The biggest election day until November ended without a lot of drama or suspense. As expected President Biden won nearly all 15 contests — losing only the American Samoa Democratic caucus to little-known tech investor Jason Palmer by a grand total of 51 to 40 votes. Turns out Palmer had been on the islands recently helping with beach cleanups and generally making a good impression.
In similar fashion, former President Donald Trump galloped through the Republican primaries and caucuses, winning 14 of 15 states. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley needed a big night to give her flagging campaign new energy. But she won only one state — liberal Vermont — not enough to wow Republican voters in the weeks and months ahead.
In short, barring criminal convictions or health scares, America will vote for another term in 245 days for either Joe Biden or Donald Trump.
There were other winners (and losers) Tuesday. Scroll down for details, followed by key updates after vote-counting got underway Tuesday.
Winners
1) Adam Schiff — The Democratic LA congressman, who graduated from high school in Danville and earned a degree from Stanford, ran a nearly perfect primary campaign in California’s closely watched Senate primary. He secured key early endorsements from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and more than 20 members of California’s congressional delegation, which helped him raise more money than everyone else in the field. Schiff then spent more than $10 million of that cash on ads trumpeting the fact that Republican Steve Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodger from the 1980s who has never held elected office, voted twice for Donald Trump. That helped consolidate Republican support which could have splintered among several lesser-known GOP candidates to Garvey, propelling him with Schiff into the top two finalists for the November election. Left out in a distant third place was Democrat Katie Porter, a congresswoman from Irvine who would have given Schiff a tough race, and caused Democrats to spend millions fighting each other. Instead, Schiff is all but guaranteed to win the Senate seat formerly held by Dianne Feinstein in November, given California’s 2-to-1 Democratic majority in voter registration.
2) London Breed — San Francisco’s mayor faces a very difficult re-election campaign in November. Polls show voters are unhappy with crime, homeless encampments, the loss of major businesses like Macy’s, and more than 800 fentanyl deaths in the city last year. She is being challenged by two moderate Democratic opponents — former interim Mayor Mark Farrell, who has promised to hire more police and remove encampments within a year, and Daniel Lurie, a philanthropist and Levi Strauss heir who also is running on a “clean up the city” theme. In a move that could offer her re-election effort new focus, Breed endorsed two tough-on-crime ballot measures which both won easily Tuesday. Measure E would allow police to more easily use surveillance cameras, drones and vehicle pursuits. Measure F would require single people who receive county welfare to be tested for drugs and enroll in treatment programs as a condition of receiving the money if they are suspected of using drugs. Not quite Dirty Harry. But it’s clear many famously liberal SF voters’ patience has run out, and Breed may now be able to say she is leading the effort to reduce crime and drugs.
3) Lateefah Simon — Simon, a member of the BART board of directors and Cal State University trustee, overwhelmingly won the primary Tuesday night to succeed fellow Democrat Barbara Lee in the East Bay’s 12th congressional district, far outdistancing the second-place finisher, Jennifer Tran, an assistant professor of ethnic studies at Cal State East Bay, 43% to 17%. Simon, who is legally blind, earned the endorsement of Gov. Gavin Newsom and many other prominent Democratic leaders, outraised the eight other candidates in the race, and won the support of Lee, a progressive champion for decades. Lee, a former community organizer and chief of staff to former Congressman Ron Dellums, was first elected to Congress in 1998 when Dellums retired. The 12th district includes Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro, and is the most Democratic congressional district in California. Simon appears to be on a glide path to Congress.
Losers
1) Nikki Haley — She tried to stop the Trump juggernaut in the Republican party, but got run over Tuesday night, losing 14 of 15 contests. Trump is now on track to win enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination in two weeks. And Haley will have some tough decisions to make. Does she swallow her pride and endorse a politician who gave her the nickname “Bird brain?” Does she keep running to weaken him in the general election? Does she endorse Biden and hope for a job in his second term? All of the options come with big pitfalls. Update: Haley plans to suspend her campaign.
