Who won, who lost? + Becerra’s 76th lawsuit + Women on boards

Good morning, readers! Have fun last night? We sure did.

In case you snoozed through the evening, here’s what you need to know.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

First — Bernie won, but don’t hold your breath. It’s going to take a few weeks to count and validate every ballot, including those cast by mail. Buckle up, we’re in it for the long haul.

Next —Tough night for Prop. 13, huh? The $15 billion school bond initiative was trailing with about 57 percent of the vote counted as of 11:05 on Tuesday night. That, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $10 million fundraising to pass the proposal.

In case you missed it — California will definitely get at least four new members of Congress due to retirements and resignations. Other ones to watch are those that flipped from red to blue in 2018. More on that below.

Then — Money talks. Independent expenditures spent more than $19 million to get the candidates they wanted into the Legislature, according to California Target Book. It was largely a showdown between big business groups — oil, real estate, you know the type — and labor interests, i.e. SEIU, teachers and health care workers, the usual.

Ok, let’s actually get into it now.

IN THE SENATE

• A Central Valley showdown (SD 5) — Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, had a full roster of opponents in the primary, including a well-funded rival from within her party in Modesto City Councilman Mani Grewal. GOP candidate Jim Ridenour, a former Modesto mayor, and Eggman were the top two candidates around 11:15 p.m.
• East Bay Battleground (SD 7) — Incumbent Democrat Steve Glazer, backed by committees that support moderates, headed into Tuesday night with a financial leg up over labor-favored Marisol Rubio. Glazer appeared to have an early robust lead over both Rubio and GOP candidate Julie Mobley and ended Tuesday with nearly half the vote.

IN THE ASSEMBLY

They’re all interesting, but check this out:

GOP candidate Jessica Martinez was well ahead of two name-recognition Democrats in early returns. The contest saw millions of dollars in spending on behalf of Lisa Calderon, supported by labor groups, who is running to fill the seat of her stepson Ian Calderon, and on behalf of Sylvia Rubio, who has two sisters in the Legislature. Money from oil groups also funneled into Rubio’s campaign. As of 11:20 p.m., Calderon had 17 percent and Rubio had 15 percent. Martinez, meanwhile, was well ahead with 37 percent of the vote.

• North State Race (AD 1) — Assemblywoman Megan Dahle, a Republican from Bieber, just won her special election in 2019 to fill her husband’s old seat after he was elected to the state Senate. She had more than half the vote after 11 p.m., while Democrat Elizabeth Betancourt trailed in second place.
• Purple District Drama (AD 36) — Democrats Johnathon Ervin and former Assemblyman Steve Fox are running against incumbent Republican Assemblyman Tom Lackey, who seemed to be in safe territory with close to 60 percent of the vote around 11:20 p.m. Fox, with 15 percent of the vote, had the lead among Lackey’s challengers.

• Former Republican leader defends his seat as an independent (AD 42) — Assemblyman Chad Mayes left the Republican party late last year to run as a No Party Preference candidate. Republican Andrew Kotyuk is challenging the incumbent. Mayes had 37 percent of the vote and Kotyuk had 34 percent around 11 p.m.

• A Republican battle (AD 72) — Republican Assemblyman Tyler Diep of Westminster lost some party support when he voted last year for Assembly Bill 5, a major labor law gives employment benefits to more workers. Former Republican state Sen. Janet Nguyen is running to replace him. Both seemed likely to head to the November election with an 11 p.m. vote update.

ON THE WAY TO 100

Attorney General Xavier Becerra also filed his 76th lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration yesterday. The coalition of 19 states is suing to block the White House’s plan to divert $3.8 billion in Department of Defense funds to build a border wall. Trump campaigned on the promise to build the barrier as part of his larger plan to stymie illegal immigration.

“Ignoring the Rule of Law comes easy to President Trump, even after our courts have slapped him down. This year’s victim of his taxpayer money grab is the National Guard, which would lose critical funds to secure essential equipment for our troops,” Becerra said in a statement. “Congress has repeatedly and explicitly rejected taxpayer funding for a wasteful Trump wall along the border. We’re going to court – once again – to remind Donald Trump that even the President is not above the law.”

WOMEN ON BOARDS

Amid the election chaos, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced an updated report that shows 282 public companies are now in compliance with a law that requires at least one female director to be on their boards. That’s an increase of more than 100 since July 2019, when the state reported only 173 corporations were abiding by the regulation.

“This is great news for women, for the companies that benefit from their particular insights, their employees, consumers, and the economy at large,” said state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, who wrote the law. “Those out of compliance with SB 826 need to ask themselves why they continue to shut women out of the boardroom despite overwhelming evidence that companies with women on their boards perform better and are more profitable than those without.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I felt like we were in a moment where I was hoping we could find some unity. I think my voice is better served in that space than asserting myself on an endorsement that at the end of the day may not amount to much.”

- Gov. Gavin Newsom, explaining why he wasn’t endorsing a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary.

Best of the Bee:

• California Democrats flipped seven Republican-held congressional districts, and there will be more change in the state’s delegation at the start of next year. Four of California’s 53 congressional districts are open because of members’ retirements or resignations, by Adam Ashton and Hannah Wiley

• Gov. Newsom declined to say who he was voting for, but said that the Democratic Party “will come around I think in remarkable ways” ahead of the convention, via Sophia Bollag.

• Sacramento Mayor and former Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg was easily elected to a second term Tuesday, by Theresa Clift