Even Democrat voters rejected leftist policies and politicians in the most surprising places

In a seismic shift, voters across traditionally progressive strongholds like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland are starting to send a clear message: the progressive experiment in public safety, housing and drug policy has failed. Decades of policies promising reform and social justice have instead delivered a relentless rise in crime, out-of-control homelessness and the normalization of rampant drug use in our communities. It’s the Democrat voters who have finally had enough.  

Rejecting district attorneys like Los Angeles County’s George Gascón, declining to support mayors like San Francisco’s London Breed, and showing support for candidates vowing to aggressively tackle homelessness like Portland’s new Mayor-elect Keith Wilson, voters are signaling an end to the progressive playbook that’s led to urban chaos. This backlash marks a return to a public safety-focused agenda, a demand for accountability, and a turn away from the ideologies that have left countless communities in ruin. 

Los Angeles County District Attorney Gascón, elected in 2020 on a promise to "reimagine" public safety, has become the face of what’s gone wrong with progressive criminal justice policies. His tenure has been defined by controversial "reforms" that have left criminals emboldened and the public terrified. 

SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR-ELECT TOUTS 'COMMON SENSE' APPROACHES AFTER BEATING PROGRESSIVE INCUMBENT

Policies like no-cash bail, reduced sentences and an overall dismissal of traditional prosecution standards were supposed to right the wrongs of the system. Instead, they’ve given criminals free rein to continue breaking the law with no fear of consequences. Property crimes, car thefts and organized retail theft have surged to unprecedented levels under his watch. Since 2020, homicides surpassed 300 in four consecutive years, which hadn’t happened once in the 2010s.  

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon's time in office is coming to an end after voters rejected his liberal views of how to handle crime. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The message was simple: Los Angeles no longer valued law and order. But voters finally responded, demanding accountability and a return to policies that prioritize the safety of law-abiding citizens over the protection of repeat offenders. They booted Gascon from office for former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman. 

Similarly, in San Francisco, Mayor Breed, once a rising star of progressivism, found herself on the wrong side of public opinion as her city deteriorated. San Francisco, a once-thriving hub of culture and innovation, has become infamous for its open-air drug markets, sprawling homeless encampments and streets littered with needles and human waste.  

Progressive policies like decriminalizing drug possession, establishing "safe" injection sites and refusing to enforce basic quality-of-life laws have rendered the city unrecognizable. Even Breed, who has occasionally flirted with stricter law enforcement policies, has been unable to undo the damage inflicted by years of leftist governance. The voters’ rejection of Breed, to Levi Strauss heir and nonprofit founder Daniel Lurie, reflects a community desperate to restore sanity and safety to their streets. 

Statewide in California, voters embraced Proposition 36 — essentially undoing some of the disastrous "reforms" implemented by Prop 47 — showing that the state’s liberal policies on crime may finally be reaching a breaking point. Originally sold as a way to reduce prison populations and give non-violent offenders a second chance, Prop 47’s reclassification of numerous felonies as misdemeanors led to a surge in crime rates.  

Proposition 36, which reinstates harsher penalties for repeat offenders, demonstrates a growing realization among Californians: unchecked criminal behavior can’t be excused by progressive ideals. Proposition 36 was supported even as Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, undoubtedly looking to shore up support ahead of his inevitable presidential run in 2028, asked voters to reject it. 

Then there’s Portland — a city that became a national spectacle as protests, riots and "autonomous zones" dominated the headlines for months on end. But more recently, the focus of Portlanders’ ire has become the explosion of homeless encampments. For years, Portland served as a petri dish for every progressive experiment imaginable. Lenient policies toward encampments and open drug use turned the city into a dystopian cautionary tale. But in the recent election, Portland voters gave the mayorship to Wilson, a political outsider who promised to end the homelessness crisis with a more aggressive plan to bring people indoors. 

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The progressive agenda that voters in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland once supported has now run its course. But we should not forget the toll this has taken on some of society’s most vulnerable — ironically, the very people progressives claimed to champion.  

Homeless people struggling with addiction have been turned into political pawns, used to justify policies that, in reality, have trapped them in cycles of poverty and dependency. Cities flooded with addiction services handing out fentanyl freebasing kits have only seen addiction rates climb, and open-air drug scenes have transformed once-vibrant neighborhoods into no-go zones. Instead of offering a hand up, these policies have encouraged a devastating lifestyle that’s nearly impossible to escape from, often costing lives. 

The message was simple: Los Angeles no longer valued law and order. But voters finally responded, demanding accountability and a return to policies that prioritize the safety of law-abiding citizens over the protection of repeat offenders. They booted Gascon from office for former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman. 

This backlash should be a wake-up call to Democrats across the country and it shouldn’t come as a shock. As I detail in my book "What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of our Cities," these policies have provided little more than misery and chaos, doing the exact opposite of what they were supposed to. Voters aren’t rejecting progressivism because they’re "reactionary" or "fearful" — they’re rejecting it because it’s failed them, plain and simple. 

They’re not voting for tougher policies because they’re "ignorant" or "backward" but because they understand that safety, order and accountability are the foundations of any functioning society. Politicians like Gascón and Breed refused to acknowledge this, found themselves on the wrong side of history — and out of a job. 

As voters in these cities reclaim their right to safe and livable communities, one thing is clear: the progressive experiment has failed, and no amount of idealism can hide the gritty reality of what it’s wrought. With each ballot cast against crime, disorder and chaos, voters are steering the country back toward common sense. It’s a rebuke of progressivism’s failed promises and a rallying cry for leaders who will put the well-being of their constituents above ideological dogma. The message is clear — voters are done with the empty promises, and they’re ready to take back their cities.  

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Jason Rantz, author of "What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities," is a Seattle-based talk show host on KTTH Radio. Follow him on Twitter @JasonRantz.