Brown Wins Record 4th Term, Tight Race For 7th Congressional District

1 a.m. - General Election Updates

• Voters Approve $7.5 Billion Water Bond
  
• Sacramento Measure L Defeatedly Handily
  
• Propositions 1, 2, 47 Pass; Propositions 45, 46, 48 Fail

11 p.m. - 7th Congressional District Update

Precincts Reporting: 95.9%

Bera (Dem): 49.0% - 50,672 votes

Ose (Rep): 51.3% - 52,739 votes

9:48 p.m. - (AP) -- Attempt to raise medical malpractice cap defeated

Voters have soundly defeated an attempt to raise California's cap on medical malpractice damage awards, after physician and insurance groups poured tens of millions of dollars into the opposition campaign.

Early returns on Tuesday show Proposition 46 trailing, with 68 percent of voters opposed.

The duel matched doctors against trial lawyers in the most expensive campaign in the state this year and produced a barrage of negative ads.

The initiative attracted national attention, in part because it called for making California the first state to impose random drug and alcohol tests on doctors.

But the reason the contest lured more than $60 million in donations was its proposal to lift the cap on damages for pain and suffering caused by doctor negligence to $1.1 million, up from $250,000.

9:27 p.m. - Latest Results For Propositions:

Fourteen percent of precincts reporting:

Prop. 1 Water Bond - Yes: 68%, No: 32%

Prop. 2 Rainy Day Fund - Yes: 71%, No: 29%

Prop. 45: Yes: 29%, No: 61%

Prop. 46: Yes: 32%, No: 68%

Prop. 47: Yes: 57%, No: 43%

Prop. 48: Yes, 42%, No: 58%

More Election Results

9:00 p.m. - (AP) -- Nevada Rejects Education Initiative

Nevada voters rejected an initiative to impose a 2 percent tax on businesses making $1 million annually to raise money to fund schools in a state near the bottom nationwide in per-pupil spending.

Supporters labeled Question 3 on Tuesday's ballot the Education Initiative.

But foes called it a margins tax that would hurt businesses and wouldn't necessarily benefit schools.

The Coalition to Defeat the Margin Tax advertised heavily, funded with more than $4 million from corporate and commercial donors led by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, insurers, building contractors and Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center.

They outspent the Education Initiative PAC more than four-to-one.

Backers were largely funded by unions including the Nevada State Education Association.

8:45 p.m. - Governor Gives Victory Speech Outside Governor's Mansion

8:33 p.m. - Bera Has Narrow Lead In Early Returns

The suburban Sacramento 7th congressional district is one of the most competitive House districts in the country.

It’s almost evenly split between registered Republicans and Democrats.

Democrat Ami Bera is a freshman Congressman running for a second term.

Republican Doug Ose is a former three-term Congressman looking to return to Capitol Hill.

With nearly 55.9 percent of precincts reporting, Bera has 50.4 percent of the vote, and Ose has 49.6 percent of the vote.

In actual votes, Bera leads by 389 votes.

Both Bera and Ose consider themselves politically moderate.

There was only one debate between the two.  

But, the competitive race was seen as a key to the balance of power in the nation’s capitol between Democrats and Republicans.

And that brought in money - a lot of it - to both campaigns.

The Center for Responsive Politics said more than $20-million was spent in the Bera-Ose race, with an estimated two-thirds of that money coming from outside groups.

The CRP said it was the most expensive House race.

- Ed Joyce / Capital Public Radio

Supporter Maxine Kmezovich shares a joke with Republican 7th Congressional District Candidate Doug Ose on Nov. 4, 2014.

Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

8:30 p.m. (AP) -- Nevada GOP Gov. Sandoval re-elected in landslide

Nevada Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval has been re-elected to a second term in a landslide against little-known Democrat Bob Goodman.

Goodman won the Democratic nomination by finishing second to "none of the above" in the June primary. The 80-year-old Las Vegas businessman raised less than $10,000 for the general election compared to Sandoval's campaign fund totaling more than $3.7 million.

Republicans hope Sandoval's coattails will help carry other GOP candidates to victory, especially Mark Hutchinson in his race against Democrat Lucy Flores for lieutenant governor.

