Santa Clara County Elections & Politics Digest

A wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former City Manager Steve McHarris in December laid out several accusations of incompetence, unethical behavior and intimidation by city officials, including the mayor.

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.

Voters in Santa Clara will decide in March if they want to continue electing their police chief and city clerk or change the process.

Congressional candidate Charlene Nijmeh is connected to a fake newspaper that mirrors several other misleading websites created by her consultant with ties to Roger Stone and an extreme right-wing agenda.

With the March 5 primary election weeks away, one-third of Silicon Valley voters still don't know who they want to represent them in Congress—and there's a long list of heavyweights hoping to replace retiring Rep. Anna Eshoo.

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.

One of the candidates for Anna Eshoo’s seat hasn’t participated in any debates, and his website was created by artificial intelligence. His name is Karl Ryan—one of two Republicans in the majority Democratic district.

Incumbent Councilmember Domingo Candelas, Surinder “Suri” Kaur Dhaliwal, Sukhdev Bainiwal and Tam Truong spoke to about 50 residents at a forum hosted by the community’s democratic club.

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.

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

California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock bucked his party to vote against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Palo Alto City Council voted to pursue a November ballot measure asking voters if they want to directly elect their mayor. That would change a tradition of having councilmembers pick a mayor among themselves .

While Sunnyvale will ask voters to approve some changes to the city charter this November, a more significant overhaul could be coming in two years.

Silicon Valley's first competitive congressional race in more than two decades is the most highly anticipated contest this election season — and ballots are already in the mail.

California voters this spring are considering a $6.4 billion bond to house people with serious mental health conditions. A similar 2018 ballot measure offers lessons about the obstacles that stand in the way of construction.

There are different rules for the presidential contest and state races on the March 5 ballot. And each party has its own rules.

Sen. Mike McGuire of Healdsburg takes over as Democratic leader in the state Senate from Sen. Toni Atkins. He terms out in 2026, so has limited time to push his agenda.

For three years West San Jose residents have been fighting the city over construction of a Costco in their neighborhood, especially when there are four others just minutes away.

A new poll funded by a pro-business political action committee shows two Vietnamese American candidates as the frontrunners for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 2 seat.

Campaign financial statements show where the five candidates are receiving support, as well as their strategies for raising money and getting their message out to voters.

A sweeping change to California elections took a step forward. The proposed constitutional amendment aims to allow the lieutenant governor to be installed if a governor is recalled.

Lawmakers introduced a package of bills designed to tackle some forms of reparations. The measures may face budget constraints and opposition.

The California Legislative Black Caucus released a list of 14 bills as a first set of reparations for the descendants of African Americans who were enslaved.

Here is your guide to the 2024 California primary election.

Gov. Gavin Newsom crafted the measure to reform California’s mental health system, including a $6.4-billion bond for new facilities.

Faced with a huge budget deficit, legislators are on warning not to expect bills with a high price tag to pass. But that’s not always the goal of introducing bills.

Milpitas resident Chia-Ling Kong was voted onto the Milpitas Planning Commission by a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Carmen Montano, Vice Mayor Evelyn Chua, and Councilmember Garry Barbadillo voting in favor.

A bill would let state legislators, who say they fear for their safety, shield their property holdings from disclosure forms. But critics say that could conceal potential conflicts of interest.

Rates of routine childhood vaccination hit a 10-year low in 2023. That, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, puts about 250,000 kindergartners at risk for measles.