San Benito County Elections & Politics Digest

Alejandro N. Mayorkas, a Cuban immigrant who grew up in California, is the first U.S. Cabinet official impeached in nearly 150 years.

Local resident Robert Bernosky announced a plan to initiate a recall of San Benito Health Care District Board member Josie Sanchez.

Anti-tax groups in California have qualified a measure for the November ballot that would make raising state and local taxes much more difficult. It’s a showdown that’s been building for nearly five decades.

The 2024 March 5 election results were certified by the San Benito County Elections on March 29.

Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose Oakland to announce his vice presidential pick on Tuesday, so it wasn’t too much of a shocker that his pick was Nicole Shanahan, a Bay Area tech attorney and philanthropist.

Lawyers from the conservative Christian group that won the case to overturn Roe v. Wade are returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in pursuit of an urgent priority: shutting down access to abortion pills for women across the country.

A judge ruled GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene can move forward with their lawsuit against two California cities where rallies were canceled.

Proposition E broadens police surveillance powers and Proposition F mandates drug screening and treatment for people receiving county welfare benefits who are suspected of drug use.

The number of women elected to the state Senate and Assembly is 50 of 120 after the 2022 election. And based on the primary results so far, it’s expected to increase to at least 55 women after the November election.

A 4-1 vote to hold meetings at 9:00AM instead of 6:30PM was passed with no public input and proceeds to a first public reading and final vote.

At least 24 Black women are running for seats in the California Legislature this year, resulting from years of work cultivating new leaders and growing confidence among voters.

Voting in California can be complicated. Here are answers to some common questions, plus what the leading U.S. Senate candidates say they would do if they’re elected.

Here are the biggest donors in the 2024 California Senate race, both for and against the top candidates: Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Steve Garvey and Barbara Lee.

Conservative activists who worked on the failed recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 have launched another attempt, arguing that conditions in California only worsened in the two-and-a-half years since then as Newsom’s attention shifted to national politics.

Of all the races on your ballot, the least information is often available on local judges. Here are some ways to find out more about these candidates.

On one side: Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ advocacy group. On the other side: Protect Kids California, a parents rights organization.

In his decision, a judge agreed that the alleged white nationalists were being selectively prosecuted instead of 'far-left extremist groups, such as Antifa.'

California’s Elections Code provides for County Central Committees for each of the state’s major political parties, to be elected every four years during the presidential primary.

With the dust settled after the Feb. 19 bill introduction deadline, the California Legislature’s count for new bills this year is 2,124.

Members of the board gathered to put forward a resolution that takes responsibility for the history of discrimination against Black San Franciscans.

When and if California legalizes sports gambling, the policy should honor the laws established in partnership with tribes decades ago, says Assemblyman James Ramos.

Immigration enforcement lowers students’ ability to succeed academically and negatively affects their overall learning experience.

BenitoLink hosted an election forum at the Granada Theater in Hollister, and thanks to sponsors was able to record and edit short videos on each race.

BenitoLink’s second fact-checking article of the election season examines a flier titled “20,000 More Houses,” looking into which statements are correct, false, misleading or taken out of context.

Election candidates in San Benito County have reported receiving more than $86,000 in campaign contributions between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 20, 2024.

A suite of five bills introduced this weeks seeks to protect election integrity from bad actors using AI, especially on social media.

Companies and organizations spent more than $480 million on lobbyists who sought to influence the Legislature, the governor’s office and state agencies.

Board of Supervisors hopefuls speak about repairing roads, providing affordable housing and the landfill expansion project.

The new top Democrat in the state Senate announces his leadership team and new committee chairpersons. He rewarded some allies, and filled five of seven leadership posts with women or legislators of color.

The funds would help California ports expand to handle giant wind turbines and other equipment. California’s first offshore wind farms are on a fast track off Humboldt County and Morro Bay.

Incumbent Bea Gonzales and challenger Ignacio Velazquez are running in the District 5 seat, which covers north county between Hwy 25 and Hwy 156, the Hollister Municipal Airport and downtown Hollister.

Here’s where they stand on the economy, crime and the border.