Santa Clara County Elections & Politics Digest

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.

It only took the Mountain View City Council about 10 minutes to consider and approve a deal with the Mountain View Whisman School District to jointly use and maintain school fields.

Susan Ellenberg, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, will give her annual assessment of the region's health and what she sees for 2024, touching on key issues such as safety and the budget deficit.

The four leading U.S. Senate contenders in California tried to use 90 minutes of free air time to solidify their pitches to voters—and also to set themselves apart from their opponents.

Little Saigon may be on the precipice of electing its first-ever Vietnamese American to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and a potential key voice in decisions on social services and law enforcement spending.

Five candidates are running for the 18th Congressional District, which consists of San Benito County and parts of Santa Clara, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. Members of Congress serve a two-year term.

More than two years until the first votes are cast, Senate leader Toni Atkins becomes the fourth big-name Democrat to jump into the governor’s race. She is seeking to become the first female and openly gay chief executive.

A historic race for the District 2 seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors may shape how residents in East San Jose vote in the March primary, with two local Vietnamese leaders vying for the job.

Here’s a detailed look at where the main contenders for California’s U.S. Senate seat stand on the big issues—and how they differ from each other.

State Sen. Aisha Wahab, whose district covers Sunnyvale and Milpitas, has submitted a bill asking the California State Transportation Agency to create a plan that would consolidate the Bay Area’s 27 transit agencies.

Prop. 1 would funnel more money into housing and treatment for homeless Californians struggling with mental illness and addiction. But it’s far from a one-stop solution.

The five major contenders have different track records and proposals on some of California’s biggest issues. They’re trying to position themselves to appeal to sizable voting blocs.

Proposed California legislation that would ban tackle football for kids under 12 had gained momentum until Gov. Gavin Newsom made it clear he’d veto the bill.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in a case that challenges a ruling that enforcement of local laws against camping on public property violates the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.

On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump is again promising to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act—a nebulous goal that became one of his administration's splashiest policy failures.

The most prominent California leaders at the national stage have either retired, died or stepped back — opening the door for a new generation of leadership to emerge. Rep. Ro Khanna appears to be at the forefront of that movement.

Sunnyvale residents will vote on a multi-million dollar bond measure to support local school facilities this March.

Neurologist Dr. Peter Fung wants to parlay his years of health care experience into a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and use it to improve care quality.

Lee brought forward AB 259, which proposes applying a 1% annual tax rate on Californians whose net worth is greater than $50 million and a 1.5% rate on those worth more than $1 billion (the state currently houses 186 billionaires).

Marked by moments of levity, the selection of Mountain View’s new mayor and vice mayor was at times celebratory in tone but also a fairly staid event that ushered in the first City Council meeting of the year.

With the primary election for the coveted Silicon Valley congressional seat less than two months away, U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo announced she is backing veteran lawmaker Joe Simitian to succeed her in Congress.

The San Jose City Council unanimously approved prohibiting "foreign-influenced corporations" from making political contributions in city races in hopes that election results reflect the will of residents, rather than wealthy international moguls and associated companies.

Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, who represents District 28, plans to introduce a bill in the coming weeks to ban political advertising materials deceptively altered through AI.

California Sen. Laphonza Butler is the latest national leader to voice who should represent the state's 16th congressional district — and her pick is Assemblymember Evan Low.

Palo Alto's election of mayor and vice mayor, which often feels more like a coronation than a contest, turned fiercely competitive this year, as Ed Lauing narrowly edged Vicki Veenker for the second leadership spot on the City Council.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a March 19 primary to elect a replacement for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who resigned from Congress in December. If a candidate doesn’t win outright, a runoff will be held on May 21.

State Sen. Dave Cortese introduced a bill that would require public officials to forward communications on personal accounts and devices that deal with public business to an official channel.

The Vietnamese American Democratic Club of Silicon Valley wants to be chartered within the Santa Clara County Democratic Party to organize and empower like-minded members within its community.

State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, won a plum assignment when the California Legislative Bay Area Caucus elected him as its chair for the coming legislative session.

Sean Loloee, a first-term Sacramento councilmember, has resigned from office—a move that came weeks after he was federally indicted on charges related to his business Viva Supermarkets.