California Voters Narrowly Reject New Tobacco Tax

Prop 29 failed by six-tenths of a percentage point

Friday, Jun 22, 2012 | Updated 12:49 PM PDT

Tim Graham/Getty Images

A closely-watched effort to impose a new tax on tobacco to pay for cancer research in the nation's most populous state has failed by six-tenths of a percentage point.

The Associated Press determined Friday that California's Proposition 29, backed by cycling legend Lance Armstrong, had failed by about 27,000 votes out 5 million cast.

Through a barrage of campaign ads, tobacco companies were able to cut support for the $1-a-pack cigarette tax from a two-thirds majority in March to a dead heat on Election Day.

Opponents of the measure raised $47 million to fight it, dramatically outspending supporters, who raised $12 million.

Campaign ads sponsored by tobacco companies framed the tax as a government boondoggle and warned that some of the cancer research could be done outside California.