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Santa Cruz County Elections & Politics Articles



Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Better Jobs, Affordable Housing on the Minds of Aptos Voters

Aptos residents gather at a Santa Cruz Local listening session at Aptos Branch Library in June to discuss local problems and potential solutions. (Kara Meyberg Guzman — Santa Cruz Local)
APTOS >> Affordable housing, better job opportunities for young people …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Scotts Valley Voters Want Housing, Family Needs Addressed

More than a dozen Scotts Valley residents attend a Santa Cruz Local listening session at Scotts Valley Branch Library in June. (Kara Meyberg Guzman — Santa Cruz Local)
SCOTTS VALLEY >> Some Scotts Valley voters said they wanted more shops …

Local News Matters Stockton logo LOCAL NEWS
Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs Files to Run for California Lieutenant Governor

MICHAEL TUBBS, THE former mayor of Stockton, will run for lieutenant governor in 2026, according to campaign paperwork filed this week.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Cruz County Voters Asked to Fund More Forest Management, Environmental Projects

Santa Cruz County voters on Nov. 5 will consider a parcel tax for county, city and nonprofit projects to help reduce the risks of wildfires, floods and other catastrophes fueled by climate change. Charred hills are shown near Davenport after …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
New State Laws and Recent Votes From Santa Cruz County Legislators

Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, and state Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, discuss state legislation at a June 13 meeting of the Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
SACRAMENTO >> State legislators …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Capitola Council Candidates Asked to Address Spending Transparency, Transportation

Leslie Nielsen, center, speaks at a June 4 Santa Cruz Local event that listened to concerns from some Capitola voters. Nielsen is a board member of Capitola’s Business Improvement Association. (Kara Meyberg Guzman — Santa Cruz Local)
CAPITOLA >> A …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Gail Pellerin Among Top Four Stock Investors in CA Legislature

The total stock portfolio of the Legislature was worth as much as $112 million last year but experts say the public should know more about a politician’s total wealth.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Watsonville Voters Could Open City Commissions to Non-Citizens

The Watsonville City Council meets on June 11. (Marcello Hutchinson-Trujillo — Santa Cruz Local)
WATSONVILLE >> Watsonville voters in November will decide whether non-citizens can serve on city advisory commissions. 
The Watsonville City Council Tuesday night voted 5-2 to approve …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Explainer: Nov. 5 Bond Measure for Pajaro Valley Unified School District

A bond measure on the Nov. 5 ballot would help improve Watsonville High School and other schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School District. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
APTOS >> Voters in Pajaro Valley Unified School District will …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Lawmaker Introduces Bill Requiring Automatic Recounts

After a controversial congressional recount spurred by dark money, one lawmaker is introducing a bill to mandate automatic recounts for statewide elections with tight margins.
Assembly Bill 996, authored by Assemblymember Evan Low, calls for any statewide election with a …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Judge Orders End to UCSC Strike

An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the University of California and ordered a temporary stop to all striking activities by the United Auto Workers (UAW) through June 27.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Kim De Serpa Kicks Off Her Campaign at the Shadowbrook

On June 5, Kim De Serpa kicked off her campaign for 2nd District Supervisor while celebrating her birthday at The Shadowbrook restaurant.

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Police Dismantle UCSC Encampment, Arrest Dozens

UC Santa Cruz Police called upon law enforcement agencies from several jurisdictions from as far away as Ventura early Friday morning to help dismantle an encampment and provide security at the entrance of campus, where roughly 100 students are protesting …

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Student Protestor Voices on Israel-Gaza-Palestine

In this field-produced, bonus episode, the Moment of Truth team interviews pro-Palestinian, student protestors and campers at encampments at UCSC‘s Quarry Plaza, and at Stanford University, in the courtyard in front of the Stanford campus bookstore—one of the longest-lived encampments …

Image caption: Dalip Singh Saund,  the first Sikh, Indian American and Asian American to be elected to Congress and Kamala Harris, the first Asian American vice president.
25 AAPI Leaders From California

California has been home to many Asian American and Pacific Islanders who have transcended barriers and reshaped society, from education to advocacy, art to sports, politics, and beyond.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Photo Essay: UC Santa Cruz Students Urge Divestment From Weapons Makers

More than 150 people have been part of a Gaza solidarity camp with at least 40 tents at UC Santa Cruz’s Quarry Plaza. Demonstrators have asked University of California leaders to divest from weapons manufacturers and made other demands. (Marcello …

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
San Lorenzo Valley Schools Grapple With Declining Enrollment Post-Covid, Wildfires

San Lorenzo Valley classrooms still have hundreds of students fewer than they did before the coronavirus pandemic and massive wildfires rocked the region.

Image caption: As residents continue to exit California, the state’s political power at the national level is at risk.
Updated: California Exodus, Housing and the State's Political Future

The California housing crisis is not only weakening the state politically at the national level, it could shift the political balance in Washington, D.C., as Republican-led states add population while California’s exodus continues.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
With Measure N Official, Hospital Officials Looking to Future

After months of work promoting Measure N—efforts that included going door to door in the vast Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD)—officials can now begin to envision how they will use the $116 million to improve Watsonville Community Hospital.

Image caption: The O Lot Safe Sleeping site at Balboa Park in San Diego on March 22, 2024.
Is San Diego Homeless Camp Ban ‘Successful’?

A new bill would make it illegal for homeless residents to camp in certain places, such as near schools, throughout California. Its authors say such a ban has had great success in San Diego. But a closer look at that …

Featured

California cities switch to more inclusive, district-based elections system.
Voting Rights...the Final Frontier
Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
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