The Santa Cruz Sentinel recently had an interesting article looking at the results of the California propositions, and in particular Proposition 11. The article looks at how the vote turned out in the county and compares it with the perceived prevailing political sentiments in the area.
While many would expect Santa Cruz County to support government reform measures, the proposition passed by less than half a percentage point, according to Tuesday’s election results. The initial tally showed the measure failing.
Opposition to the measure by the state Democratic Party, and the Republican governor’s endorsement likely motivated many to stick with their partisan instincts and vote against Proposition 11, said former state legislator Fred Keeley.
Keeley continues by pointing out that Santa Cruz County in fact likely has a lot to gain from Proposition 11:
The irony, Keeley explained, is that the county stands to gain from the measure. The latest redistricting, after the 2000 census, left Santa Cruz County with less representation in Sacramento, and Proposition 11 has the potential to change that, he says.
“The campaign against it was that it was a power grab by the Republicans, which was untrue,” said Keeley, a Santa Cruz Democrat who worked for the measure’s passage.
Additionally the article delves into the local results, and provides some suggestions of they might have come about.
Because the proposition was not as popular as other ballot contests, Keeley adds, many voters here and elsewhere didn’t pay much attention to it and simply listened to what they heard in campaign ads.
Santa Cruz and Watsonville, the cities with the highest percentages of registered Democrats locally, voted against Proposition 11, according to the final vote count. The cities of Scotts Valley and Capitola as well as the unincorporated areas, on the other hand, voted for the measure.
Statewide, the measure was similarly rejected in the more liberal areas.
Opposition to the measure by the state Democratic Party, and the Republican governor’s endorsement likely motivated many to stick with their partisan instincts and vote against Proposition 11, said former state legislator Fred Keeley.
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