2) Peter Dixon — A Marine Corps veteran who co-founded Second Front Systems, a cybersecurity company, Dixon had an impressive resume and lots of money when he set out to run for Congress as a Democrat to succeed retiring Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto. Dixon raised more money than any of the other candidates in the race for the 16th district, which runs from Pacifica to San Jose. But like former statewide candidates Al Checchi, Michael Huffington, Meg Whitman and many other wealthy political hopefuls who ran without much prior political experience or name recognition, he learned Tuesday than you normally need more than money to win a high-profile race. Despite raising $2.8 million by mid-February, half of which was his own money, Dixon faded to a distant fifth place late Tuesday, far behind the leader, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, and the second-place candidate, Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, both of whom have a combined 50 years of experience in elected office.
3) Election workers — They didn’t have much to do. Across California, polling places had very light turnout Tuesday. The lack of a close race in either presidential primary, combined with only one statewide ballot measure on a relatively non-controversial issue, bond funding for homeless services, failed to inspire or ignite many voters. As a result, the turnout trended older, and whiter, and more conservative than California is likely to see in November. But all is not lost for civic responsibility advocates. The last time that Biden and Trump squared off for the White House in November 2020, a staggering 17.8 million Californian residents — 71% of eligible voters — cast ballots, the highest percentage of eligible voters to participate in a statewide election since 1952, more than double Tuesday’s expected final turnout, and the third-highest percentage since 1910.
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9:35 p.m. Tough-on-crime measures pass in San Francisco
Continuing a trend that began two years ago with the recall of former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin over charges that he was too soft on crime, citizens in one of America’s most liberal cities voted again Tuesday night to take a tougher approach to crime and drug abuse.
Voters overwhelmingly approved Measure F, which will require single adults receiving county welfare benefits who are suspected drug users to be tested for drugs, and enroll in treatment programs if they test positive. They also approved Measure E, which would expand police powers to use surveillance cameras, drones and vehicle pursuits.
Both measures were endorsed by Mayor London Breed, who is facing an uphill battle for re-election in November in a city where polls show voters angry and frustrated with retail crime, vehicle break-ins, open drug dealing and homeless encampments.
With 37% of precincts reporting, Measure F had 65% of the vote, and Measure E had 62% of the vote. Support was among the highest levels in the city in some of the main downtown precincts, where 80% or more of voters voted yes.
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9:20 p.m. Newsom’s homeless bond narrowly leading
Proposition 1, a $6.4 billion bond act that Gov. Gavin Newsom said was critical to reducing homelessness in California, had a small lead Tuesday night. The measure was ahead with 52.8% to 47.2% with 38% of precincts reporting.
If it passes, $1 billion of the bond proceeds would pay for programs designed to house homeless veterans who have mental health or substance abuse disorders; $922 million would fund permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with behavioral health needs; and $4.4 billion would fund state grants for behavioral health treatment and housing programs.
The measure also would shift about $140 million a year from counties to the state, much of it from a “millionaire’s tax” passed by voters in 2004 under Proposition 63.
It was endorsed by Blue Shield of California, Sutter Health, California Professional Firefighters, California Business Roundtable, California Chamber of Commerce, California Hospital Association. And it was opposed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Disability Rights California, and Mental Health America of California.
Newsom has in the past year taken a more aggressive posture to reduce homeless encampments. He unveiled a “care court” plan that would make it easier to provide mandatory treatment to homeless people with severe mental illness, and his administration has argued recently to the Supreme Court to relax lower court rulings that limit cities from removing encampments unless they have enough shelter beds to house all their inhabitants.
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9:00 p.m. Schiff and Garvey win Senate race
Democrat Adam Schiff, a Stanford and Harvard Law School graduate who represents San Gabriel Valley in the House of Representatives, where he has served since 2001, won one of the top two spots in California’s nationally watched Senate primary Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race for Schiff shortly after 8:30 p.m., when Schiff had 36.9% of the vote with 37% of precincts reporting.
The top two finishers in the race will face off in November to fill former Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat. Feinstein died last September.
At 9 p.m., the AP also called the second spot — for Republican Steve Garvey, who had with 29%. Democrat Katie Porter was third with 14.8% and Democrat Barbara Lee was fourth with 7.1%.
Democrats outnumber Republican voters 2-to-1 in registration in California. Garvey is the former first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, and has never held elective office. Schiff, who led impeachment efforts against former President Donald Trump, will be the overwhelming favorite, as no Republican has won statewide office in California since 2006.