The winner of that race stands to inherit the governor's mansion should Sandoval decide to leave midterm to challenge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2016.

8:28 p.m. - Neel Kashkari Gives Concession Speech

. @neelkashkari giving concession speech in California governor's race. pic.twitter.com/Ueu9L8JGrd

— Katie Orr (@1KatieOrr) November 5, 2014

8:17 p.m. - California Gov. Jerry Brown wins record 4th term

(AP) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown is returning to Sacramento for a record fourth term.

The Democratic incumbent decisively defeated Republican Neel Kashkari on Tuesday after a lopsided campaign in a state dominated by Democrats.

The 76-year-old Brown is already the state's longest-serving governor. He logged two terms in the office from 1975 to 1983 and made history again by winning the fourth term.

Brown argued during the campaign that he led a comeback by the state after the recession cost California more than a million jobs.

His victory came amid a tough political environment for Democrats nationally, with widespread voter discontent with President Barack Obama.

Brown, the nation's oldest sitting governor, would be 80 when his final term concludes.

CapRadio's Katie Orr is reporting that Kashkari is expected to make his concession speech.

6:45 p.m. - Challenger Kashkari upbeat on election night

Capital Public Radio's Katie Orr is in southern California covering the Neel Kashkari campaign this election night. She provides a brief campaign overview as the candidate for governor awaits election night results.

4:57 p.m. - NPR Election Coverage Is A Real Party

NPR hosts Melissa Block and Robert Siegel are hosting an election night party from NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. The site is optimized for TV or coffee table use, and offers an audio-visual blog and a unique look at the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

The site is being updated with fresh data as results pour in from across the country data DJ’ed by Amita Kelly

Join the NPR Election Night Party

4:45 p.m.

12:45 p.m.

By the Numbers: California’s November 2014 Election

• 17,803,823 - Californians registered to vote in the November 4 general election
• (17,285,883 Californians registered to vote in the November 2010 general election (last comparable election))
• 24,435 - Precincts throughout the state’s 58 counties
• 9.1 million - Vote-by-mail ballots issued, as reported by county elections officials
• (7.7 million vote-by-mail ballots issued in November 2010, as reported by county elections officials)
• 4,147,359 - Voters registered with no political party preference (23.3% of registered voters)
• 5,005,422 - Voters registered with Republican Party preference (28.1% of registered voters)
• 7,708,683 - Voters registered with Democratic Party preference (43.3% of registered voters)
• 153 - Legislative and congressional seats up for election: 20 State Senate (all even-numbered districts), 80 State Assembly, 53 U.S. House of Representatives
• 79.5% - Highest turnout percentage of registered voters in a non-presidential general election (1958)
• 50.6% - Lowest turnout percentage of registered voters in a non-presidential general election (2002)
• 28  - Days county elections officials have to complete vote-tallying and auditing after election day

Source: Secretary Of State's Office

8:00 a.m.

The polls have been open about an hour in California on this Election Day. Voters will choose a governor, other state office holders and most state lawmakers. They'll also weigh in on local races, including Sacramento City Council seats and Measure L - known as the Sacramento's "strong mayor" ballot measure.

Capital Public Radio's Jenny O'Mara has been out at polling places this morning and joins us live. Good morning Jenny - what have the crowds been like?

JO: I'd say perhaps crowds is not the correct term to use. I was in a polling place in Rancho Cordova this morning and it was really more a matter of people trickling in ones and twos. Let's put it this way, there was no line to get to a voting booth.

A new Field Poll predicts record low turnout of roughly 46 percent. What are you hearing from voters about why they felt it was important to vote today?

JO: Of the voters I've talked to it's more about the local races. Some people said they had to remind themselves to get out and vote this election. 

More than half of voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail this election -- and that includes many who wait until the last minute and drop their ballots at the polling place. Are you seeing a lot of that this morning?

JO: You can turn it in today. They do caution you sign it in the appropriate spot. Don't just drop it off make sure it's signed. 

Cherly Barnes casts her vote at the 19th and W street polling place. Andrew Nixon /Capital Public Radio

Scenes from a Sacramento polling place early this morning. Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio