OPINION
(Editor’s Note: The following opinion column reflects the opinions of its author, and are not those of Newsmax.)
Election Day, Nov. 5 ,2024, brought about a historic victory for Republicans who are now on the verge of shifting the National political landscape by winning a rare trifecta of the presidency, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate.
But Election Day also brought about a significant shift at the state and local level with voters delivering a clear message on prosecution, policing, and public safety: we’ve had enough of what seemingly is a George Soros-led effort to undermine law and order.
The first signs became apparent early on election night, as prosecutor races in Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida and Athens-Clarke County, Georgia proved to be a bellwether of what was to transpire nationally.
Winning handily was Suzy Lopez. Purportedly Soros-backed Andrew Warren was replaced by Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in 2022.
Ms. Lopez won handily in what was Warren’s attempt to retake the traditionally blue county.
Deborah Gonzalez, another purportedly Soros-backed prosecutor overseeing the Laken Riley murder case was also shown the door by voters after just one term.
Gonzalez’s time in office was characterized by victims’ rights violations, staffing drama, and constant refusal to enforce laws on the books.
This trend was not unique to red or purple states, as deep blue California delivered significant blows to the progressive prosecutor and anti-law enforcement movement.
Readers may recall, Los Angeles County was the most notable, where, fed up with rampant crime, voters evicted radical District Attorney George Gascón.
Gascón won the district attorney seat in 2020 by appreciable margins on a platform of eliminating cash bail and lightening sentences.
Just four years later, those same voters had enough of the soft-on-crime approach and responded in kind, not only sending Gascón packing, but also recalling Bay Area progressive prosecutor Pamela Price.
Voters did more than just remove radical prosecutors who stood against the rule of law, they sent a clear message about what public safety in America should look like.
Nowhere was this clearer than the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where voters elected CPAC-endorsed prosecutor Dave Sunday as attorney general.
This writer contends this was the most significant flip in any attorney generals race nationwide.
Mr. Sunday ran on a message of accountability and redemption, citing his record as York County prosecutor where he successfully led initiatives which provided proportional punishment for offenders, all while creating pathways to rehabilitation for those who were willing to earn a second chance.
Michigan took a similar track, where voters in the Macomb, one of the most tightly contested counties in the country, re-elected Pete Lucido by a wide margin over yet another purportedly Soros-backed challenger.
As county prosecutor, Lucido emphasized the importance of utilizing tools such as diversion programming and community education to not only lower recidivism rates but address the root causes of crime.
In the same breath, he also prioritized holding offenders accountable for crimes that had plagued the community prior to his arrival including retail theft and gun violence.
Election Day Tues. Nov. 5, 2024, was a day of reckoning for the progressive prosecutor movement. The American people are neither ignorant, or naive.
They saw the pattern of corruption, violence, and neglect of law that follows district attorneys backed by those with an agenda, worse an axe to grind.
Thank voters for bringing about a return to common sense approaches to public safety.
Election Day marked the start of a trend towards a safer America and an improved justice system. Voters of all backgrounds have made clear that they desire swift, certain, and proportional punishment that comes with an opportunity to earn a second chance through rehabilitation.
This comes as no surprise to those of us working in the criminal justice system and was laid out clearly in CPAC’s Conservative Principles of Prosecution published by many former and current district attorneys just last year.
It's a trend that will only grow stronger with newly installed prosecutors and a second Trump administration all of whom have embraced the same message sent by the voters: policies of accountability and redemption keep communities safe.
Frank Russo is the associate general counsel and director of CPAC’s Prosecutor and Law Enforcement Advisory Council. He previously served as director of The National District Attorneys Association Government and Legislative Affairs.