Democratic governor Gavin Newsom has won re-election with a comfortable lead over republican state senator Brian Dahle.
The Associated Press called the race shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
As of Nov. 9, Newsom garnered 57.6 percent of the vote with more than 3 million votes, according to the California Secretary of State.
Dahle is a state senator and has been representing California’s 1st congressional district since 2019.
District 1 represents portions of Sacramento, El Dorado, and Shasta counties, among others.
Newsom was elected in 2018, but faced a special recall vote in the fall of 2021.
California voters overwhelmingly rejected the recall vote, however, with 61.9 percent of voters voting against recalling Newsom, according to CalMatters.
California has not had a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger held the position from 2003 to 2011.
On Oct. 22, Newsom and Dahle participated in a debate hosted by KQED Public Television’s Scott Schafer and Marisa Lagos in San Francisco.
This was the first and only debate the two contenders for governor participated in before voting ended on Nov. 8.
The two contenders for governor sparred over rising inflation, gas prices and homelessness, among other hot-button issues.
“This governor is really smooth at talking but at the end of the day he delivers zero,” said Dahle during a particularly tense moment.
During the debate, Newsom repeatedly stated that Dahle and his conservative opinions on issues like abortion were “extreme.”
This debate was notably the only time the two candidates faced off during the entire election cycle.
Newsom instead spent most of his campaign season stumping for other Democrats on the ballot.
Newsom also spent millions of his own re-election funds to promote the passage of Proposition 1, which codifies the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution.
In September, a handful of billboards in red states like Texas and Florida popped up promoting California as a sanctuary state for women in those states seeking abortions. Newsom bankrolled these billboards with funds from his re-election campaign.
According to Ballotpedia, California has had a democratic supermajority in the state assembly, senate, and governor’s office since 2011.
Though California is deeply blue, San Joaquin County voters slightly favored Dahle in the governor’s race, with the County Registrar’s Office reporting Dahle leading over Newsom with a little over 1,000 votes.
The County Registrar has until Dec. 8 to certify the results of the election, according to their website.
Speaking at an election watch party in Sacramento for Proposition 1 on election night, Newsom thanked Californians for re-electing him. Newsom said he was “deeply humbled” to hold office for another term.
He also stressed his commitment to a progressive agenda during his second term, and reiterated his support for Proposition 1.
“We affirmed, truly, with conviction, that we are a true freedom state,” said.
As of Nov. 9, Prop. 1 has passed with 65 percent of votes counted affirming the proposition.
