High Expectations on the Left for Governor-elect Gavin Newsom -- Gavin Newsom might just be the most progressive Democrat ever elected governor in California. Scott Shafer KQED -- 11/7/18

California’s new governor made name with gay marriage fight -- Within months of becoming San Francisco mayor in 2004, Gavin Newsom decided his hometown would ignore the law and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 11/7/18

Senate race: Feinstein re-elected; Republicans to keep Senate control -- With Feinstein squaring off against a fellow Democrat, Los Angeles state Sen. Kevin de León, California’s seat was never in play for the GOP. But Republicans across the country took advantage of President Trump’s popularity in red-hued states to hold on to and possibly increase their 51-49 advantage in the Senate. Tal Kopan , John Wildermuth and Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/7/18

California voters reject rent control measure -- Rent control proponents suffered a major defeat Tuesday, as California rejected Proposition 10, the initiative that sought to give cities more power over local rent control laws. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times Sophia Bollag Associated Press Matt Levin Calmatters -- 11/7/18

California’s gas tax increase is here to stay -- California voters on Tuesday rejected a measure to undo recent increases to state fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, protecting billions of dollars in funding for road maintenance and other transportation projects. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 11/7/18

Gas Tax Repeal Leader’s Plan B: Try to Pick Off Democrats One-By-One -- At the California Republican Party’s election night watch party in downtown San Diego, Carl DeMaio, the Republican firebrand who managed the “Yes on 6” campaign, said he plans to launch recall efforts against two more California legislators next election if the gas tax repeal effort fails. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 11/7/18

California voters reject ballot measure to cap dialysis company profits -- Proposition 8, which would have imposed a cap on the profits earned by large dialysis companies such as DaVita, was defeated by voters on Tuesday. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times Sophia Bollag Associated Press Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/7/18

$9 billion California water bond trailing in early returns -- Californians were leaning against borrowing $9 billion for water projects Tuesday in a state where water scarcity often pits city dwellers, farmers, anglers and environmentalists against one another. About 53 percent of voters opposed Proposition 3 with about 3.6 million votes counted. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/7/18

California voters embrace year-round daylight-saving time -- Californians warmed to the idea of year-round daylight-saving time, approving an initiative that would urge state lawmakers to junk all the annual springing forward and falling back. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

California statewide races: Poizner narrowly leads for insurance post, Kounalakis wins lieutenant governor -- Republicans were once again shut out of California’s statewide offices Tuesday, but for the first time in history, an independent candidate was threatening to join that Democrats-only club. John King and John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Xavier Becerra is elected to full term as California attorney general -- Democratic state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra has been elected to a full term as California’s top cop, holding off a challenge from Republican Steven Bailey. Becerra, a former congressman from Los Angeles, was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to replace the state’s former attorney general, Kamala Harris, after she was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

With more than two-thirds of votes in, Tuck leads Thurmond in race for California schools chief -- Marshall Tuck and Tony Thurmond headed into Wednesday morning locked in a close race for California’s state superintendent of public instruction. With two-thirds of the statewide vote reported by 1:30 a.m., Tuck led Thurmond by 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent – a lead of about 134,000 votes out of 4.8 million counted. John Fensterwald, Nico Savidge, and Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 11/7/18

Democrat Harley Rouda holds lead over GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in CA-48 -- Democrat Harley Rouda led Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher early Wednesday in the race to represent Orange County’s coastal 48th Congressional District. With all precincts reporting, Rouda held 50.7 percent of the vote. There remain thousands of provisional and late vote-by-mail ballots from the district left to be counted post-election. Neither candidate claimed victory as of early Wednesday morning. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 11/7/18

GOP Rep. Mimi Walters leads Dem. Katie Porter in 45th District -- Two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters led her Democratic challenger Katie Porter on Wednesday in the closely-watched race for inland Orange County’s 45th Congressional District. Walters held 51.7 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting. Thousands of provisional and late vote-by-mail ballots remain to be counted from the district. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 11/7/18

Levin maintains lead over Harkey in race to replace Issa -- For years, unthinkable. Now, it’s possible the long reliably red 49th District might flip. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/7/18

