Progressive LA District Attorney George Gascón wins spot in runoff vote

Embattled Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has emerged as the first-place finisher in the primary despite a major challenge to his progressive tactics.

Gascón will defend his seat from former attorney general contender Nathan Hochman in a test of voters’ commitment to reducing criminal penalties and cracking down on police misconduct.

The candidate in third-place, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, conceded Thursday as ballots are still being counted.

The district attorney rose above a crowded field of 11 challengers to claim his spot in the general election, securing about a fifth of the vote against a field that included Hochman, a former Republican and longtime Gascón critic.

The incumbent now faces a fierce battle in November to continue leading America’s largest law enforcement jurisdiction. Hochman is likely to revive many of the same themes that he deployed in his failed 2022 run against Attorney General Rob Bonta, focusing on restoring public safety.

Rising anxiety about public safety has put Gascón and a cohort of like-minded district attorneys on the defensive as they seek to fulfill their pledges to overhaul the criminal justice system.

Four years ago, in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Gascón channeled a potent racial justice movement and drew on a wealthy donor network to topple incumbent District Attorney Jackie Lacey, vindicating a national push to elect progressive prosecutors.

He pledged to stop seeking the death penalty, to no longer charge juveniles as adults, to avoid various sentencing enhancements, and to more regularly prosecute peace officers who illegally kill suspects.

Gascón faced resistance from the start, including from deputy prosecutors who questioned his sentencing reductions in court and supported efforts to remove him from office.

Violent and property crimes rose in the first years of his tenure, feeding public discontent even as rates still remained relatively low historically and violent offenses subsequently dropped. He has already managed to hold on longer than his ally, former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was ousted in a recall vote in 2022.

Gascón similarly faced a well-funded recall campaign that same year, but it failed to qualify for the ballot. Still, Gascón’s political vulnerability inspired Hochman and 10 other contenders who raised millions to challenge him this year, with Hochman outpacing the field in fundraising as he reprised longstanding attacks on Gascón.