Like the majority of Californians, La Cañada Flintridge residents voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States in last week’s general election, casting 4,259 votes for Clinton and 2,855 for Donald Trump, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Trump, of course, scored an astonishing victory to earn the presidency, but in California, Clinton received 62% of votes cast.
In addition to ballots cast for the presidential frontrunners, La Cañadans punched 334 votes for Gary Johnson, 79 for Jill Stein and 23 for Gloria La Riva. Of LCF’s 14,836 registered voters, 7,896 turned in ballots, and many seemed to eschew party affiliation when making their presidential pick: As of May 23, LCF’s registered voters included 6,222 Republicans and 4,650 Democrats.
LCF residents also had their say on a wide range of other important topics, including regional representation at the state and national levels.
In line with the rest of the state, in the race for U.S. Senate, more LCF voters — 64% of them — chose Kamala Harris over Loretta Sanchez.
Congressman Adam Schiff was re-elected to his post with the 28th District with help from 62% of LCF’s votes. He defeated Lenore Solis.
Former LCF Mayor and state Assemblyman Anthony Portantino will be heading back to Sacramento; he won the state Senate seat for the 25th District. Fifty-three percent of the city’s voters supported him in his race with outgoing L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich.
And Laura Friedman earned 74% of LCF’s votes in her successful race for the Assembly seat in the 43rd District, defeating Ardy Kassakhian.
Among the 17 propositions on the ballot, LCF voters were in accord with their fellow Californians on 13, including the ban of single-use plastic bags.
While more than 125 local ordinances throughout the state previously banned those bags, LCF remained one of the holdouts; in 2013, the City Council voted, 3-2, in opposition to a ban, which is intended to protect wildlife by reducing pollution of rivers and oceans. Last week, LCF voters narrowly indicated their support, 3,674-3,574.
Jonathan Curtis, LCF’s current mayor, was among the council members who voted in favor of the ban three years ago, and was happy to see it pass last week.
“I am very pleased that it was passed because it does have a huge impact on our environment from the standpoint of waterways and very much a cause of concern for the oceans,” he said.
His city’s voters also joined the rest of the county in approving Measure M, Metro’s ordinance calling for a half-cent sales tax to raise money for transportation projects. In a 3-2 vote last month, the City Council voted to support the measure as a city.
“It, frankly, is really important that it really will relieve traffic and congestion on a regional basis,” Curtis said. “And on a local basis, it’s beneficial for our community as other sources of funding have really dried up and this will be a source of funding. That’s for not only sound walls, but also our roadways and other improvements we do need within the city.”
After blocking marijuana dispensaries from operating in the city, it will now have to figure out how it can navigate the new law that legalizes marijuana. About 56% of voters approved the proposition statewide, but 53% of LCF residents were not in favor.
“As a community we’re going to have to take a very close look at that,” Curtis said. “It’s going to be interesting.”
La Cañada Unified School District publicly supported Props 51 and 55, measures dealing with bonds and income taxes that stand to support public education in the state. Both passed — without help from LCF voters. Locally, 60% of voters were against 51, and 59% opposed 55.
