November 8 marked the first mid-term elections since 2018. Voters nationally elected members of the house and senate. 

In California, the prop votes have been released:

Prop-1- to keep abortion legal in California, won.

Prop 26 and 27- two measures regarding sports betting both, lost.

Prop 28- the funding for school arts and music, won.

Prop 29- regulation staffing of kidney dialysis clinics, lost.

Prop 30- which measures to tax people with over two million dollars in income to pay for wildfire suppression and environmental programs, lost. 

Prop 31 to ban flavored tobacco sales, won.

Julia Brownley, the Democratic incumbent in the 26th Congressional District, and Salud Carbajal, the Democratic incumbent in the 24th District, appear to be re-elected.

State Assembly incumbents Jacqui Irwin in the 42nd District and Steve Bennett in the 38th District appear to have won reelection.

Locally, Brian Dennert ran for the Rancho Simi Valley Park District board and won the election. Dennert is currently a teacher at Royal High School and teaches AP Human Geography and AP World History. Dennert said, “I want to be an example to students and inspire them to become leaders. I am happy the campaign is over because it took so much time. I knocked on thousands of doors over the last few months. I want young people to be more involved in our community. Maybe knowing someone that is an elected leader will inspire a Highlander to run for office. I look forward to voting for Royal graduates in the future. That includes for park board, school board, city council, and more. We need the ideas and energy of young people to build a better future.” He said he resonates with the quote by former Barack Obama when he said, “the single most important thing I can do is to help in any way I can to prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and to take their own crack at changing the world.” Dennert said that, “I think if we inspire students to serve others while getting them a good education progress will happen.”

In the realm of historic news: 

Maura Healey achieved a decisive and historic victory Tuesday night, becoming Massachusetts’ first elected female governor as well as the nation’s first openly lesbian governor.

In the race for Vermont’s only congressional seat, Democrat Becca Balint won. As a result of her victory, she will be the first woman and openly LBTQ person to represent the state in Congress.

The first openly transgender politician in U.S. history was James Roesener, who won an election to the state legislature in New Hampshire.

Wes Moore was elected as Maryland’s first Black governor, and the third in the history of the country. Aruna Miller was elected as Maryland’s first Indian American lieutenant governor, while Rep. Anthony Brown was elected as the state’s first Black attorney general.

During the special election for Sen. Jim Inhofe’s successor, Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma won the nomination. As a Cherokee Nation member, Mullin will become the first Native American in nearly a century to serve in the United States Senate since Colorado Republican Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell retired in 2005.

The first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania is Rep. Summer Lee, a Democrat.

In Florida’s 10th District, Maxwell Frost became the first member of Generation Z to win a House seat.

Voting is a person’s fundamental right, so make sure when you are eligible to vote make sure you exercise your right. Every vote counts.