Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Voters in deep-blue California rebuked Democrats in both the Bay Area and Southland on Tuesday.
- In San Francisco, a progressive prosecutor was recalled.
- In Los Angeles, a billionaire former Republican is in the runoff for mayor.
Why it matters: Even in top Democratic power centers, midterm-year liberal voters are fed up. It's a bleak sign for President Biden as Dems try to hold on to the House and Senate in November.
- Political analyst (and L.A. resident) Ron Brownstein said the result will rattle "the political landscape from coast to coast."
- Jim Kessler of Third Way, the centrist Democratic think tank, tweeted: "If national Democrats don't wake up to what happened to progressives in NY, MN and SF this cycle prepare yourselves for permanent minority status."
What's happening: San Francisco voters recalled District Attorney Chesa Boudin after a divisive election over the prosecutor's handling of crime, per the Associated Press.
- Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA.) and Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer, are headed to a November runoff in the nationally watched race to become Los Angeles' next mayor, per AP.
Go deeper: Why L.A. mayor's race matters