There is an important message:

This Holiday Season, Donate to Monterey County Gives.

Elections & Politics Image

Monterey County Elections & Politics Articles



Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
King City mourns councilmember Darlene Acosta’s death; the city is seeking candidates to fill her vacancy.

Former councilmember Darlene Acosta unexpectedly died the same day her resignation from the city council of King City was effective on Feb. 14. Acosta submitted her resignation in early February citing health reasons.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey County Office of Education breaks ground on Early Learning Program center

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to launch the building of a new Early Learning Program (ELP) center.  The facility, to be named the MCOE ELP Hartnell STEAM Academy, will be built …

Image caption: Can YouTube be held liable for a deadly terrorist attack if its algorithm recommended ISIS videos?
SCOTUS Takes on Section 230, the Online Free Speech Law

The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday heard arguments in a potential landmark case that could roll back Section 230, the 27-year-old law that protects free speech on social media and other online platforms. Which way were the justices leaning?

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Del Rey Oaks City Council appoints Bill Ragsdale-Cronin to a vacant seat, avoiding election.

When the four-member Del Rey Oaks City Council convened for a special meeting on Feb. 9, they were faced with two options: appoint one of two applicants to fill a vacant seat on the council created when Mayor Scott Donaldson…

King City Rustler logo LOCAL NEWS
Sen. Caballero to continue representing Salinas Valley

SALINAS VALLEY — Sen. Anna Caballero will continue to represent the Salinas Valley and San Benito County for the next two years until a new senator assumes the district, announced the Senate Rules Committee last week. Every 10 years a …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
In a surprising turn, Bill Ragsdale-Cronin is appointed to Del Rey Oaks City Council.

When Del Rey Oaks City Council met Feb. 9, the four council members were faced with a stark choice: Appoint one of two applicants to fill a vacant seat on the council, or see that seat filled by voters in…

King City Rustler logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey County Supervisor Lopez swears in for second term

KING CITY — Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez, who represents South Monterey County in the Third District, recently took the oath of office for a second four-year term after running for re-election unopposed in November. Lopez, a King City native …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Del Rey Oaks City Council is in gridlock, unable to decide on who should fill a vacancy.

When Del Rey Oaks City Council convened for business on Jan. 24, the top order of business was who to appoint to fill the vacant seat on the dais.

Image caption: Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) is the new House Speaker, but his constituents remain badly short of water.
CNN: Kevin McCarthy AWOL on Central Valley Water Crisis

Kevin McCarthy has reached the top position in the U.S. House, but has still fallen short in addressing the ongoing water crisis in his owndistrict, a new CNN.com report says.

Image caption: Sen. Dianne Feinstein at the Capitol on Oct 20, 2020.
Scramble Begins for Feinstein’s U.S. Senate Seat

Dianne Feinstein, who has been a U.S. senator from California for three decades, hasn't yet said whether she'll seek another term in 2024, but would-be successors are already standing in line.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
With a four-person council, the process to fill a vacant seat in Del Rey Oaks might get interesting.

Despite its small size – or perhaps because of it – there’s rarely a dull moment in Del Rey Oaks politics.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
The view from Congress on the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Sara Rubin here, two years to the day after violent insurrectionists stormed the United States Capitol. This Jan. 6 is decidedly more mellow, but the obstructionists who made themselves known two years ago are still obstructing government from functioning. Earlier…

Image caption:
Key Issues that Will Shape California in 2023

Welcome to 2023 — a year that may prove decisive in California’s attempts to address some major challenges, from housing and homelessness to climate change.

Image caption: Migrants wait in line while California border activists organize the group to enter the U.S. and seek asylum through the Chaparral entryway in Tijuana, Mexico on Dec. 22, 2022.
Border Scramble

The Supreme Court is keeping in place, for now, Title 42 — the pandemic policy that OK’d migrant expulsions. California has yet to figure out how to meet the needs of an influx of migrants when it does go away.

Image caption:
California Politicians Stash $35 Million in Campaign Cash

Nearly 100 committees are sitting on $35 million in leftover campaign funds. Candidates could give the cash to charity or return it to their donors, but many hold on to the money to retain political influence or to possibly run …

Image caption: An updated primer from the CalMatters reporting team aims to help Californians understand their state government.
2022-2023 Primer: California Policy and Politics

CalMatters' expert journalists around the state created this guide to the state's efforts to meet the challenges of 2022 and prepare for 2023.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey City Council unanimously appoints Gene "Gino" Garcia to vacant council seat.

In a process that took just under three hours on Monday night, Dec. 12, the Monterey City Council voted 4-0 to appoint Gene "Gino" Garcia to an at-large seat vacated by former council member Dan Albert, Jr., who lost his…

Image caption: As lawmakers head back to Sacramento, two issues will dominate the calendar.
More Housing, Fewer Prisons: California's Game Plan

Hanging over the heads of California's newly sworn-in state lawmakers — and likely to be top of mind when they return to Sacramento next month — are the state's intertwined housing and homelessness crises. That was made clear Tuesday, when …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey City Council has a vacant seat—here’s how the council plans to go about filling that seat.

David Schmalz here, thinking about process and democracy. I’ve never lived in a country without the latter—though there have been some close calls recently—but it’s only in my capacity as a journalist that I ever started paying close attention to…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
The future of development in Soledad hangs in the balance as a proposed annexation comes up for a vote.

It’s not a question of whether Soledad needs to grow – most everyone agrees on yes. The question is how.

Featured

California cities switch to more inclusive, district-based elections system.
Voting Rights...the Final Frontier
Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
Join Us Today!