18 Aug D.A. Race Alert: L.A. Times, Berkeley IGS Poll Finds Hochman With Massive Lead Against Gascon
Hochman Leads 45% to 20%, as Huge Majority of Voters Have Unfavorable View of Gascon’s Pro-Criminal Policies and Blame Him for Dramatic Increase in Crime
LOS ANGELES / August 18, 2024 – Voters overwhelmingly support former federal prosecutor and defense attorney Nathan Hochman against George Gascon in the race for Los Angeles County District Attorney, according to a new Berkeley IGS Poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.
The poll of 1,136 likely Los Angeles County voters found that Hochman has a massive 45% to 20% (2.25-1) lead in the race, with 35% undecided. The poll was conducted earlier this month by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.
The Los Angeles Times published a front-page story about the poll’s findings this morning.
Hochman said the results are similar to several other polls conducted by his campaign and third parties in the months since the March 5 primary. Gascon received a record-low 25% of the vote in the primary, meaning 75% of voters want him out of office.
“I have spent the past year traveling throughout Los Angeles County talking to voters – Democrats, Republicans, Independents from all ethnic and religious groups. They don’t agree on much, but they all agree they feel less safe than they did when Gascon was elected and they want new leadership in the D.A.’s Office,” Hochman said. “When they hear my plan for sensible criminal justice reform, for filing policies that protect victims and provide consequences for committing crime, they know that I’m the best candidate to move this county forward and put this dark chapter in our history behind us.”
The poll found that Gascon is extremely unpopular, with 45% of voters saying they have unfavorable views of him, and just 21% favorable; the remainder did not express opinions. By contrast, 35% had favorable views of Hochman, and just 7% unfavorable.
Asked about crime, 60% of those surveyed said they felt public safety has gotten worse since Gascon took office, while 25% said they thought it had stayed the same. Only 5% of voters think crime has improved since Gascon became DA.
Of those who said public safety has worsened, 66% said Gascon is a great deal (53%) or somewhat (13%) responsible for the increase in crime, the poll found.
On his first day in office in December 2020, Gascon implemented extreme pro-criminal policies that prohibited prosecutors from seeking additional prison time for those who use guns to commit crimes, victimize people while acting on behalf of street gangs or commit hate crimes. He prohibited the use of “weight enhancements” in drug cases, meaning defendants faced the same sentence for selling 1 gram or 100 pounds of illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine. He also banned prosecutors from attending parole hearings for rapists and murderers, leaving grieving victims to fend for themselves.
In the years to follow, Gascon hired numerous public defenders to advocate for the release from prison of convicted murderers. Violent crime and property crime has increased every year that Gascon has been in office – and the public overwhelmingly feels less safe than they did before Gascon was elected.
“The voters are saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ They want a District Attorney who will strive to protect the public, not criminals,” Hochman said. “I am that District Attorney. When I’m elected, protecting public safety will be the north star guiding every decision I make.”
About Nathan Hochman:
Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney General, President of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission and defense attorney, is running to defeat George Gascon and become the next District Attorney of Los Angeles County. He is an Independent (No Party Preference) candidate who believes politics has no place in the D.A.’s Office. He has bipartisan support and is endorsed by the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, former District Attorney Jackie Lacey, a coalition of first responders, more than 70 elected officials and dozens of civic and business leaders. For more information about Hochman and his campaign, please visit www.NathanHochman.com.
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Media Contacts:
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Jean Guccione
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