Challenger Nathan Hochman is poised to dominate the race for Los Angeles County District Attorney, holding a substantial 30-point lead over incumbent George Gascón with less than four weeks until Election Day.
According to a recent poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times and UC Berkeley, 51% of likely voters favor Hochman, while just 21% are backing Gascón. Although 28% of voters remain undecided, that number seems unlikely to bridge the wide gap between the two candidates, leaving Gascón in a perilous position.
Gascón, who ousted Jackie Lacey in 2020 with significant support from Democrats such as Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Black Lives Matter movement, and financial backing from billionaire George Soros, quickly implemented a sweeping criminal justice reform agenda.
His reforms included the elimination of cash bail, the refusal to seek the death penalty in all cases, and a moratorium on sentence enhancements for violent offenders. While these moves were praised by progressives, they sparked significant backlash, particularly from law enforcement and the public amid a spike in crime throughout Los Angeles County. Under Gascón’s leadership, the county experienced a surge in both violent and property crimes, with several high-profile incidents, including crimes against celebrities, further inflaming public sentiment.
Gascón’s approach to criminal justice reform faced legal challenges, with prosecutors in his own office suing him for allegedly forcing them to violate California sentencing laws. He was also accused of antisemitism by one deputy district attorney, adding further controversy to his tenure. Although two recall efforts against Gascón ultimately failed — one of which was derailed after county officials disqualified enough signatures to block the effort — voter dissatisfaction has persisted, and it now appears that Gascón may be running out of time to save his position.
Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and Republican nominee for California Attorney General in 2022, has positioned himself as a moderate alternative, gaining traction across party lines. Although he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president and supported the prosecution of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan, his campaign has largely centered on public safety and restoring order in the district attorney’s office. Many voters appear willing to overlook Hochman’s stance on national political issues due to their dissatisfaction with Gascón’s policies, particularly in light of the rising crime rate in the county.
For voters, the key issues driving support for Hochman include his promise to be more effective in prosecuting violent crimes, his focus on reducing chaos in the district attorney’s office, and his commitment to working more closely with law enforcement. Many see his approach as a needed shift from Gascón’s reform-driven policies, which some believe have contributed to a perception of lawlessness in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Gascón’s supporters highlight his efforts to increase police accountability and his progressive agenda of criminal justice reform, though these messages appear to be resonating less as concerns about public safety dominate the election.
Public perception of crime is proving to be a critical factor in the race. The poll showed that 94% of likely voters consider crime and public safety to be pressing issues, with many believing that Gascón has not done enough to address these concerns. While Gascón points to data showing some improvements in violent crime rates, particularly in the city of Los Angeles, his messaging has struggled to gain traction with voters who are more influenced by high-profile incidents of crime and a broader sense of unease. Hochman has effectively capitalized on this sentiment, using incidents like the break-in at the mayor’s mansion to emphasize his argument that Gascón’s policies have allowed crime to spiral out of control.
If Gascón loses, it could represent a significant blow to the broader criminal justice reform movement, particularly to the policies championed by Soros-backed prosecutors across the country. Hochman’s potential victory may send a national signal that voters are turning against reform measures perceived as too lenient on crime. As Dan Schnur, a political communications expert at USC, noted, the overwhelming support for Proposition 36 — a ballot measure that seeks to impose stricter penalties for retail theft and other crimes — indicates that the political climate in Los Angeles County may no longer favor progressive reforms like those Gascón has championed.
Thank God. We need Gascon OUT!
THANK GOD, YESSSSSS!
District Attorney George Gascón 👑 honorably made good on his election promises. Elected as the COVID-19 Pandemic started & the George Floyd uprising, the ex–police chief & former DA of San Francisco offered a new direction for LA’s criminal legal system. His reforms reduced irrational & draconian prison sentences, kept children out of adult prisons, increased mental health treatment, addiction rehabilitation, & diversion programs proven to prevent recidivism❗
“the ex–police chief & former DA of San Francisco” (This is how the FAR LEFT Anarchists work. The poster left out the FACT that this nightmare of an ANARCHIST GASCONE was RAN out, VOTED out of the most liberal city in the nation…SAN FRANCISCO!!!!!
First off Leftists are NOT Anarchists, this can be seen that Leftists are NOT pushing Anarchism as a solution to much of anything. The problems in San Francisco started shortly after tough-on-crime posturing & reactionary drug war politics of DA Brooke Jenkins🤮 policies were passed, then violent crime rose in San Francisco even as it fell across the state, and overdose deaths soared.
Up to it again, uh. My post stated “FAR LEFT” which you clearly are.
Put down the bong, sir.
Just because I support decriminalization, does NOT mean that I partake in it ❗
Oh, we’ve read your post over the years, your code word of “decriminalization” is like “progressive=communists-anarchists.” We’ve SEEN and HEARD enough over the last violent, open borders 4 years.
Prep for the pendulum, dearie.
It’s obvious to all…..that you do.
Please G-d may he win. Gascon is deranged just like he’s supporters on CC, anti semite Byers and Major John.
And as Harris said in 2020:
“As D.A. of L.A. County, I know George Gascón will work every day to keep our communities safe.”
LAPD has to remain on a very tight leash of accountability to the people, or they will be like just any other street gang running roughshod. The long history of bigoted discrimination in their ranks going back decades means that they have earned being kept on a very short leash and major accountability to the public. but they also need public support to do their jobs properly and ethically. There is a way to increase public safety while also demanding accountability from law enforcement, both LAPD and the sheriffs department. There needs to be more common sense. Come down hard… Read more »
That is totally true; law enforcement accountability and safe communities should not be mutually exclusive goals. Thanks for reminding people.
George Gascon, John Erickson, and Danny Hang are all cut from the same ‘progressive’ cloth, and their failed policies have wreaked havoc on Los Angeles and West Hollywood. It’s time to hold them accountable and either vote them out or deny them any future in office.
It’s called FLUNKIES of GEORGE SOROS money.
One of the tricks “progressives” use is to change the definition of words, and to feign outrage when someone states the obvious, usually having to do with racial issues. For example, what has been going on in the past few years that I call the decimation of our culture is what they call ….. progress!
“Progressive” is code for MARXIST / Anarchist.
Thank God. We need sanity back in the DA’s office.
A whole lot of West Hollywood interlopers are going to be mightily pissed when Gascon loses.
I won’t be voting for Gascon. He has allowed too many criminals back on the street and all they do is commit more crimes.
Well our favorite Mayor, John Erickson, was a huge supporter of Gascon four years ago and still is today. However well meaning, Gascon has truly put his personal notions about criminal justice before the safety of the residents of Los Angeles County. When your ideas don’t work, you have to have the courage and humility to correct course.
Steve! I know you’re being sarcastic when you say that John Erickson is “our favorite mayor” because he sure ain’t mine!
San Francisco replaced a great reformist DA Chesa Boudin 👑 with the tough-on-crime posturing & reactionary drug war politics of DA Brooke Jenkins 🤮 ; violent crime rose in San Francisco even as it fell across the state, and overdose deaths soared. If we make the same mistake by electing Nathan Hochman🐷, we can expect to see our safety & Civil Rights once again completely undermined❗
Fell because they all became junkies to escape the dystopian nightmare people like you have turned it into.
Factor in a whole lot of criminal illegal immigrants from Venezuela and other parts of the world who weren’t in SF when Boudin was DA that Jenkins now has to deal with.
It ain’t just SF….they are on the prowl in WH too!