GOP Candidate Hochman Declares Himself a Runoff Victor in California AG Race

Nathan Hochman, a candidate for California attorney general, has declared himself to be one of two runoff victors in the state's open AG race, with both finalists advancing to the November general election.

Hochman issued the prevailing statement on Thursday, which coincided with reports of him holding a firm grip on second place — with more than 111,000 votes separating Hochman from the third-place challenger Republican Eric Early.

"The likely recall of Attorney General Rob Bonta's ally, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, and the recent recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, is more evidence that Californians are done tolerating fearless criminals, our downward spiraling homelessness crisis, and fentanyl ravaging our cities," Hochman said. 

"We must look to the future of our majestic state and realize that it's worth fighting for. Prior to being appointed, the incumbent Attorney General had never prosecuted a case and it shows. I have worked as a federal prosecutor, U.S. assistant attorney general, defense attorney, and civil and appellate litigator as well as the President of the LA City Ethics."

Hochman continued, "Commission voters will see that my well-rounded experience will stand in stark contrast to my opponent's absence of qualifications to be chief law enforcement officer of California."

State Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat with more than 3.6 million primary votes, currently owns first place in the California AG voting.

Bonta took office in March 2021 after Xavier Becerra resigned from his position to become the Biden administration's secretary of Health and Human Services.

The primary results won't be formally certified by the California secretary of state for another three weeks (July 13), but that hasn't stopped the Republican Hochman (more than 1.2 million primary votes) from getting ahead of the messaging for November's general election.

"The question before voters is a simple one: Do you feel safer today than you did two, four, or six years ago? If the answer is no, vote for Nathan Hochman for California attorney general," Hochman said.

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