Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón will not receive another term after voters came out in strong support of his challenger, Nathan Hochman.
The incumbent had been trailing through most of the campaign season, despite picking up key endorsements from the Los Angeles Times and the L.A. County Democratic Party.
Elected in 2020 riding a wave of shifting settlement regarding law enforcement violence and the disparity between the way certain offenders were prosecuted and sentenced, Gascón’s apparent lone term as District Attorney will be among the most controversial, if not inconsequential, in recent memory.
Gascón bled support after taking office in large part due to his support of zero-bail policies, requiring all juveniles be tried in juvenile court and more lenient sentencing for non-violent crimes.
He survived two recall efforts, but his bid for another term has fallen short.
On Tuesday, voters decided not to give Gascón’s progressive policies a longer runway to see if he could bring about the systemic changes he’d vowed to bring to L.A. County.
will be Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who ran on a platform of “restoring safety and justice” to the County.
Hochman’s biggest backers were conservatives, law enforcement unions and advocacy groups who clashed with Gascón from the offset, as well as moderates who soured on the changes brought about since 2020.
Hochman has described himself as a proponent of justice reform, but has voiced support in reversing many of the policies put in place by Gascón.
Hochman will have four years to attempt to rebuild the D.A.’s Office in his image and restore the faith in the criminal justice system that largely evaporated for his predecessor after his once-lauded election a half-decade prior.
Voters overwhelmingly supported Nathan Hochman, the challenger to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, and Gascón will not be re-elected.
Despite receiving important endorsements from the Los Angeles Times and the L, the incumbent had been doing poorly for the majority of the campaign season. 1. Democratic Party of the County.
Gascón’s ostensibly one-term tenure as District Attorney will rank among the most contentious, if not insignificant, in recent memory. He was elected in 2020 on a wave of shifting settlement regarding law enforcement violence and the discrepancy between the how some offenders were prosecuted and sentenced.
After assuming office, Gascón lost support largely because he advocated for zero-bail laws, mandatory juvenile court trials for all minors, and more lenient sentencing guidelines for non-violent offenses.
Many of his own deputy district attorneys, conservative commentators, and law enforcement officials frequently attacked him, blaming his policies for a spike in violent burglaries, thefts, and other minor offenses that his office may not have prosecuted as vigorously as his predecessor.
Despite surviving two recall attempts, his attempt to win another term was unsuccessful.
Voters chose not to extend the time for Gascón’s progressive policies to see if they could implement the structural reforms he had promised to implement in L. on Tuesday. A. County. .
The new D.A instead. will be Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who ran on a platform of “restoring safety and justice” to the County. Conservatives, law enforcement unions, and advocacy groups opposed Gascón from the beginning, while moderates who disapproved of the changes implemented since 2020 were Hochman’s strongest supporters.
Hochman has identified himself as a supporter of justice reform, but he has also expressed support for undoing many of Gascón’s policies.
Hochman’s attempt to rebuild the D.A will be given four years. his office in his honor and restore the trust in the criminal justice system that had mostly vanished for his predecessor following his widely acclaimed election half a decade earlier.
