California Voters, Newsom React to Trump’s Win

Trucks painted in support of President-elect Donald Trump as seen on a farm in Northern California on Nov. 6, 2024. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times

The 2024 election elicited mixed responses from California voters, with some people elated at the victory of President-elect Donald Trump and the passage of a measure to increase penalties for some crimes, while others said the results were less than thrilling.

With the passage of Proposition 36—ultimately approved by a wide margin of voters to strengthen penalties for repeat offenders of some drug and theft crimes—and the defeat of proposals that could have raised taxes, one voter said the electorate’s priorities are clear.

“We sent a message to Sacramento that we don’t want a high crime, high tax state,” longtime Central Valley resident Will Smith told The Epoch Times after poll results started coming in late on Nov. 5. “People are fed up with the way the state’s been run.”

He said the state’s Democrat supermajority could be in jeopardy in future years if the state Legislature doesn’t heed the will of voters.

“It’s one step and one seat at a time, but we can get back to a balanced government,” Smith said.

A second-time voter expressed disappointment with the outcome—lamenting the loss of Vice President Kamala Harris to Trump—and said the nation and the state could be impacted by voters’ choices.

“This election was about women’s rights and freedom,” college student Monica Gomez said on Nov. 6. “It’s sad to think that millions of people voted against those ideas.”

Mixed emotions were also evident in a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom where he highlighted Harris’s principles and cautioned the incoming president that California’s legal system stands ready to tackle any perceived obstacles from the federal government.

“Though this is not the outcome we wanted, our fight for freedom and opportunity endures,” Newsom said in a statement. “California will seek to work with the incoming president—but let there be no mistake, we intend to stand with states across our nation to defend our Constitution and uphold the rule of law.”

He expressed an obligation to protect democratic ideals and maintain an independent relationship between state and federal governments.

“Federalism is the cornerstone of our democracy,” Newsom said. “It’s the United States of America.”

At the Polls

At the polls, opinions varied across the board, with common themes of affordability and quality of life mentioned by those casting their ballots.

One voter who moved to California from New York this year —Brandon Mach, 36, of Santa Rosa—said the local measures and state propositions—including those related to affordable housing—were some of the most important ballot items.

He said the public safety measure, Prop. 36 was a step too far.

“I think people charged with crimes, the hammer is put down on them too hard, and they’re not just terrible people who should be thrown away,” Mach said.

His vote for Harris was a direct rejection of her opponent, he said.

Brandon Mach, 36, of Santa Rosa, Calif., said local measures, state propositions, and the presidential race were the most important items on the ballot. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times

“To be blunt, I’d rather see Trump just go away,” Mach said.

Some voters said they wished more options—and individuals with different qualifications—were available on the presidential ballot.

“You would think that in the United States, we would have more competent candidates,” Juanita Davis, founder of a support services nonprofit in Merced, told The Epoch Times while waiting in line to vote. “If we’re supposed to be the economic superpower, you would think we would have better politicians that would be much more mature handling the nation.”

Another first-time voter in California, having moved from Ohio about six months ago, she encountered challenges after using the county registrar’s website to find a polling location and was directed to the Merced Mall.

After driving to the mall, a retail employee told her the county stopped using the location for voting years before.

“I’ve been to three locations now trying to vote,” Davis said.

Once finding the American Legion location, she encountered a line with more than 100 individuals that stretched through the building, out into the courtyard, and around the sidewalk.

According to multiple voters who made it through the process, the wait reached as high as two hours for those who wanted to fill out a ballot in person.

Some California voters waited for up to two hours to cast their ballot at a Merced polling location in the state's Central Valley. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times

A poll worker told The Epoch Times that part of the delay was due to voting machines going in and out of service due to technical difficulties.

Those who arrived with the ballot received in the mail could drop off the completed form without waiting in line.

Also stuck in the lengthy queue, Eric Check, 46, an agricultural equipment operator in Merced, told The Epoch Times that the economy was the issue that drove him to vote for Trump this year after skipping the 2020 election.

“The inflation is unbelievable,” he said. “The price of everything has gone up.”

California voter Eric Check said the economy and border security were the most important issues in the 2024 election. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times

Cutting governmental spending and recalibrating priorities would benefit the nation, he suggested.

“There’s too much giving money away for free instead of focusing on things that matter,” Check said.

He also said Trump will be better equipped to manage the border and deal with adversarial governments—like the Chinese Communist Party.

“We need defense,” Check said. “We need protection.”