The initial results from Tuesday’s California Presidential Primary election show incumbents Supervisor Kathryn Barger and District Attorney Jackie Lacey are keeping their seats.
Voters supported Measure R, which called for more civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Department, and Measure FD, which would have levied a parcel tax in order to support more L.A. County Fire Department resources.
5th District Supervisor
Supervisor Kathryn Barger is expected to remain in her position on the Board of Supervisors, serving in the 5th District, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley.
To forgo a runoff election in November, Barger had to have 50% of the vote plus one. As of Wednesday evening, Barger had 134,244 votes (59.37%).
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as a L.A. County Supervisor,” said Barger, in an email “I look forward to continuing to work on the important issues facing communities throughout the 5th District and the County of Los Angeles.”
District Attorney
Incumbent District Attorney Jackie Lacey is likely to remain in her current position, with 50.69% of the vote as of Wednesday evening.
Her opponent, George Gascon, received 259,307 votes (26.83%); and Rachel A. Rossi received 217,165 votes (22.47%) as of Wednesday.
The official results for this position are still being counted so if Lacey’s votes do not remain over the 50 plus one criteria, there will be a runoff election in November.
Lacey has been the district attorney for Los Angeles County since 2012, and was the first woman and African-American to be elected into this position.
Measure R
Measure R gives the Civilian Oversight Commission the ability to issue subpoenas to the Sheriff’s Department, rather than having to go through the inspector general, according to Ballotpedia.
By voting “yes” the commission would be granted this power, and voting “no” would leave the system unchanged.
As of Wednesday, unofficial results indicate that the measure is expected to pass because it is winning by a majority. 71.17% of voters voted “yes”, while 28.83% voted “no.”
Measure FD
Measure FD, a 6-cent-per-square-foot parcel tax, to aid the Los Angeles County Fire Department in hiring more firefighters and paramedics and replacing safety gear and life-saving rescue equipment, was defeated in the primary election on Tuesday.
To pass, this measure needed two-thirds voter approval.
As of Wednesday, unofficial votes for the measure stand as the following: 52.52% voted “yes”, while 47.48% voted “no”.
The measure would need at least a 66.67% voter approval to pass.
“If Measure FD falls short … it will not change the reality of a longer fire season or slow the continued increase in 911 calls for emergency medical assistance,” said Sean Ferguson, public information officer with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “It would simply mean that LA County Fire would not have the critical resources we need to do our job well and protect our communities.”
