Democrats lose California state senate supermajority after recall vote

close

Video

Tucker Carlson on the civil war brewing in California

Democrats tell California congressional candidate he is 'too brown' to win; reaction from 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' host on 'The Story.'

California Democrats have been denied their supermajority in the state Senate, in a key vote that means Senate Democrats won't hold the two-thirds majority needed to pass tax and fee increases.

Democrats temporarily lost their supermajority in February when a lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct resigned.

They likely would have gotten it back in a special election in August. But then they lost another seat on Tuesday, when voters in an Orange County district recalled Democratic Sen. Josh Newman from office over his vote to raise gas taxes last year.

Former Republican Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang won the seat.

The development comes amid other good news for the GOP in the Golden State on Tuesday. Fox News projects that Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom will move on to the November election in the state's gubernatorial race, taking the top spot in the jungle primary. But Newsom will face Republican businessman John Cox, who surged late in the campaign with the support of President Trump to finish second.

Cox's strong finish over former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democratic institution in Southern California, was something of a win for President Trump, who enthusiastically backed Cox over another Republican contender.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.