Dems Take Critical Loss in Calif. Primary ... Senate Supermajority Gone
For months, Democrats and the media have been predicting that a “blue wave” would sweep the nation and propel liberals to key lawmaking positions.
But that wave looks more and more like only a weak drip.
Democrats in California were dealt a tough blow to their political ambitions Tuesday, as their “supermajority” in the state Senate was removed.
A supermajority is an advantage that exists when one party controls two-thirds of the chamber. This would have allowed Democrats to push liberal policies like tax increases mostly unimpeded, but a string of political misfortunes have kept it out of their grasp.
Democrats temporarily lost their supermajority in February when a lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct resigned.
“They likely would have gotten it back in a special election in August. But then they lost another seat on Tuesday,” reported Fox News.
That’s when California’s primary was held, and it ended with the recall of Democratic Sen. Josh Newman of Orange County.
Voters were upset about his recent vote for higher gas taxes, and made their displeasure known. Republican candidate Ling Ling Chang was elected in his place, dashing the left’s hopes of keeping its supermajority.
There are other signs that the predicted “blue wave” of Democrat successes in 2018 may be vastly overblown.
One of President Donald Trump’s favored candidates did rather well Tuesday, throwing cold water on liberal hopes that voters are fleeing from him and his policies.
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, will face Republican businessman John Cox, who surged late in the campaign with the support of Trump to finish second in Tuesday’s primary.
“Cox’s strong finish over former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democratic institution in Southern California, was something of a win for President Trump, who enthusiastically backed Cox over another Republican contender,” Fox News reported.
Under California’s “jungle” primary system, the top two finishers in the primary advance to the general election, no matter which party they represent.
“The result is disappointing for Democratic former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was widely considered the most viable potential challenger to Newsom in November’s general election in the extremely liberal state,” Fox reported.
The president used perhaps his most successful marketing tool — Twitter — to endorse Cox shortly before the primary.
“California has a rare opportunity to turn things around and solve its high crime, high tax, problems — along with so many others,” Trump posted May 28. “On June 5th., vote for GOP Gubernatorial Candidate JOHN COX, a really good and highly competent man. He’ll Make California Great Again!”
It looks like the predictions of 2018 being a banner year for Democrats aren’t proving truet. Of course, the important test will be in November, but so far it looks like the “blue wave” won’t be making much of a splash.
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