Santa Cruz County Elections & Politics Articles

Vanessa Quiroz-Carter, Frank Barba discuss housing, jobs, youth programs and more.

These organizations aim to help citizens engage with their governments.

California’s history of people getting directly involved in the affairs of government dates back more than a century, but it has sometimes been coopted by business and other interests.

The 7th annual Monterey Bay Economic Partnership’s “State of the Region” conference covered a wide range of topics from child care, to the COVID pandemic, to folding houses.

Residents discuss their priorities in the District 2 council election.

Santa Cruz Local reporter Stephen Baxter outlines Santa Cruz County’s power structure in “A Guide to Local Government.”

The Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors has flatly rejected the grand jury's recommendations for further action after the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s Democratic legislators have enacted a sweeping new package of police reform legislation. Here’s what the new laws will accomplish, and why.

In which we ponder human self organization.

Sacramento-based news outlet talks to Jonathan Burgess and L. Dee Slade, both testifying before the Reparations Task Force.

Gavin Newsom's star is on the rise after a dominant victory over a recall attempt, but leading Republican candidate Larry Elder says he's only getting started.

Even though 41 candidates to replace Gavin Newsom in the Sept. 14 recall election have revealed their tax returns, a judge now says that wasn’t necessary.

The switch from at-large to district-based city council elections has yet to get the entire council on board, according to a 'Santa Cruz Local' report.

When California adopted the recall law 110 years ago, it was to keep big money out of politics. Now billionaire donors are dominating this year's gubernatorial recall campaign on both sides.

The next governor of California could win election with far fewer votes that the incumbent governor in the state's recall vote Sept. 14. How did the recall process become so undemocratic?

After criticizing an earlier state proposal for bringing broadband to rural counties, the Rural County Representatives of California now applauds a new bill with $6 billion in funding.

Under California law, local governments may work together in a "Joint Powers Authority." But these little-known agencies can wield broad powers—even to levy taxes—with little public accountability.

A new bill now in the state Senate would make paid family leave accessible even to workers on the lowest end of the income spectrum.

California's recall system for public officials was originally intended to root out corruption, but it quickly took on a different use.

Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.