Vote 2012 Primary Wrap

Many counties across California saw lower than normal voter turn out for Tuesday’s primary election.

Approximately 35% of registered voters went to the polls in Riverside County.

The big reason behind that can be attributed to Mitt Romney tying up the Republican Presidential nomination with a win last week in Texas.

He still overwhelming won here in California.

A few other big races still highlighted the day:

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein easily won a chance to keep her seat in November’s election. She will face off against the GOP backed candidate Elizabeth Emken. Emken edged out 22 other people looking for a shot to unseat the incumbent Feinstein.

In the race U.S. Congress, District 41, Republican John Tavaglione and Democrat Mark Takano earned the top two spots and will face off in the General Election.

Voters also decided the fate of two propositions on the ballot.

Prop 28 easily passed. It will limit lawmakers to 12 years, but allow them to spend that time in one house or a combination in both houses of the state Legislature. Currently, lawmakers can serve up to three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year terms in the Senate, for a total of 14 years.

Voters shot down Proposition 29 by a narrow margin of about 60,000 votes. They remained almost evenly divided on the additional $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to fund cancer research. The debate over the issue became one of the most heated during this primary season with tobacco companies helping to raise $50 million to quash the effort and cycling legend Lance Armstrong urging voters to support it.

Here in Riverside County four Superior Court Judges were able to keep their jobs. Victoria Cameron, James Cox, Craig G. Riemer, and Gary Tranbarger all fended off their challengers.

And Elizabeth Romero Toledo will now serve on the Riverside County Board of Education representing Area 6.