Celebrity businessman Donald J. Trump decisively defeated Hillary Clinton in the race for the presidency, following an angry, divisive and unprecedented campaign. His victory helped solidify Republican majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives and left Democrats in disaray. In California, there was disbelief and protests.
KAREN TUMULTY, PHILIP RUCKER and ANNE GEARAN in the Washington Post: "Donald Trump was elected the nation’s 45th president in the stunning culmination of a campaign that defied expectations and conventions at every turn and galvanized legions of aggrieved Americans in a loud repudiation of the status quo."
"Hillary Clinton’s quest to make history as the first female president was thwarted by the Republican nominee’s breathtaking performance at the polls. He was carried to victory by voters fed up with the political system and mistrustful of Clinton, a former first lady, senator and secretary of state."
"Trump, a 70-year-old celebrity businessman who had never before run for office, is poised to become the oldest president ever elected to a first term."
SEE ALSO: Trump victory sparks angry protests across California: 'Not my president' -- LAT's Matt Hamilton; Trump 's election is repudiation fo the establishment -- NYT's Matt Flegenheimer and Michael Barbaro; Trump's victory set off protests on both coasts -- AP in the Bee; The USC/LA Times poll caught what others missed -- LAT's David Lauter; The media didn’t want to believe Trump could win. So they looked the other way -- WaPo's Margaret Sullivan
In California, voters handily approved the recreational use of marijuana, a move that culminated years of controversy about the issue.
PETER HECHT in the Bee: "Twenty years after California voters made the Golden State the first in America to permit marijuana’s use as medicine, state voters on Tuesday night passed Proposition 64 to legalize pot for adult recreational use."
"The passage of Proposition 64, leading by 56 to 44 percent Tuesday night, underscores a changing generational trajectory for marijuana in politics and culture and stands to invigorate California’s teeming medical marijuana economy – already the largest cannabis marketplace on the planet from medical marijuana alone. The Associated Press declared the initiative a victor shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m."
"Under the initiative, adults 21 and over can legally consume marijuana, regardless of medical need, and possess up to an ounce of pot or 8 grams of cannabis concentrate. Many also can begin planting up to six marijuana plants at home, indoors or in enclosed structures, though local governments can ban outdoor cultivation and set rules for indoor gardens."
The AP's BRIAN MELLEY: "About 52 percent of more than 4.5 million votes counted favored an effort to speed up appeals so condemned murders are actually put to death."
"A dueling measure to replace capital punishment with life in prison without chance of parole trailed with about 45 percent support."
"Supporters for both measures agreed the current system does not work. More than 900 convicted killers have been sent to death row since 1978, but only 13 have been executed in the state. The last execution by lethal injection was more than a decade ago."
California voters also approved Jerry Brown's parole reform measure, which is aimed in part at getting nonviolent offenders out of prison.
The AP's DON THOMPSON: "Voters' approval of Gov. Jerry Brown's sentencing changes on Tuesday means at least 30,000 of California's 130,000 state inmates could soon be considered for early release, the latest step in an unprecedented five-year effort to reduce California's prison population."
"The measure passed by a margin of 65 percent to 35 percent."
"The Democratic governor says Proposition 57 will encourage more rehabilitation and help reverse a mistake he made when he was first governor in the 1970s by giving corrections professionals more say in when inmates are released, restoring balance to the legal code that he says has become overburdened with get-tough policies."
SEE ALSO: Kamala Harris easy wins race for U.S. Senate in California -- LAT's Phil Willon; Bi-lingual education returns to California -- Chronicle's John Wildemuth and Jill Tucker; Darell Issa maintains lead in CD 49 -- Union-Tribune's Joshua Stewart; Propositon 55, which continues taxes on the wealthy for education, is approved -- AP's Justin Pritchard; A complete rundown of California ballot measures -- Secretary of State