Denham has edge against Harder in nail-biter, but it’s still up in the air -- With tens of thousands of votes yet to count, Republican incumbent Jeff Denham was ahead with 50.6 percent to Democratic challenger Josh Harder’s 49.4 percent. The gap at that time was 891 votes among 70,179 tallied so far, but final results could be days or even weeks away. Garth Stapley in the Modesto Bee -- 11/7/18

Rep. Hunter appears poised to win sixth term despite indictment -- Rep Duncan D. Hunter, facing re-election amid a federal prosecution for alleged stealing of $250,000 in campaign funds, was easily fighting off a re-election challenge on Tuesday from a Democrat With Mexican and Palestinian roots who struggled to connect with voters in strongly Republican parts of East County and North County. Charles T. Clark and Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/7/18

GOP Rep. Tom McClintock defeats Democrat Jessica Morse in race for Sierra Nevada district -- Morse, 36, jumped into the race after the election of President Trump and gave Democrats new hope of riding a national wave of energy among young voters and suburban moms to victory. But the national security strategist faced long odds in the Sierra Nevada district, home to the highest share of registered Republicans in the state. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

GOP Rep. Devin Nunes beats Democrat Andrew Janz in his toughest race in years in his Central Valley district -- GOP Rep. Devin Nunes has warded off the toughest political challenge he faced in years, claiming victory over Democrat Andrew Janz in California’s 22nd Congressional District. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 11/7/18

GOP Rep. David Valadao wins again in Central Valley district long out of reach for Democrats despite favorable odds -- GOP Rep. David Valadao has outrun Democrat TJ Cox for a Central Valley seat that has long eluded Democrats despite favorable odds. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Races for California House seats that Democrats hoped to flip are still too close to call -- Democrat Mike Levin gained an early lead in his bid to capture the seat of outgoing Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista, but all of the most hard-fought California congressional races remained too close to call as election returns rolled in Tuesday night. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

San Francisco cannabis tax measure passes easily -- A San Francisco measure to impose new taxes on recreational cannabis businesses sailed to a clear victory Tuesday, garnering over 66 percent of the vote with 37 percent of precincts reporting. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf wins race for re-election -- Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was headed for a re-election victory early Wednesday morning after a mostly uneventful, low-key campaign. With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Schaaf had more than 57 percent of the vote. Her nearest competitor, Cat Brooks, had 22 percent. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

San Francisco Prop. C homeless tax — measure to raise $300 million a year wins with 60% -- San Francisco voters Tuesday gave a solid thumbs-up to Proposition C, which is designed to inject the most money ever directed at city homeless programs by taxing big businesses to raise hundreds of millions of dollars. With 99 percent of the vote counted, the measure won 60 percent to 40 percent. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

Sacramento’s Measure U headed toward passage, but where sales tax money will go remains uncertain -- Early results from Tuesday’s election showed Sacramento residents were likely to bump the city’s sales tax rate to 8.75 percent to fund core services including fire and police, and create new revenue to potentially fund affordable housing, youth and neighborhood equity projects. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/7/18

Key races in California Assembly, Senate remain tight -- Democrats’ total dominance of the state Legislature likely comes down to a single state Senate seat, where the two candidates remained locked in a tight race as votes rolled in Tuesday. Republicans have held Senate District 12 for years but incumbent Anthony Cannella is termed-out of office. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/7/18

​​​​​​​California voters approve new cage-free egg requirements -- Proposition 12, a statewide ballot measure that would phase in requirements to provide more space for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and calves raised for veal in California, was approved by voters Tuesday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press -- 11/7/18

Voters Likely to Pass Affordable Housing Bond; Measure for Mentally Ill Homeless OK'd -- With the state facing a massive housing shortage that has driven up prices, California voters are likely to pass Proposition 1, a $4 billion affordable housing bond too close to call. Voters approved Proposition 2, a separate measure that will allow the state to use a past tax on millionaires to fund housing for the mentally ill. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 11/7/18

Voters Pass $1.5 Billion Children's Hospital Bond -- California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 4, which authorizes the state to sell $1.5 billion in bonds for children's hospitals to be used mainly on infrastructure projects. As of midnight on Tuesday, the measure had nearly 60 percent support. Laura Klivans, April Dembosky KQED -- 11/7/18

Voters Reject Proposition to Expand Property Tax Benefits for Seniors -- Voters have defeated Proposition 5, a California ballot measure that would have allowed homeowners 55 and older to keep their tax bills low if they sold their home and bought a new one in another California county. Scott Shafer KQED -- 11/7/18

