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Signs of change in the Golden State found Los Angeles County’s “bullish” George Soros-backed district attorney fighting for his career in a race one pollster described as “not even close.”

Known for soft-on-crime policies benefiting convicted sex offenders and other violent criminals, L.A. County DA George Gascón has twice survived recall efforts. Now, polling data released before the Democrat had faced off against his independent rival saw the incumbent behind by 30 points to former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman.

The rival, who’d lost his effort as a Republican nominee to defeat incumbent AG Rob Bonta (D), appointed to complete the term of former AG Xavier Becerra who’d been appointed as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, took to X to share the results from the Los Angeles Times and University of California Berkeley poll.

“New poll shows that I have a 30% lead over my unpopular opponent in the DA’s race. That’s good news,” said Hochman as 28% of voters remained undecided, “but this is not the time to get overconfident. I will do my part, and work hard every day for the next 28 days to win this election.”

Holding a mere 21% support compared to Hochman’s 51%, Gascón had said in an interview Friday, “I feel very bullish about the final outcome. When people ask me about the polls, I say it’s the poll on election day that really counts.”

However, poll director Mark DiCamillo had poured some cold water on the point of view and asserted to the Times, “It’s not even close.”

“This now appears to be Hochman’s race to lose. He’s way ahead,” added the pollster to the newspaper.

The candidates had faced off during a debate hosted by KNX News and the Times that was broadcast live.

Following their face-off, Hochman shared statistics from the California Department of Justice that showed the increase in crime from 2020 through 2023 in the county and said, “Violent crime has increased every year Gascon has been in office. His social experiment and extremely lenient, pro-criminal policies have fueled lawlessness that has left all of LA County in fear for their safety. Enough is enough.”

“People do not feel as safe as they did before George Gascón took office and they want a D.A. who will prosecute crime, restore balance and improve public safety,” he told the Times as he contended poll numbers “match what I’ve heard from voters throughout L.A. County over the past year.”

Out of the more than 900 respondents to the survey, 94% had expressed that “crime and threats to public safety in Los Angeles County” were “a big problem” or “somewhat of a problem.”

“And they’re not crediting Gascón with doing much about it,” said DiCamillo.

For his part, Hochman’s bid to supplant the incumbent had included him supporting Vice President Kamala Harris for president and voicing his favor for the prosecution of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan. The independent candidate’s spread over Gascón had increased from August when his lead was 25%.

Kevin Haggerty
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