Los Angeles District Attorney Gascón Falls Behind Challenger Hochman in Early Results

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón's bid for reelection appeared to be in peril as he fell behind his opponent in early results on Election Day.

His challenger Nathan Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney, earned nearly 59.5 percent of early returns as the first precincts began reporting results at 8:45 p.m. local time on Nov. 5, according to Los Angeles County unofficial preliminary results from elections officials. Gascón garnered 40.5 percent of the vote.

The race is one of the most watched in Los Angeles County, pitting the Democratic George Soros-funded district attorney against a Democratic Party challenger who says he would be tougher on criminals.

Hochman said he cast his vote at Paul Revere Middle School in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Hochman was endorsed by former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who encouraged Los Angeles residents to vote for him.

Hochman and Schwarzenegger both endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris during the national presidential campaign season.

Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were 21 and 18 at the time, were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole during a second trial in 1996.

Gascón cited a recent documentary released on Netflix about the Menendez brothers' case, highlighting their sexual abuse claims against their father. The movie prompted several calls to his office in favor of resentencing them, he told reporters on Oct. 24.

Since he took office, Gascón claims his office had successfully sought the resentencing of more than 320 people, including 28 murderers. Only four had reoffended, he said.

In a post on Instagram's threads Monday, Gascón said one of those resentenced was Prince Akili, an actor who is known for roles on "Die Hard with a Vengeance" and "The Cosby Show." Akili was tried as an adult and sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempted murder and served 17 years before he was resentenced.

He urged voters to support him because "there's too much at stake."

Gascón, a former LAPD officer and assistant police chief, described his opponent as an attorney who defended "billionaire tax evaders."

"This election will be so consequential both at the national level and at the state and the local level," he said in the video.

The embattled district attorney, who was first elected in 2020, survived two recall efforts during his first term from groups claiming the district attorney's policies weakened sentences for violent criminals and restricted prosecutors from seeking sentencing enhancements.

Both attempts to unseat him failed to qualify with the county clerk's office.

The county's Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office announced in 2023 that it would seek a review by the state's Attorney General's Office.

Gascón called the recall effort a "right-wing attempt."

A crime wave of smash-and-grab retail theft, follow-home robberies, burglaries, and other high-profile crimes has crept over the county in the past few years.

Hochman earned nearly 16 percent of the primary vote, but it was enough to place him in second among the candidates, allowing him to advance to the general election.