Live Election Day updates: Democrats on track to sweep all statewide offices

Thank you for spending Election Day with us. We had a great time deciphering ballot propositions and learning about what Californians want from this election.

We have much more to do and we hope you’ll come back to CalMatters throughout the week. We’ll be covering undecided races, asking suddenly empowered Democrats what they’ll do in the new Congress, looking into what’s next for Gov.-elect Becerra and digging into what the results on the propositions mean for our future.

— Adam Ashton

California can now borrow up to $11.25 billion for a new housing bond after the state passed Prop. 1 with nearly 60% of voters supporting it. The Associated Press called the outcome of the ballot measure just before 11:00 p.m.

Prop. 1 is a massive amount of money — in 2024, voters passed another bond, also called Prop. 1, which put about $6.4 billion toward mental health, including about $2 billion toward housing for certain high-need populations.

Most of the money is earmarked to buy, build or renovate apartment buildings and help renters, including those who are formerly homeless. Some money will also be set aside for housing projects that help veterans and college students.

CalMatters' Ben Christopher has more.

— Adam Echelman

Democrats now have won 220 seats in the House, according to The Associated Press, and are projected to take dozens more. A majority requires 218 seats. With tonight's shocking Senate wins in GOP strongholds, Dems will now control Congress. They're already promising investigations into President Trump's administration, led by Long Beach Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat.
— Mikhail Zinshteyn

Rep. Kevin Kiley, an incumbent who left the Republican Party to become an independent, has conceded to former state Sen. Richard Pan, a Democrat. Kiley’s seat was one of five districts redrawn to favor Democrats after California voters passed Prop. 50 last year. He then decided to run in another district race. The Associated Press has yet to call the race, but Pan is up by 20 percentage points. So far one Democrat has picked up a new seat among those redistricted under Prop. 50. Read CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller on this and the other congressional races to watch in California.
— Mikhail Zinshteyn

Democratic Party leaders are breathing a sigh of relief after California voters overwhelmingly rebuffed Proposition 39, a measure that would have required voters to show their ID to vote. Governor-elect Xavier Becerra, Sen. Alex Padilla and other Democratic heavyweights characterized the GOP-endorsed measure as a “threat to democracy.”

About 60% of voters rejected the measure, which The Associated Press had declared as failed. In campaign events, Republican officials and other supporters called the measure a common-sense initiative with precedence in at least 36 other states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

–Nadia Lathan

The Associated Press has called 27 House races in California — 26 for Democrats and one for Republicans while 25 other races have yet to be called. Among the winners is state Sen. Mike McGuire, who defeated GOP incumbent Rep. James Gallagher in a race for one of the five redrawn seats to favor Democrats after California voters passed Proposition 50 last year.

— Mikhail Zinshteyn

The measure, which would have restricted how healthcare clinics spend their money, lost, with more than 80% of voters opposed, according to the Associated Press. The labor union Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West put it on the measure ballot after it failed to pass the Legislature last year. Earlier this year, clinics sued the union, trying to stop it from appearing on the ballot.

The union also backed Prop. 40, otherwise known as the billionaire tax. That measure is also losing so far, according to early voting results.

Our Ana Ibarra has more on the healthcare union's loss.

— Adam Echelman

As Democratic upsets swept across the nation, Republican headwinds trickled down the ballot where GOP candidates in toss-up legislative races struggled to fend off their Democratic challengers in early returns Tuesday night.

In the Sacramento area, school superintendent Amy Slavensky, a Democrat, was leading with 53% of the vote against Republican incumbent Josh Hoover an hour after polls closed.

Meanwhile, down south in Fresno, county supervisor Brian Pacheco had 63% of the vote in his race against former Merced mayor Mike Murphy, a seat Republicans are hoping to flip after it was vacated by a Democrat.

A similar dynamic played out in early results in a state Senate race in San Diego, where GOP-backed candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane trailed closely behind Democrat Mara Elliott, a former San Diego city attorney, who had 52% of the vote.

– – Nadia Lathan

Voters are saying no to Prop. 40, the contentious billionaire tax, as early results pour in. Just over 56% of voters oppose the new tax, as of 9:10 p.m.

