OB Rag

Californians Send Anti-Trumpist Adam Schiff to the Senate; Rent Control, Prison Slavery Blocked, Prop 36 Passes

 by Ryan Sabalow and Sameea Kamal / CalMatters / Nov. 6, 2024

While Republicans celebrated a red wave nationally, California voters affirmed the state’s solid blue politics with Democratic candidates seeing strong returns for state and federal office.

As the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency loomed large over California, the state elected a new U.S. senator in Adam Schiff. A Burbank Democrat, Schiff made a national name for himself in the U.S. House by leading the prosecution of Trump’s first impeachment and for his key role investigating the Jan. 6th storming of the Capitol.

While Republicans are also leading most of the key contested races to represent California in Congress, Democrats are ahead in races that would expand their supermajority in the state Legislature, making the state well positioned to lead the resistance to a second Trump presidency.

California’s voters were hesitant to fully embrace a progressive agenda.

Mayors Race

8:38pm From CNN: PT It’s 11:30 p.m. ET, and polls have closed in most of the US. Here are the latest updates on voting

Polls have closed in most of the United States while voting continues in some Western states, as tens of millions of American voters went to the polls Tuesday to choose the country’s next leaders.

Here’s the latest on the voting front:

By Lori Weisberg / San Diego Union-Tribune / Nov. 1, 2024

SeaWorld, which continues to insist that it doesn’t owe millions of dollars in back rent to the city of San Diego, filed a motion in federal court this week demanding that a judge decide in its favor now, instead of waiting for a trial next summer.

At issue is a lawsuit filed last year by the city alleging that the Mission Bay theme park violated its lease by failing to pay more than $12 million in rent and fees during the height of the pandemic when it and many other California theme parks were forced to shut down. SeaWorld, in turn, filed a countersuit contending that the city’s forced closure was a violation of its lease and it, therefore, owes nothing to the city.

SeaWorld made a similar argument in a motion it filed Tuesday seeking a summary judgment of its case, a legal move that allows a party to ask for a ruling in its favor based on its contention that the facts of the case are undisputed and therefore no trial is needed.

Kat Schuster /San Diego Patch / Nov. 4, 2024

In California, 8,058,584 vote-by-mail ballots have been returned and 98% of them were already accepted, according to data posted by California’s Secretary of State the day before the election.

Counties were required to mail out ballots by Oct. 7 — all active, registered voters should have received a vote-by-mail ballot for the general election.

Nationwide, more than 76.5 Americans have already cast their ballots in Tuesday’s 2024 presidential election.

According to a Monday analysis by NBC News of data from election officials across the country, 49% percent of early votes in California were cast by Democrats, 30% were by Republicans and 21% were by people who haven’t declared a party.

Not all California residents who received an early-vote ballot had returned them by Monday. The returned ballots represent 47% of those sent to Democrats, 25% sent to Republicans and 28% sent to no-party voters.

The swing states that took the longest in 2020 and could again be slow this year: Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada. If the race is close, other states could join the list.

By Patrick Marley and  Amy Gardner / Washington Post / Nov. 4, 2024

Finding out who won the presidency may take days.

Election officials in key swing states are urging Americans to be patient as they tally results, a process that varies from state to state because each has different vote-counting laws.

Here are some candidates’ watch parties happening later tonight — candidates that the Rag supports.

These parties are generally from 6:30-9:30pm.

Turner watch party –

Tavern + Bowl, 930 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92101

By Nicklas Balboa/ The Inertia / October 31, 2024 

After living in San Francisco for years, I finally made the commitment to the SOCAL life and moved to San Diego. I bounced around for a few months, and fell in love with Ocean Beach. Something about the graffitied walls, the painted murals, the hippie-esque culture, the homelessness, and the cold surf made me feel at home. But in my heart, there was only one OB.

Growing up in the Bay Area, I always thought that the title OB belonged to San Francisco’s fabled Ocean Beach… but after moving to Ocean Beach in San Diego, I was confused when I saw the OB stickers on every car in town.

After asking friends from home in SF, and local buddies in San Diego, it appeared that everyone was in agreement that their neighborhood was (un)officially called OB. And people less in the know from either pole of the state were unaware that the other side had an Ocean Beach to represent.

All kinds of OBceans and Point Lomans arrived at the local polling sites to cast their votes early on Election Day.

By Colleen O’Connor

Two years ago, in November of 2022, I wrote a column full of outlandish predictions that have since come true.

• First, that Kamala Harris would be named Vice-President. True.
• Next that Speaker Emeriti, Nancy Pelosi, would outlast Donald Trump. Ongoing.
• Third, that Kevin McCarthy would not last long as Republican House Speaker. True.
• Also, that Joe Biden would not be re-elected President. And neither would Trump. One down. One going.
• Finally, that Liz Cheney would be the first woman to become the GOP leader in the House, albeit still in the minority. Or secure a stellar Cabinet post. Attorney General would be fitting. “Without fear or favor,” Cheney has proved her character worthy of a high office.

Here we are finally! Election Day 2024, Tuesday November 5th.

About 83% of the nearly 27 million adults in California who are eligible to vote are registered. And millions of Californians have already voted.

In her latest report on California’s voter registration, Secretary of State Shirley Weber — a local girl! — said a record 22.6 million Californians are registered to vote, which is 548,211 more than four years ago.

With nearly 2 million ballots sent out across San Diego, it will take some time to get the votes tallied.

The Registrar has released a timeline of when San Diegans can expect the unofficial results to roll in and how long it will take them to fully certify the election. Here’s what you should know:

8 p.m. on Election Day

The first dump of results will come just after the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Night. No results will be available before that time. This dump will include mail ballots received before Election Day and results from people who voted at vote centers before Nov. 5.

By JW August

A lawsuit filed by an unhappy commuter on the State Route 125 toll road has an August 8, 2025 jury trial date. Superior Court Judge Robert Longsthreth has issued a ruling in the case that pits plaintiff Brandon Kelsoe, who regularly uses the toll road, against the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).

The ruling, tossing all but one of the claims, resulted in the case proceeding beyond the pleading stage which is considered the opening salvo between litigants.  A confidential legal expert source described the result as an “interim victory” for the Kelsoe team.  It allows the parties to conduct discovery to aid in future skirmishes.  Attorneys from each side declined  to comment about the judge’s ruling.

Kesloe is one of the lawsuits moving through the courts as the result of thousands of drivers on 125 toll road being charged incorrectly by license-plate readers or FasTrak transponders.  The problems revealed by the toll road fiasco triggered  a recent review by SANDAG’s as part of an effort to correct oversight problems within the organization.