The newly elected Los Angeles County district attorney said one of his first orders of business will be to regain the community’s trust after voters ousted progressive District Attorney George Gascon on Tuesday, ending what critics they considered a failed progressive reform of the country’s largest government. criminal justice system.

Gascon received less than 40% of the vote in a race against Nathan Hochman, former federal prosecutor who campaigned against the district attorney’s controversial policies, highlighting them as a risk to public safety.

“The office has to regain trust with its own prosecutors,” Hochman told Fox News Digital. “He lost trust and credibility with the authorities… with the victims and their families. From day one, I have to rebuild that trust.”

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Nathan Hochman unseated Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon on Tuesday. Gascon survived two impeachment attempts and was criticized for his progressive criminal justice policies. (AP)

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Gascon commented on Tuesday’s election, saying “the rightward shift the country experienced last night across the United States is heartbreaking.”

“Democrats have a long road ahead of us, but the work is more vital than ever and our commitment will not waver,” he said. “However, I called Mr. Hochman and wish him the best as the next Los Angeles County District Attorney. I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished over the past four years and grateful to the communities that have been and always will be the heart of criminal justice reform.”

Gascón took office in 2020 amid a reckoning over police misconduct and national calls for criminal justice reform. His directives – such as eliminating cash bail, not seeking the death penalty, and refusing to try juvenile defendants accused of violent crimes as adults – were criticized for being too much. soft on crime.

Upon taking office, Hochman said he plans to eliminate “blanket and extreme pro-criminal policies,” such as gang members’ involvement in violent crimes as part of their initiation.

“That’s what George Gascon’s decarceration policies have effectively meant,” he said.

While in office, Gascon also survived two recall attempts when voters expressed concern about his policies.

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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon addresses the media during a press conference regarding developments in the case of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

He also co-authored Proposition 47, a measure approved by voters in 2014 that downgraded most thefts from felonies to misdemeanors if the amount stolen was less than $950 and reclassified some drug felonies as misdemeanors. The law became the scorn of critics as retail and burglary thefts in California increased during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some also accused him of politicizing the district attorney’s office, such as his recent announcement that he would recommend a new sentence for the Menendez brothers.

On Tuesday, voters overwhelmingly supported a measure to roll back some of the provisions of Proposition 47. Proposition 36, the Theft, Drug Addiction and Homelessness Reduction Act, will undo parts of Proposition 47 by increasing penalties for some crimes.

Hochman had the backing of police unions, many of Gascón’s own prosecutors and many local elected officials.

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Justice advocate Bertha Fraire of the Cherokee Nation (left), whose daughter was kidnapped and killed, stating that no suspect has been identified and brought to justice even after four years, takes a photo with Nathan Hochman, an independent candidate to Los Angeles County District Attorney, during a campaign event in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, October 26. (AP Photo/Damián Dovarganes)

In Alameda County, across the bay from san franciscoPamela Price was recalled as district attorney two years after taking office. Critics accused Price of being soft on crime after his handling of several cases.

Eric Siddall, a rural Los Angeles prosecutor and former district attorney candidate who ran against his boss, said there has been a shift in attitudes about criminal justice.

“I don’t know if there’s a progressive DA in California anymore. I think they’re gone,” he told Fox News Digital. “It’s a striking change from 2020 to 2024. Voters have clearly stated that they want sensible reform, but they also want protection.”

Despite political differences among voters, public safety is a cross-cutting issue, Hochman said.

“I spoke with ultra-left liberals, independents and conservative republicans. And it turns out that, while they don’t agree on much, they do agree that it really matters to make sure the district attorney prioritizes your safety and implements policies that intelligently and proportionately hold criminals accountable for their actions,” saying.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon meets with the media at Grand Park on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. (Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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In Oakland, Mayor Sheng Thao was also removed from office after the recall effort passed with 65% of the vote. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed was on the verge of failing in her re-election bid.

Daniel Lurie was leading the incumbent Casta in the city’s first round of ranked-choice voting.