Woke LA DA George Gascon is clinging to a slim lead in Tuesday’s primaries, an early indication that residents are finally reversing his soft-on-crime policies.
With 55 percent of the votes counted, Gascon has a marginal lead with 21.4 percent of the votes and independent Nathan Hochman with 17.7 percent.
In 2020, he defeated opponent Jackie Lacey by eight points.
Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, a child molestation prosecutor and staunch critic of Gascon, rounds out third place with 13 percent of the vote.
Although several polls show that 51% of voters disapprove of the woke prosecutor, the large field of eleven challengers has kept him at the top so far.
Hochman, a former assistant US attorney general who ran as an independent candidate, told DailyMail.com he is ready to take on Gascon if they go to a runoff in November.
“As you can see from the results, there are more than 75% of the people in Los Angeles County who voted against George Gascon, and I will be able to unite that opposition and bring his record of failures over the past three years to the can bring to justice.
“My witnesses will be the real victims of George Gascon’s policies, who suffered themselves.”
Gascon has presided over a controversial tenure in his first year as L.A.’s top prosecutor, with several members of the office accusing him of retaliation when they conflicted with his policies. To date, there are at least a dozen pending lawsuits filed by prosecutors against Gascon.
A jury awarded $1.5 million in March 2023 in a retaliation lawsuit brought by veteran juvenile division prosecutor Shawn Randolph, who alleged she was fired from her position after opposing Gascon policies, including a ban on trying young people as adults.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks during a press conference on February 22, 2023 in Los Angeles
Gascon was also shot by the family of LA Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was shot in the head on September 16 while sitting in his patrol unit at a red light outside the Palmdale, California Sheriff’s station.
Clinkunbroomer’s mother, Kim, told ABC News that Gascon did not tell her he would not seek the death penalty against her son’s alleged killer.
The distraught mother told the newspaper that the death penalty was off the table when Gascon held a televised press conference.
“It just seemed like the prosecutor wanted to spare a life, when (the suspect) didn’t spare my son’s life, he executed my son,” Kim Clinkunbroomer said. “How dare you tell me on national television that you are not calling for the death penalty because it won’t bring my son back? My son isn’t coming back, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your job.’
Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar, 29, was charged with murder on September 20 in the Clinkunbroomer shooting.
Rogue independent Nathan Hochun says he will work with other opponents to oust Gascon
Hochman told DailyMail.com that if he wins, he will reinstate several policies that Gascon has abolished since taking office, including requiring the death penalty and special enhancements.
“When I take an oath to uphold the laws of the state of California, that is one of those laws that will be considered in very rare circumstances when it applies to the most heinous of situations,” Hochman said. ‘For example, the cold-blooded murder of a police officer, a mass terror incident where, God forbid, someone plants a bomb in a stadium.
He continued: ‘These are the types of situations where the death penalty should be discussed. “I wouldn’t do what George Gascon did and completely dismiss it as if the death penalty law didn’t exist.”
The former federal prosecutor said he hopes to unite the other candidates and their supporters to oust Gascon, who has already faced two failed recall attempts.
“My other worthy opponents competing against Gascon have something in common,” Hochman said. ‘We share a passion and know that his policies have made us feel less safe. I hope to enlist their support to continue the movement to remove George Gascon from office and end the ‘Golden Age of Criminals’ in LA County.”
Gascon did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
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