Santa Cruz County Elections & Politics Articles

Two-thirds of the bills opposed by the oil industry this year were killed, thanks in part to an alliance with the building trades union, forcing Democrats to sometimes choose between jobs and the environment.

Supporters of a Gaza ceasefire resolution spoke for about four hours at a Santa Cruz City Council meeting Tuesday. (Jana Silverman – Contributed)
SANTA CRUZ >> More than 100 people filled the Santa Cruz City Council chambers Tuesday to call …

Poverty in California was reduced by record levels during the COVID pandemic, but now those economic support programs have come to an end and poverty is on the rise again.

Efforts are underway to qualify a new citizen's ballot initiative that would raise over $7 million a year for environmental restoration efforts, from wildfire and flood recovery to clean water and beaches. It's called the “Santa Cruz County Safe Drinking …

Thirty-seven-year-old Melissa Ajuntas, right, moved to California from Texas for a safer and more inclusive community. She stands with her children, from left, Aleena Romero, 14, Misol Hernandez, 7, and Luna Hernandez, 4. (Natalya Dreszer — Santa Cruz Local)

Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield announces he will leave Congress at the end of the year after fellow Republicans booted him as House speaker. Who might run for his seat? Could one candidate be former Rep. Devin Nunes?

With few strict rules on what California lawmakers must do, politics, policy priorities and personal preferences determine how much they follow the wishes of voters who put them into office.

Governors Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Ron DeSantis (R-FL) faced each other on a debate stage and traded blows, barbs, and zingers over the relative merits of their states in a Fox News debate that was nothing if not entertaining.

Freedom resident Vanessa Tamayo, 39, says she wants local government to help people find housing. She and her daughter, Sophia, attend the Santa Cruz County Fair on Sept. 15. (Natalya Dreszer — Santa Cruz Local)
APTOS >> Ahead of the …

A March 2024 bond measure would raise more than $100 million to buy the land and buildings at Watsonville Community Hospital. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local)
WATSONVILLE >> Leaders of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District on Wednesday night …

Santa Cruz City Hall. (Kara Meyberg Guzman — Santa Cruz Local)
SANTA CRUZ >> Less than two years after Santa Cruz city residents voted down a proposed sales tax hike, the city council on Tuesday agreed to place a similar …

Small, rural districts often struggle to pass local bond measures to pay for school construction and repairs. In some cases, leaking roofs, dry rot and broken air conditioners haven’t been fixed in years.

Governors Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Ron DeSantis (R-FL) are set to face off in a debate Nov. 30 with unexpectedly high stakes, as polls now show both underwater in voter approval ratings.

Assembly Speaker Rivas puts key allies into leadership posts and shuffles the top posts on committees heading into the 2024 session of the Legislature. One big winner: pro-housing advocates.

Soquel resident Glen Wunderling, right, says the cost of living and the cost of medical insurance are rising. Wunderling was at a Grey Bears food distribution site in Soquel with Barbara Murray and his dog, Lucas. (Natalya Dreszer — Santa …

A new law requires K-12 schools to add media literacy to curriculum for English language arts, science, math and history-social studies. Among the lessons will be recognizing fake news.

Democracy is a 2,500-year-old system of government still looked on today as the best system, because under a democratic system, the people govern themselves. But is that all there is to it? What is democracy? And how does it work …

A year from now we’ll be choosing the next U.S. president. But there are many important decisions to be made before then. Now’s the time to start getting ready for the March 5 primary.