America’s Blue Bastions Have Crept Right Amid Rampant Crime And Homelessness

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America’s most liberal cities and states have shifted their policies to the right in recent elections, as crime and homelessness remain large issues in Democratic strongholds.

Left-wing policies in blue states like California and Colorado and cities such as Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland were rejected by voters last week, with voters passing anti-crime ballot measures and ousting liberal district attorneys and mayors. Some of the policies voters supported include tougher drug penalties, harsher prosecution of criminals by district attorneys and more funding for law enforcement.

“I think people are realizing that it’s not a good idea to cut millions upon millions of dollars from your local police department’s budgets, [and] it’s not a good idea to publish lists of crimes that you’re no longer going to prosecute,” Zack Smith, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “And so what you’re seeing is politicians who formally supported those positions are starting to walk back some of their most radical previous policies.”

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins was reelected by a wide margin, fending off a challenge from left-wing candidate Ryan Khojasteh, who worked for former District Attorney Chesa Boudin, according to multiple sources. Boudin was recalled in 2022 after facing widespread criticism for being too lenient on crime.

Boudin prohibited all cash bail in 2020, saying it unfairly targeted racial minorities, according to the San Francisco Gate. The policy was opposed vehemently by the San Francisco Police Officers Association, saying San Franciscans will “pay a heavy price for it.”