Ballot Measures, June 7, 2016
California voters decided 1 statewide ballot measure on June 7, 2016.
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Proposition 50 | Require a two-thirds majority to suspend a state legislator | Passed (75.59% yes) |
General Election, November 8, 2016
California held its general election on November 8, 2016, deciding 100 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Democrats won two-thirds supermajorities in both chambers, reaching 55-25 in the Assembly and 27-13 in the Senate. That is the margin needed to pass taxes without Republican votes, though business-friendly Democrats may oppose tax increases.
- The Senate supermajority came down to the open, Republican-held 29th District, where Josh Newman (D) beat Ling Ling Chang (R) by about 2,500 votes. Chang initially held the lead before provisional and mail ballots put Newman ahead.
- In the Assembly, Democrats ousted three Republican incumbents:
- Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) beat Young Kim (R) by about 9,700 votes in the 65th District, reclaiming the seat Kim took from her in 2014.
- Al Muratsuchi (D) beat David Hadley (R) by about 8 points in the 66th District, reversing his 2014 loss to Hadley.
- Sabrina Cervantes (D) beat Eric Linder (R) by about 9 points in the 60th District, the win that clinched the Assembly supermajority.
- Two Democratic incumbents lost to fellow Democrats. In the 47th District, Eloise Reyes (D) beat Cheryl R. Brown (D) by about 9 points. Attack ads had branded Brown "Chevron Cheryl", and she was one of the few moderate Democrats to lose. In the 39th District, former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D) won back the seat from Patty Lopez (D) by about 20 points, reversing her 2014 upset of him.
- Two other races were tight. In San Francisco's 11th District, Supervisor Scott Wiener (D) narrowly defeated Supervisor Jane Kim (D) by about 2 points for the seat of outgoing Sen. Mark Leno. Assemblyman Marc Steinorth (R) held the 40th District by about 1,900 votes over Abigail Medina (D).
- Voters approved 12 of 17 measures, including:
- Proposition 64, legalizing recreational marijuana
- Proposition 55, extending the income tax increase voters passed as Proposition 30
- Proposition 56, a tobacco tax increase
- Proposition 57, expanding parole for nonviolent offenders
- Proposition 63, requiring background checks for ammunition purchases
- Proposition 58, allowing non-English instruction in public schools
- Proposition 67, upholding the statewide plastic bag ban
Legislature
- Assembly (80 seats): 52 D, 28 R before the election, 55 D, 25 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
- Senate (40 seats): 25 D, 14 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 27 D, 13 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Proposition 51 | $9 billion in bonds for education and schools | Passed (55.18% yes) |
| Proposition 52 | Voter approval of changes to the hospital fee program | Passed (70.07% yes) |
| Proposition 53 | Projects that cost more than $2 billion | Failed (49.42% yes) |
| Proposition 54 | Conditions under which legislative bills can be passed | Passed (65.37% yes) |
| Proposition 55 | Extension of personal income tax on incomes over $250,000 | Passed (63.27% yes) |
| Proposition 56 | Increase the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack | Passed (64.43% yes) |
| Proposition 57 | Felons convicted of non-violent crimes and juvenile trials | Passed (64.46% yes) |
| Proposition 58 | Bilingual education in public schools | Passed (73.52% yes) |
| Proposition 59 | State's position on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission | Passed (53.18% yes) |
| Proposition 60 | Require the use of condoms in pornographic films | Failed (46.33% yes) |
| Proposition 61 | Prescription drug price regulations | Failed (46.8% yes) |
| Proposition 62 | Repeal the death penalty | Failed (46.85% yes) |
| Proposition 63 | Background checks for ammunition purchases | Passed (63.08% yes) |
| Proposition 64 | Legalization of marijuana and hemp | Passed (57.13% yes) |
| Proposition 65 | Grocery and retail carry-out bags | Failed (46.1% yes) |
| Proposition 66 | Death penalty procedures | Passed (51.13% yes) |
| Proposition 67 | Prohibition on plastic single-use carryout bags | Passed (53.27% yes) |