Election Results Surprise Many Across the Country and in California

The country is abuzz over the Virginia Governor’s race with Republican Glenn Youngkin defeating Democrat and former VA Governor Terry McAuliffe. It appears the parent revolution resonated.

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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is not out of the woods yet as of this writing, as the race is still too close to call, with Democrat Gov. Murphy and Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli neck-and-neck, as the New Jersey Globe reports.

Notably, it appears New Jersey voters flipped eight Assembly Democrat seats to Republican, “reducing the Democratic majority to 44-36,” the NJ Globe reported.

Even in deep blue California, which recently failed to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, Tuesday’s election shows that change is possible.

In Santa Barbara, a very deep blue town, Independent Randy Rowse, looks to have won Tuesday’s mayoral election. Rowse, a business owner, previously served 9 years on the Santa Barbara City Council. According to a Santa Barbara business owner, Rowse has always been politically unaffiliated but economically conservative. 

“Now after four years of excruciatingly bad leadership from a 7-0 progressive mayor and council the City looks like it is ready for some non-ideological leadership,” the business owner said. “This will actually be a big deal.”

Rowse owned and operated the Paradise Cafe in downtown Santa Barbara for 37 years, according to his campaign website. “You will have a 68 year old white male business guy beating the Dem machine that runs Santa Barbara… in deep blue coastal California.”

Rowse’s campaign addressed quality of life issues, which resonated across the ideological spectrum. “The disgusting condition of downtown, the vagrancy and drug use.  They’re ready for a change,” the business owner said.

Rowse specified: “Our reemergence from the pandemic shutdown, attention to our public areas and careful stewardship of the myriad of capital projects in the pipeline are demanding priorities that must be expedited and helmed to completion.”

“All of us who live in Santa Barbara know it’s imperative that we return to a clean, safe, healthy environment and vital economy,” Rowse said.

The Santa Barbara Mayoral race was “a Blue-on-Blue intramural war,” the business owner said. “For the first time the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee has allowed 3 plausible Dems to get on the ballot:” incumbent Cathy Murillo, Deborah Schwartz, the daughter of a former SB County Supervisor, and James Joyce, the ex chief of staff for Hannah Beth Jackson. 

He predicted: “Randy should win with about 35% to 40% of the vote.” It appears he was right.

Reform California highlighted another election upset over quality of life and pocketbook issues: “In a Special Election to fill a vacancy on the City Council in the heavily Democratic City of La Mesa, Republican Laura Lothian has scored a solid win tonight.”

“Reform California has been warning San Diego politicians that backing the controversial Mileage Tax proposal will backfire on them politically – and now an upset win in a Special Election in La Mesa provides proof of that.”

“Laura Lothian made her opposition to the costly Mileage Tax the centerpiece of her entire campaign and the voters took note and handed her a huge victory,” said Carl DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California.

“In 4 months, Dems have lost Carlsbad AND La Mesa over this issue,” DeMaio said in a KUSI News article. “Which city shall we target next?”