In early results for the November 3 election, cannabis-friendly candidates are projected to win their races across California. This page will be updated as more results come in.
Executive Offices
In the Governor’s race, Democrat Xavier Becerra has won with 65% of the vote to 35% for his Republican challenger Steve Hilton. Becerra has posted a consistently good record on cannabis issues in a career spanning 12 terms as an L.A. Congressman and Attorney General of California. In 2023, as US Secretary of Health and Human Services, he oversaw the agency’s recommendation that cannabis should be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, a policy that is now being pursued by the current administration. Hilton raised the issue of overtaxation of cannabis in California during his campaign, visiting a cannabis dispensary in Sacramento, and speaking at a cannabis industry event in LA.
For Lieutenant Governor, Cal NORML-endorsed Fiona Ma won the race with 64% of the vote. As state treasurer, Fiona Ma has been a longtime supporter of cannabis and of lowering taxes on cannabis. She has called Prop. 64 “a complete failure” and is advocating for the legislature to put a measure on the ballot to fix it, offering to convene a task force on the issue.
Cal NORML-endorsed incumbent Attorney General Rob Bonta also won his race by a wide margin, coming in with 65% of the vote. As an Assemblymember, Bonta sponsored bills to legally license sales and manufacture of cannabis, lower taxes on cannabis, and protect employment rights of cannabis users.
LA Mayor and Congressional Races
For LA Mayor, Democratic challenger Nithya Raman is projected to win in a close race against incumbent Karen Bass. Raman issued a thoughtful position paper on cannabis,, including calling for replacing the City’s flat 10% gross-receipts tax with tiered rates from 0.25% to 6% for two years.
In the San Francisco race for Congressional District 11 (Nancy Pelosi’s old district), Connie Chan has conceded to Scott Wiener, who lead the race by 14 percentage points with an estimated 43% of votes counted. Wiener has been a champion for cannabis in the state legislature, sponsoring SB 34 to allow for tax-free compassion programs for patients, and SB 1186, requiring local governments to permit medical cannabis sales or delivery. Chan was one of only three supes to vote against delaying a special cannabis gross receipts tax, and repeatedly refused to meet with representatives of the Brownie Mary Democrats.
In CD 1 (Susanville, Red Bluff, Chico, Ukiah), Democrat Mike McGuire prevailed over Republican James Gallagher. McGuire has had a strong voting record in the State Senate, where he authored one of the three bills that regulated medical marijuana in California in 2015. Gallagher had a bad voting record in the state legislature, slightly improved in 2024 with yes votes on ending double cannabis taxation at local level, and allowing small farmers to sell directly to consumers.
CD 2 (North Coast and inland to Modoc), incumbent Jared Huffman, with an A+ NORML rating, was re-elected. In Congress, he has co-sponsored reform bills, including the MORE and SAFE Acts. He is a sponsor of the Small Homestead and Independent Producers (SHIP) Act, to allow small family farmers to sell their products via interstate commerce.
CD 6 (Roseville, Citrus Heights, parts of West Sacramento), Democrat Richard Pan has unseated Independent Kevin Kiley. A licensed pediatrician, Dr. Pan voted favorably if cautiously on cannabis in the state legislature. In 2022, he authored a bill to require costly, badly designed new label warnings on all cannabis products. Kiley voted wrong on nearly every key vote in the Assembly.
Former venture capitalist Eric Jones is in a tight race with Rep. Mike Thompson in CD 4 (Napa Valley through Yolo County and into the Sacramento Valley).
In CD 7 (Placerville, Elk Grove), incumbent Doris Matsui is in a close race with challenger Mai Vang. Matsui co-sponsored cannabis banking bills and has voted well on cannabis issues in Congress. Vang, also a Democrat, is a member of the Sacramento City Council since 2020, opposed a cannabis lounge pilot program in Sacramento, and typically votes against cannabis, although she has expressed support for the CORE equity program.
CD 14 (Livermore, Pleasanton, Hayward, Fremont) has another close Dem-on-Dem race between state Senator Aisha Wahab and former Dublin mayor Melissa Hernandez. Wahab posted a wobbly voting record on cannabis for a Democrat, voting against cannabis cafes and farmers markets, but also against restrictive labeling for cannabis products and against raising excise taxes.
In the District 22 Congressional race, progressive Democrat Randy Villegas lead by 30 percentage points with an estimated 43.1% of votes counted. He is running against Republican David G. Valadao, who voted against every marijuana reform measure and opposed recreational legalization (but co-sponsored an industrial hemp bill) in the CA legislature.
Democrat Marni von Wilpert, who has the support of San Diego Blue Dream Democrats, lead by 19 percentage points with an estimated 47.5% of votes counted in Congressional District 48.
State Offices
In State Senate District 14 (Central Valley), Democratic Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (A NORML Rating) leads by 27 percentage points with an estimated 42.8% of votes counted.
In State Senate District 24 (Coastal Los Angeles County), Democratic Media Consultant Brian Goldsmith is leading West Hollywood City Councilmember and strong cannabis supporter John Erickson by 15 percentage points with an estimated 45.4% of votes counted.
Chris Kluwe, an ex-NFL player and MMJ advocate, is in a close race for Assembly District 72 (Huntington Beach) with 49.2% of the vote and just 57.8% of the vote counted.
Local Cannabis Tax Measures
The City of Arroyo Grande’s 10% cannabis tax measure is passing by a 66%-34% margin. Arroyo Grande currently does not allow cannabis businesses, and both mayoral candidates opined the vote would be a referendum on allowing them.
Baldwin Park’s “Good Government” cannabis tax measure is passing by 79%-21%. It will apply the same 4% tax rate currently levied on retail cannabis businesses to non-retail cannabis businesses.
The city of Guadalupe’s Measure G2026 asked voters to approve maximum tax rates of up to 8% for retail cannabis businesses and up to 4% for other cannabis businesses. It’s winning by a margin of 68%-22%.
Measure K in Willows, authorizing a tax on cannabis businesses of up to 10%, is winning by 69-21%.
Other States
Massachusetts voters have overwhelmingly rejected ballot Question 8, which sought to repeal key elements of the state’s voter-approved adult-use marijuana legalization law. With over 80 percent of the vote counted, the measure trails by an estimated 3 to 1 margin. Smart Approaches to Marijuana, the Virginia-based anti-marijuana organization, poured $3.73 million into the failed attempt.
By a nearly 2 to 1 margin, Idaho voters overwhelmingly rejected ballot proposal HJR 4, which sought to amend the state constitution so that the public would no longer have any say in determining Idaho’s marijuana policies.
A measure in Houston to make marijuana-related misdemeanors among the police department’s lowest enforcement priorities had received the approval of more than 70% of voters as of Tuesday evening, according to a report from Houston Public Media.
New Democratic legislative majorities in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could make the two states the next to legalize recreational weed, Marijuana Moment reported.