Santa Cruz County Local News: Elections & Politics


All Local Elections & Politics News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/28/2022
With their oaths of office now filed away, Cummings and Hernandez officially begin their four-year terms at noon on Jan. 2. Their first board meeting will be Jan. 10.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/28/2022
After a years-long, grassroots effort, Measure O was defeated in the polls. This story is part of the Sentinel's Newsmaker 2022 Year In Review series.

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12/28/2022
With the passage of Measure E, the city of Santa Cruz was divided into six council districts with a mayor directly elected every four years. This story is part of the Sentinel's Newsmaker 2022 Year In Review series.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

12/28/2022
Image for display with article titled Border Scramble: Why California Isn’t Financially Ready for Title 42 to End

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.

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12/21/2022
Image for display with article titled Buried Treasure: California Politicians Stash $35 Million in Leftover 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 again.

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12/20/2022
Image for display with article titled What Has California’s Government Been Up to Lately? Here’s Your Updated Primer

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

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/18/2022
The House Jan. 6 committee is wrapping up its investigation into the 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection. Lawmakers are declaring that they have assembled a "roadmap to justice" to bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and allies.

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12/16/2022
Image for display with article titled Q&A with Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley

He’s served the county and the state in multiple capacities as a public official. Now Fred Keeley is the first popularly elected mayor of his longtime hometown.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/16/2022
As of Dec. 8, I am no longer mayor of Capitola. The new City Council members were seated that evening and a new mayor appointed.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

12/15/2022
Image for display with article titled PVUSD Board Appoints New Leaders, Gains New Member

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees closed its year by swearing in four trustees: three existing members and one freshly elected in November.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

12/14/2022
Following a campaign that saw Soquel Union Elementary School District Area 4 trustee Phil Rodriguez retire, then be reelected, a group of parents and teachers weigh in.

Good Times logo From Good Times...

12/14/2022
Image for display with article titled Farewell to Greg Caput and Ryan Coonerty

The longtime Santa Cruz County Supervisors attend their final city council meeting.

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12/13/2022
Image for display with article titled Fred Keeley Begins Mayoral Term

Santa Cruz’s first at-large mayor recovers from minor health scare ahead of swear-in

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/12/2022
The mood was sentimental in the Santa Cruz County Board Chambers as outgoing Supervisors Ryan Coonerty and Greg Caput bid fond farewells at their final meeting representing the 3rd and 4th districts, respectively.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/09/2022
“Serving as Watsonville's mayor for the past year has been a great honor,” writes Ari Parker.

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12/08/2022
The council's first action was a unanimous vote to make Margaux Keiser the city's mayor and Kristen Brown its vice mayor.

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12/07/2022
Image for display with article titled More Housing, Fewer Prisons: California Outlines 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 Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco introduced for the third time a bill [...]

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/04/2022
Deep into consolidation talks with a neighboring fire agency, the Branciforte Fire Protection District is seeking to fill one—if not two—board leadership vacancies.

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11/29/2022
Four years after California began issuing nonbinary IDs, fewer than 16,000 people have asked the state for a little piece of plastic with their gender marked by an X rather than an F or M.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

11/29/2022
Image for display with article titled Prop 13 and Inequality: How the 1978 Tax Reform Law Drives Economic and Racial Disparities

California has some of the nation’s lowest property tax rates, but who really pays?