Kamala Harris wins attorney general's race as Steve Cooley concedes [Updated]

More than three weeks after he declared victory in the race for state attorney general, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley conceded defeat Wednesday as he trailed by more than 50,000 votes in one of the closest statewide races in California history.

The decision means that San Francisco Dist. Atty. Kamala Harris will assume the post of California's top law enforcement official, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the statewide offices.

Uncertainty had swirled around the election result since shortly after the votes began to be counted on Nov. 2. Cooley claimed victory on election night, only to discover the next morning that he was behind. As county registrars scrambled to count more than 2 million ballots left uncounted after election day, the lead bounced back and forth, but Harris has held an advantage for more than a week.

By Tuesday evening, Harris led Cooley by nearly 53,000 votes -- 4,385,438 to 4,332,596 -- according to a Times review of updated vote tallies in all 58 counties. The secretary of state's office reported that there were 154,806 ballots left uncounted statewide, though the actual number is most likely much less given the delay in some counties reporting their most recent figures to the state's election agency.

To win, Cooley would need more than two-thirds of those votes to overtake Harris. So far, the gap between the candidates has been less than a single percentage point. Moreover, about two-thirds of the remaining votes are in counties that Harris carried, including Contra Costa, Monterey and Sonoma.

[Updated at 11:28 a.m.: Cooley called Harris on Wednesday morning to congratulate her and concede the election, said his campaign consultant Kevin Spillane.

“Frankly the margin is just too great to be made up with the votes that remain to be counted,” Spillane said.

He said that a recount, which must be paid for by the requesting candidate under state law, would be expensive and would not likely make up enough votes to overcome Harris’ lead. “It would be overly divisive, and we’re not confident that it would reverse it ultimately,” Spillane said.]

-- Jack Leonard

Photo: Steve Cooley. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Nobama]

Here we go again some minority elected just because of multi etchnic origins rather than qualifications. Affirmation action gone wild under Obama.

[Common Sense is not so Common]

I believe that She will violate her oath of office to defend that California Constitution. (It has been challenged in federal court and Brown refused to defend it) We should start collecting signatures for a recall the day she takes her false oath of office!

[Tess]

To Tom,

California and the rest of the country are in this financial mess because of the damage done by the Republicans who controlled the House, Senate, and White House. You Republicans sure seem to suffer from short memory's.

[Mark in LA]

YAY! Clean Sweep in California! I love this state!!

[Jack]

"Club A" thank you. We don't want your kind in California anyway. Do us one more favor and vow to never visit California.

Time for someone with solutions other than knee-jerk "Lock'em up" attitude to be at the helm of AG office. We are wasting upwards of 6 Billion dollars on upkeep of prisons that politicians and vested interests (read Prison guards association) have scared the populace into funding while having the worse recidivism rate in the whole country - most of the inmates find themselves back in prison after they are let out.

[LATaxpayer]

They are all politicians and they are all bad for California. We're screwed.

[Jeff]

Unlike Al Gore and his "count the votes" crap, Cooley understands when to let go! Props to him

[Rinehart Video Productions]

California loves electing democrats. For decades. Look what they have done to the state. It is just a matter of time before things really fall off a cliff. California. You morons are something else.

[Jeff]

Since when does being anti-death penalty mean being soft on crime? Ms. Harris has always tried to get maximum sentences for criminals, but simply doesn't believe in the death penalty. I am concerned about her possibly being a little too green minded for businesses taste.

[Jeff]

One comment for Tess...hasn't California been dominated by Democrats in office for at least 2 decades now? Republicans have had very little input essentially.

I'm not along party lines myself, in fact I voted Libertarian in this election because I'm disapointed in both parties and their being more interested in fighting each other than to get things done.

[hard worker]

HORRAY!

Kamala is an intelligent human being!

[mansterEZ1]

Finally!! All the corrupt overlords are history in this state. Now maybe the country can move forward with greed taking a back seat to progress.

[Macca Doo]

Goodbye Fatcheeks.

[Greg Jones]

Want to know why this state is so screwed up? Because we keep electing the same misfits to office! Instead of electing someone with dignity and morals we elect idiots. Whitman wasn't a good candidate and wouldn't have made a difference but Brown? Been there done that. It won't be an earthquake that destroys this state; it'll be all the slubs and dolts we elect.

[Chris]

LA Times -- shame on you for endorsing Cooley, a homophobic racist piece of dung.

[Sick of it all]

How are people predicting what she's going to do. I supported and voted for her because I'm tired of the corruption in LA Gov't. It's time to get people thinking about what's important not their pockets.

If you don't like it...MOVE, we won't miss you at all.

[Jackie]

Congrats to Mrs Harris now it's time to get to work. We see Jerry Brown is working and hasn't been sworn in yet. Cooley did good and should be praised for the way he handled this election. Unlike Alaska Joe Miller who is costing his State money because he refuses to see he has reached the end. Republicans need not worry as Moon Beam will get us out of this Recession and then a Republican can take office. Who knows maybe Queen Meg might give it a second shot. The States the followed FDR's recovery plan after the Great Depression recovered faster then those who fought FDR. We'll see two years of inter fighting with nothing done, as the Tea Party and Republican Party fight each other for top billing.

[Frank]

Re: M Magnin's "well reasoned, socially responsible, and efficient leadership" WOW!!! You got it, girl. California is bankrupt fiscally, morally, spiritually...and you can add just about anything else about your "democratic leadership."

[PineM825]

Yes!! Another thing to be thankful for! Cooley would have been a nightmare. Guaranteed he would have focused the majority of his energy and our tax dollars on prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers. He pretty much said as much. We don't need or want that kind of AG in California.

[informed22]

Yes we control all the Government Department in California, however, we don't post all these negative comments on the internet. It seems as if only Republicans have internet access lately the Democrats should be patting them selves on the back for having a state that understands what is wrong with our state and where to fix it. We don't need any republicans to work for only the rich in this state when we have people that need help. We are tired of a state that only has time for the rich and famous we need some compassion for the other part of our state. Like we have compassion for animals we need to try and do something for the millions of people in this state that can't do for them selves.

[Judy Radin]

Sooooooo happy!

[up in smoke]

Funny how ALL the dope users who support selling marijuana voted for Harris. Hey maybe now you can smoke up in celebartion for your relatives and/or friends who are on death row. Ching Ching Cali!

[OfficialCLM]

Last major state election goes to Harris. California goes Blue! Forecast for the next few years: Sunshine in the Golden State!

[TheBigPicture]

California deserves her...they voted for her...just another misfit politician... Amnesty for all convicts...

[Herman K]

I cant wait to see what Cali will do, now that its all Dem. no one else to blame. you have the floor, and the spotlight. Lets see what your going to do with it.