State Highlights

The political chasm separating California and much of the rest of the nation grew wider as voters reaffirmed their preference for Democrats by electing Jerry Brown governor and re-electing Barbara Boxer to the Senate.

Californians also bucked the anti-incumbent mood that swept the nation by picking the experienced politicians over two newcomers, Meg Whitman, the former chief executive of eBay, who challenged Mr. Brown, and Carly Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, who tried to unseat Ms. Boxer.

The results, along with exit polls, indicated that a majority of Californians continue to support President Obama’s agenda. But Ms. Whitman and Ms. Fiorina failed for different reasons. California voters were turned off by Ms. Whitman’s spending of more than $140 million of her own money on a barrage of negative ads. For Ms. Fiorina, her staunchly conservative, anti-abortion, pro-oil-drilling message proved a hard sell in a liberal state.

While several Congressional races were hard fought, no House seats changed parties, keeping the state’s delegation 33 to 20 in favor of Democrats.

Voters sent mixed messages on how they want the state’s financial problems resolved. They may have hamstrung state officials by approving ballot measures that prevent Sacramento from closing its budget gap by borrowing from municipalities and that make it harder for government agencies to raise certain fees. At the same time, voters  a majority of whom told exit pollsters that they believed higher taxes were necessary to close the state budget gap  passed a measure that will allow the Legislature to approve tax increases with a simple majority vote.

Voters defeated Proposition 19, which would have legalized and regulated the recreational use of marijuana, and roundly rejected Proposition 23, an effort backed by oil companies to suspend the state’s law limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

MIGUEL HELFT