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8:35 Liccardo, Simitian lead in hotly contested Silicon Valley House race
Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, both Democrats, led Tuesday night in the race to succeed Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto. A crowded field battled for the top-two spots in the 16th congressional district, which stretches from Pacific, through the Peninsula to San Jose. Eshoo, who has been in office since 1992, announced her retirement. Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Cupertino, was third. Republican Peter Ohtaki was fourth, and tech executive Peter Dixon, a Democratic newcomer who raised more money than any other candidate, was fifth. The top two will face off in November.
With 73% of precincts reporting:
Liccardo: 22.9%
Simitian: 18.8%
Low: 16.3%
Ohtaki: 12.1%
Dixon: 7.8%
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8:25 p.m. Schiff, Garvey lead in California Senate race
The polls closed in California at 8 p.m., and the first wave of ballots reported show Republican Steve Garvey, a first baseman with the Dodgers and Padres, and Democratic congressman Adam Schiff of Los Angeles in the lead. Orange County congresswoman Katie Porter, D-Irvine and Oakland congresswoman Barbara Lee, also a Democrat, trailed
With 14% of precincts reporting statewide:
Schiff: 38.1%
Garvey: 27.4%
Porter: 13.4%
Lee: 8.6%
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7:50 p.m. Trump says U.S. is “dying,” blasts Biden, doesn’t mention Haley in victory speech
Former President Donald Trump did not mention his main Republican rival, Nikki Haley, in remarks Tuesday night at his Mar-a-Lago estate after winning nearly all 15 states with Republican contests during Super Tuesday. Haley won only Vermont.
“The world is laughing at us,” Trump said to guests in the estate’s ballroom, slamming Biden on immigration, inflation and foreign policy.
“Our cities are being overrun with migrant crime and that’s Biden migrant crime,” Trump said.
“It’s a new category of crime and it’s violent, where they’ll stand in the middle of the street and have fistfights with police officers. And if they did that in their countries from where they came, they’d be killed instantly. Instantly.”
“They wouldn’t do that,” he added. “So the world is laughing at us. The world is taking advantage of us.”
Trump, who veered off script on a variety of topics, including the way oil is refined in Houston, called Biden “the worst president in the history of our country.”
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7:30 p.m. Biden says Super Tuesday results leave Americans with “clear choice”
After winning 14 of 15 states — except California — where polls are open for another 30 minutes — President Biden issued a statement Tuesday night saying the nation is facing “a clear choice” for president.
The statement:
“Tonight’s results leave the American people with a clear choice: Are we going to keep moving forward or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backwards into the chaos, division, and darkness that defined his term in office?
“Four years ago, I ran because of the existential threat Donald Trump posed to the America we all believe in. Since then, we’ve made enormous progress: 15 million jobs, wages rising faster than inflation, taking on Big Pharma and the gun lobby — and winning. But we have more to do.
“If Donald Trump returns to the White House, all of this progress is at risk. He is driven by grievance and grift, focused on his own revenge and retribution, not the American people. He is determined to destroy our democracy, rip away fundamental freedoms like the ability for women to make their own health care decisions, and pass another round of billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy — and he’ll do or say anything to put himself in power.
“Today, millions of voters across the country made their voices heard — showing that they are ready to fight back against Donald Trump’s extreme plan to take us backwards.
“My message to the country is this: Every generation of Americans will face a moment when it has to defend democracy. Stand up for our personal freedom. Stand up for the right to vote and our civil rights. To every Democrat, Republican, and independent who believes in a free and fair America: This is our moment. This is our fight. Together, we will win.”
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6:30 p.m. Haley loses Colorado, one of her best hopes, as Trump sweep continues
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley entered Super Tuesday needing some wins to reassure her donors and supporters that she has a viable path to the Republican nomination.
So far, she’s come up empty-handed. Donald Trump has won the Colorado primary, according to the Associated Press. Many analysts considered Colorado, along with Virginia, Massachusetts and Vermont, to be the states she had the best chances to capture. Trump has already won three of them tonight, however, with only Vermont still too close to call.
Haley has committed to staying in the race through Super Tuesday.
“Candidates drop out when their donors tell them to,” Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told the Bay Area News Group on Monday. “Haley will likely lose all or almost all the contests on Super Tuesday. I doubt her donors will support her campaign for much longer.”
If she drops out, the $64,000 question will be: After bashing Trump for months, will she do an about face and endorse him to unify the party? Will she quit and endorse nobody? Could she endorse Biden or vote for him as other Republicans such as former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Cindy McCain, and former Hewlett Packard CEO and Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina did in 2020?
Or might she stay in the race all the way to the Republican convention in July in Milwaukee, hoping that Trump’s poll numbers collapse in the next four months due to being convicted of a crime or suffering a health problem?
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6:00 p.m. North Carolina Republicans nominate conspiracy theorist for governor
In the 2020 presidential race, Donald Trump narrowly eked out a win in North Carolina, beating Joe Biden by 49.9% to 48.6% — a victory of just 74,000 votes out of 5.4 million cast.
Democrats have tried hard to win the Tarheel State and its 16 electoral votes — more than Michigan, Wisconsin or Arizona. But they have only done it once in the past 11 presidential elections back to 1980, in 2008 when President Obama won the state.
Tonight, their chances jumped considerably. The state’s lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, won the Republican nomination for governor. Robinson has a history of bizarre statements and has embraced numerous conspiracy theories.
On Facebook, he appeared to deny the Holocaust when he wrote in 2017: “This foolishness about Hitler disarming MILLIONS of Jews and then marching them off to concentration camps is a bunch of hogwash.” Robinson, who is Black, has called Obama “a worthless, anti-American atheist” and claimed Michelle Obama is a man. He has said the the COVID pandemic was a “globalist conspiracy” to defeat Trump. After the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, Robinson wrote on social media that “Homosexuality is STILL an abominable sin and I WILL NOT join in ‘celebrating gay pride.'” He has said he opposes abortion in all cases.
Trump endorsed Robinson over the weekend, calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Robinson will face Democrat Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general, in the November election to succeed Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who is term-limited out.
Although North Carolina is a Southern state, Biden won in 2020 by strong margins in urban areas such as Durham, Chapel Hill, and Charlotte, in neighborhoods with large number of technology workers, and by landslides around the University of North Carolina and other college precincts.
If moderate Republican voters, particularly women, and independents stay home, or vote Democratic over concerns about Robinson becoming governor, Democrats hope, it could give Biden a chance to win the state, which is essential for Trump to win back the White House.
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5:00 p.m. Biden steams toward nomination, piling up delegates
President Biden has had some tough travails in recent months with up-and-down polling, an Israel-Hamas war, and House Republicans’ refusal to provide funding to Ukraine as it attempts to hold off Russia’s invasion. But one thing the incumbent president hasn’t had that some other presidents did: A difficult primary challenge from his own party.
With only token opposition from New Age author Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minnesota, Biden continued cruising toward the Democratic nomination Tuesday night. So far, he has won primaries in North Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, Tennessee, and the Iowa caucus, whose results were also released.
At this point, Biden has 411 pledged delegates, and needs 1,968 to win. His opponent, Donald Trump, has 348 delegates, to Nikki Haley’s 43, with 1,215 needed to win the Republican nomination.
The earliest each can lock up the nomination is March 12 for Trump and March 19 for Biden. In other words, barring catastrophic scandal or major health problems, the November presidential race will be a rematch of 2020: Biden vs. Trump.
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Trump wins Virginia in major setback for Haley
4:30 p.m.: Former President Donald Trump has won the Republican primary in Virginia, according to the Associated Press. Trump’s main challenger for the Republican presidential nomination, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, was hoping for a win today in Vermont, Virginia, and Colorado to keep her candidacy viable.
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There’s still time to vote!
4:00 p.m.: So you left it to the last minute but still want to vote? Fear not. Polls are open in California until 8 p.m. tonight, and you can still vote several ways:
1) Take your ballot to a post office and get it postmarked by today, March 5. All ballots postmarked by Election Day must be counted under California law, as long as they are received by election officials no later than seven days after Election Day.
2) To vote in person, even if you aren’t registered yet, find your polling place at the Secretary of State’s website by entering your address. As long as you are in line by 7:59 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.
3) Have a ballot and want to drop it off at a county drop-off box? Here’s a list of where those are. They must be dropped off by 8:00 p.m. tonight.
You may also check your voter registration status online at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
