BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
The 2008 election marks the first time in history that an African-American was elected as president of the United States of America. Few people were surprised by Barack Obama’s victory, and all across America, the pollsters’ predictions on state and local elections and ballot measures were mostly accurate.
Those predictions also held true in the elections pertaining to the Long Beach/Signal Hill area. With about 95 percent of the votes counted by press time Wednesday, local election results were as follows:
Incumbent 37th District U.S. Congresswoman Laura Richardson (Democrat) won by a landslide. She received 107,565 votes or about 75 percent compared to her opponent Nicholas Dibs’ (no party affiliation) 34,842 votes or about 24 percent. The remaining roughly one percent of the vote was divided among the three write-in candidates: Democrats Peter Mathews and Lee Davis and Republican June Pouesi.
“We ran a good Congressional campaign to bring attention to important issues and concerns,” Dibs said. “I am grateful and would like to thank my friends and supporters, and renew my pledge to continue to help people and the community.”
Pouesi, an unabashed Christian, said she was not saddened by her defeat, but concerned for the future of America. “This election is a reflection of our society. So many people are looking to other people for help instead of looking to God,” she said. “People are groping for answers to the many problems our society is facing, but they are not turning to the Lord, who is the only one who can solve them.”
Incumbent 27th District State Senator Alan Lowenthal (Democrat) handily won reelection with 141,820 votes or 67.2 percent compared to Republican challenger Allen Wood’s 69,484 votes or 32.8 percent.
“I am honored to be reelected by the voters of the 27th District,” Lowenthal said. “Our state is facing very serious economic, environmental and congestion issues. The voters want solutions, and I plan to continue working hard to make those solutions happen.”
Democrat Bonnie Lowenthal won the race for the 54th State Assembly District seat by a wide margin with 77,587 votes or 57.1 percent. Her Republican challenger Gabriella Holt secured 50,365 votes or 37.1 percent. The Libertarian candidate for that office, John Kling, received 7,954 votes or 5.8 percent.
“It was, of course, a disappointment to lose, but it was very gratifying to talk about the issues and stark realities facing our state,” Holt said. “I wish Bonnie Lowenthal much luck and hope she steps up to the plate.”
Incumbent 55th District State Assemblyman Warren Furutani (Democrat) also scored a dramatic victory with 141,820 votes or 67.2 percent compared to his Republican challenger Edwin Williams’ 69,484 votes or 28.4 percent.
“I want to thank the people of the 55th District for their overwhelming support in electing me as their Assembly member,” Furutani said. “I pledge to work on their behalf to improve the quality of life in their communities.”
As of press time, no other candidates had returned phone calls and/or email messages left by the Signal Tribune.
Voter turnout in Los Angeles County was larger than it has been in many years. According to a statement on the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/Clerk’s web page, approximately 2 million voters visited 4,394 polling places in the county yesterday.
In Long Beach, Measure I, the infrastructure improvement bond issue did not pass, even though it received a majority of the votes. The law requires such measures to be approved by a two-thirds majority. Measure I received 60,051 (52.44 percent) “yes” votes compared to 50,453 (47.56 percent) “no” votes. The voters approved two other measures which did not require a two-thirds majority. Measure G, which will update the way the city collects its utility tax, passed with 66,539 (59.13 percent) “yes” votes compared to 45,993 (40.87 percent) “no” votes. Measure K, the Long Beach Unified School District’s school improvements bond issue, won with 97,738 (71.34 percent) “yes” votes compared to 39,270 (28.66 percent) “no” votes.
The countywide Measure R was approved with 1,633,442 (67.41 percent) “yes” voted compared to 789,601 (32.59 percent) “no” votes. The measure raises sales tax in Los Angeles County by half a cent to fund Metropolitan Transportation Authority projects.
As of press time, the votes on statewide propositions had the following tallies:
Proposition I A, the high-speed train bond act, had 4.9 million (52.3 percent) “yes” votes compared to 4.4 million (47.7 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 2, the law establishing standards for farm animal confinement, had 6 million (63.3 percent) “yes” votes compared to 3.5 million (36.7 percent) “no” votes
Proposition 3, the children’s hospital bond act had 5.1 million (54 percent) “yes” votes and 4.2 million (45.2 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 4, a state constitutional amendment requiring a waiting period and parental notification before abortions could be performed on a minor, received 4.6 million (47.6 percent) “yes” votes compared to 5 million (52.4 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 5, mandating parole and rehabilitation for nonviolent drug offenses, received 3.7 million (40.2 percent) “yes” votes and 5.6 million (59.8 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 6, requiring a minimum set amount of funding for police and law enforcement, received 2.8 million (30.5 percent) “yes” votes and 6.4 million (69.6 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 7, the renewable energy generation initiative, received 3.2 million (35 percent) “yes” votes compared to 6.1 million (65 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment that specified that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California, received 5.1 million (52.1 percent) “yes” votes and 4.2 million (45.2 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 9, a state constitutional amendment establishing victims’ rights in bail and parole determinations, received 4.9 million (53.3 percent) “yes” votes and 4.3 million (46.7 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 10, the alternative fuel vehicles and renewable energy bond issue, received 3.7 million (40 percent) “yes” votes and 5.6 million (59.9 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 11, the state constitutional amendment establishing a commission to oversee the redistricting process, received 4.5 million (50.6 percent) “yes’ votes and 4.4 million (49.4 percent) “no” votes.
Proposition 12, the veterans bond act, received 5.7 million (63.4 percent) “yes” votes compared to 3.3 million (36 percent) “no” votes.
While it is highly unlikely that the election results described above will change, the actual vote numbers will be slightly modified as election officials finish tallying the approximately five percent of the votes not yet counted as the Signal Tribune went to press.
