Merced FOCUS Election Roundup: See which supervisor seat could change hands, where races stand
Meanwhile, Merced’s Measure C appears to be comfortably cruising toward approval
By RACHEL LIVINAL, BRIANNA VACCARI and CHRISTIAN DE JESUS BETANCOURT
Merced’s Measure C appears to be comfortably cruising toward approval, as of the latest vote count 11:30 p.m. Tuesday in the county’s 2024 primary election.
Meanwhile, one of the incumbents on the Merced County Board of Supervisors could be unseated, following Tuesday’s election.
Measure C is a half-cent public safety tax that benefits the City of Merced’s police and fire departments. Measure C was first approved in 2006 with a 20-year lifespan. Without an extension, it will sunset in 2026.
In order to pass, Measure C must receive a simple majority of votes in favor of renewal. As of about 11:30 p.m., 69% of voters supported Measure C, with just over 5,500 votes counted, according to the Merced County Registrar of Voters Office.
The Yes on C supporters gathered in the restaurant side of Five Ten Bistro in downtown. County Supervisor Josh Pedrozo and his supporters watched results come in on the bar side, with folks intermingling between both gatherings.
“This really was a referendum on public safety in Merced,” said former Merced Mayor Mike Murphy. “Overwhelmingly, people in Merced support public safety.”
When the Merced City Council declined to put Measure C on the ballot, that was a gut punch to public safety, Murphy said.
“But we went around them,” he said. “They didn’t knock us down.”
Get the rest of this story and the full local election results by visiting The Merced FOCUS website.
Proposition 1’s early lead could mean big changes for mental health services. What to expect in the Central Valley
By MARIJKE ROWLAND
marijke@cvlocaljournalism.org
California voters have given Proposition 1, an ambitious measure that overhauls the state’s mental health funding and approves $6.4 billion in bonds, an early lead in election results Tuesday night.
The proposition, the only statewide initiative voters were asked to decide in the March primary, has been championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a critical tool to combat chronic homelessness and help unhoused people with mental health or substance abuse issues.
At 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial results showed Yes votes at 52.6% and No votes at 47.4% with 59.1% of precincts partially reporting their results. Counting will continue as vote-by-mail, provisional and all other ballots are tallied. The final results will be certified statewide by April 12.
Read the rest of Marijke Rowland’s story on what Prop. 1 means for the Valley at The Merced FOCUS website.
It was election night in California. Here is where the night ended for some Valley races
Despite concerns of low voter turnout, Tuesday's primary election provided answers to many questions ahead of the November general election.
Surveys had suggested voters were less enthusiastic about this election than those prior, but for many who did come out and vote, national politics was on their minds. READ KVPR’S FULL REPORT
Adam Schiff, Steve Garvey advance out of California’s U.S. Senate primary
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey will face off in November for California’s highly coveted U.S. Senate seat.
The race is a once-in-decades opportunity to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (and succeed caretaker Sen. Laphonza Butler). The winner in November — and Schiff starts with a big edge — could hold onto the seat for decades to come.
READ THE FULL CALMATTERS REPORT
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