Prop. 41 and 42, which are effectively proxy measures to prevent the billionaire tax, are a mixed bag, with voters poised to reject Prop. 41 and approve Prop. 42. These measures matter much less if Prop. 40 fails.

Results could still change. Less than 50% of votes have been counted so far.

— Adam Echelman

Democrats have won every statewide election in California since 2010, and the trend appears to be holding.

As of 9 p.m., Democratic candidates won contests for attorney general, lieutenant governor, treasurer, secretary of state and controller. Two Democrats — Ben Allen and Jane Kim — are facing off for insurance commissioner.

That leaves Republicans with a chance only in the race for superintendent. Democratic candidate Richard Barrera is in the lead.

Our Jocelyn Wiener has more on the statewide races in this story.

— Adam Ashton

Democrats have flipped seats in at least six states this evening, securing their control of the U.S. Senate, according to The Associated Press. So far they’ve flipped Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. Contested races in Alaska and Michigan have yet to be called. Forecasts predict that Dems take control of the House, as well, though it’s too early to proclaim that. California’s status as a leader of the Trump resistance will be buoyed by Dem control of Congress.
— Mikhail Zinshteyn

In a strong sign for Democrats, early returns Tuesday night showed opposition to a GOP-backed voter ID initiative was leading with 59% of the vote compared to proponents with 41%, with 36% of the vote counted.
–Nadia Lathan

Democrat Adam Hamilton, a first-time candidate and pastor, defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, a doctor. The Associated Press called the race. This is the first time Kansas is sending a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932. A New York Times investigation found that he sued more than 700 former patients for failure to pay.
— Mikhail Zinshteyn

Former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is returning to Congress's upper chamber after defeating Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, the incumbent, according to The Associated Press. Brown lost his seat to current Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024.
— Mikhail Zinshteyn

California Democrat tells Republicans to ‘Lawyer up’

Long Beach U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, who leads Democrats on the powerful House Oversight Committee, warned of incoming litigation against the Trump administration in a social media post as early returns showed Democrats likely to control the chamber.

The congressmember has vowed to launch investigations into President Donald Trump and his family if Democrats take back the House.
-–Nadia Lathan

The Associated Press declared Xavier Becerra the winner in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom shortly after polls closed.
He will be the first Latino to serve as governor in a century and a half, and the first to be elected to the seat.
Read more on what his election means for California in our story by CalMatters' Jeanne Kuang.
— Adam Ashton

Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to the Associated Press. That's the third U.S. Senate seat Democrats have flipped tonight. Talarico was leading in most polls for weeks. Texans last elected a Democrat for the Senate in 1988. Paxton GOP peers impeached him in the Texas House of Representatives for abuse of powers. The state Senate acquitted him.
— Mikhail Zinshteyn

Democrat and pediatrician Annie Andrews has flipped another U.S. Senate seat for Democrats, defeating Sen. Darline Graham. The Associated Press has called the race. Not since 2005 has a Democrat represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. After the Palmetto State stalwart Sen. Lindsey Graham unexpectedly died in July, his sister Graham was appointed as his replacement and ran to defend the party's, and family's, seat. But Democrats were unremitting in arguing that she lacked policy chops.

– Mikhail Zinshteyn

Editor’s Note: Our journalists are working through today and tonight to bring you the latest on the election. Plus, our voter guide informs millions of California voters. Thank our team with a gift to our 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom today. Please give.

California’s polling places all close at 8 p.m. today, but anyone who got in line to vote before 8 p.m., including those in line to drop off mail-in ballots, are allowed to do so after closing time. Poll workers are required to announce that the polls are closed, and if there is a line, poll workers are instructed to go to the back of the line at 8 p.m. to signify where the last votes will be counted.

In rare cases, polling hours can be extended past 8 p.m. The last time it happened in California was 2008, when some counties ran out of ballots. During the Democratic presidential primary in March 2020, Bernie Sanders asked a federal court in Los Angeles to extend polling times to 10 p.m. after voters faced long lines. The judge denied the request because it was filed too late in the day.

— Adam Echelman