Voters Pass Proposition 11, Say Ambulance Workers Should Stay on Call During Breaks -- Californians voted to deny EMTs and paramedics uninterrupted rest and meal breaks, passing Proposition 11 by 62 percent. The measure requires ambulance staff to remain on-duty during breaks, keeping their radios and pagers turned on while they get coffee or lunch. April Dembosky KQED -- 11/7/18

San Francisco’s Embarcadero seawall measure wins easily -- A ballot measure that would give San Francisco the money to start rebuilding the Embarcadero seawall was approved by voters Tuesday by a comfortable margin. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

Todd Spitzer holds lead in contentious Orange County district attorney race -- The election culminated months of flame-throwing between Rackauckas, who has held the position for two decades, and Spitzer, his former protege. The winner will lead an office that handles more than 60,000 cases a year and wields an annual budget of about $145 million. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Walters: Jerry Brown a tax reformer? Who knew? -- The Washington-based Tax Foundation is an impeccable source of accurate information about state and local taxation, albeit one with a decidedly conservative tilt. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/7/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

L.A. backs off on allowing Airbnb rentals in rent-controlled apartments -- A Los Angeles City Council committee recommended Tuesday that the city prohibit rent-controlled apartments from being offered for short stays on Airbnb and similar platforms. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Riot Games is sued by female employees over alleged unequal pay, sexual harassment -- Now, the Los Angeles company behind the hugely popular “League of Legends” video game is being sued by one former and one current employee for alleged violations of the California Equal Pay Act and gender-based discrimination, retaliation and harassment. Sam Dean in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Boeing is selling Long Beach property where it used to build cargo planes -- Three years after Boeing Co. officially ended production of the C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane, the aerospace giant has put up for sale the 90-acre Long Beach facility where the aircraft was built. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Wildfire  

PG&E poised to shut off power amid fire danger conditions -- Extreme fire danger conditions in the coming days could lead Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to shut off power to nearly 70,000 customers in nine Northern California counties. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/7/18

Also . . . 

Appeals panel hears arguments that former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca was unfairly convicted -- An attorney for Lee Baca tried to convince a federal appeals court Tuesday that the former Los Angeles County sheriff was unfairly convicted last year of obstructing an FBI investigation and lying to investigators because of errors made by the judge at his trial. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

POTUS 45  

Despite House loss, Trump still sees midterms success -- Resigned to the loss of one-party control over Washington in Tuesday’s elections, President Donald Trump stared down the prospect of endless House investigations, stymied policy efforts and fresh questions about the resilience of his unorthodox political coalition. He celebrated GOP success hanging on to the Senate and distanced himself from any blame. Catherine Lucey and Jonathan Lemire Associated Press -- 11/7/18

Beltway 

Pelosi relishes Democratic takeover of the House -- The top House Democrat promised Tuesday night that the party will use its new majority to serve as a check on the Trump administration but promised to strive for bipartisanship. Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

House of Representatives battle: Democrats retaking control after 8 years -- Democrats were virtually guaranteed to seize control of the House Tuesday night, putting themselves in position to challenge President Trump and his policies for the next two years. Democrats needed to flip a net 23 seats and even before the polls closed in California, they were only a few seats short with leads in more than a dozen other GOP-held districts. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/7/18

Schiff: Democratic House will tackle the oversight that GOP 'abdicated' -- California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff vowed Tuesday to ensure that the House Intelligence Committee reclaims its duty to conduct oversight of the Trump administration — a job he said the GOP “completely abdicated.“ Catherine Boudreau Politico -- 11/7/18

Democrats take the House, Republicans hold the Senate in split-screen midterm vote -- Riding a wave of discontent that drew hordes of first-time voters, Democrats picked up House seats in blue states, red and purple ones — from New York to Oklahoma, New Jersey to Colorado, Florida to Minnesota and Texas. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/7/18

Pelosi as House speaker would ‘show the power of the gavel’ -- It’s a pivotal moment for Nancy Pelosi — the beginning of a triumphal return as the nation’s first female House speaker, or the start of a political reckoning over who should lead Democrats in the Donald Trump era. Lisa Mascaro Associated Press -- 11/7/18