Santa Cruz County Elections & Politics Digest

In their January 16 meeting, the Capitola City Council announced that an open application process will be used to select a new member to fill a vacant seat. Read on to learn what changed and why.

Former Santa Cruz City Councilmember Sandy Brown looks back on her terms of office with the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Read on to learn her thoughts.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel sat down with former Santa Cruz City Councilmember Martine Eatkins for her thoughts on two terms on the council. Read on to learn what she has to say.

In their January 9 meeting, the Capitola City Council voted to hold a special meeting on January 16 to make an appointment to fill the seat vacated by outgoing Mayor Yvette Brooks. Read on to learn more.

THREATS AND HARASSMENT are pushing some politicians out of office, scaring off some would-be candidates and even compelling some elected officials to change their vote.

Those in California who’d like a latte with a side of weed have gotten their wish now that a new law goes into effect that permits licensed cannabis dispensaries to add sit-in cafes to their sites.  

After winning a costly legislative battle last year, California’s casino-owning tribes have sued their rivals in the gambling business. Cities could lose money if the tribes prevail in court.

The increase in lobbyists means there’s now at least one lobbyist for every legislative staff member.

Here are some of the most noteworthy 2025 laws that go into effect on Jan. 1.

Lookout Local looks back at the career of departing Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend and ponders what's in store for him in the days to come.

In their December 23 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors swore in new members Monica Martinez and Kim De Serpa. Read on to learn what they had to say.

California recorded historically high numbers of deaths in county jails for the past six years. Now, counties expect to house more prisoners as Prop. 36 takes effect.

In their December 12 meeting of the Capitola City Council, newly elected members Gerry Jensen and Melinda Orbach were sworn in. Read on to learn what's ahead for the council's new term.

In their December 10 meeting, the Watsonville City Council swore in reelected members and named a new mayor and mayor tempore. Find out who's running meetings for the council's new term.

In the December 10 meeting of the Santa Cruz City Council, newly elected members Susie O'Hara and Gabriela Trigueiro were sworn in. Read on to learn more about them and what's ahead.

Pledging to take on the affordable housing crisis and bring down health care costs, Adam Schiff was sworn in Monday by Vice President Kamala Harris as California’s junior U.S. senator.

Learn how fire districts are moving forward in the wake of the defeat of Scotts Valley Fire Department's Measure S and Central Fire District's Measure R in the November election.

Anticipating certification of her election to the 5th District seat on the Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors, Monica Martinez is resigning as CEO of local nonprofit Encompass Community Services. Read on to learn what's ahead for her and Encompass.

The California Voter Foundation launched a tool tracking daily vote counts in 18 close contests for Congress and the state Legislature. The tracker aims to show how counts change over time and dispel misinformation about election fraud, the group says.

Voters in California’s farm belt, stretching more than 400 miles from Kern County on the south to Tehama County on the north, delivered solid majorities for Donald Trump in this month’s presidential election.

Between the summer session of the California Legislature featuring hot topics like AI regulation and money for journalism, and a special one focusing on gas prices, powerful corporations poured in record-setting money to influence lawmakers.

Read on for more information about the emailed bomb threat which caused the Santa Cruz County Elections Department to evacuate their offices over the weekend.

President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on implementing a sweeping border crackdown and undertaking the largest-scale deportation effort in history. If carried out, his proposed initiatives will have profound consequences in California, which shares a 140-mile border with Mexico.

California’s Senate will reach gender parity, but depending on the outcome of some close contests, that could extend to the whole Legislature.

Newsom wants the new Legislature to ‘protect’ California from Donald Trump on civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families. The session will start Dec. 2.

A lot is at stake with the new Trump administration: California’s water projects, its unique authority to clean its air, federal support for offshore wind and disaster aid for wildfires.

Click to learn more about how your mail-in ballot is processed by the elections department.

A summary of campaign finance filings for the candidates running for seats on the Szcotts Valley City Council in the November 5 election.

THE SALINAS VALLEY is the setting for fecund soil, labor rights movements and John Steinbeck novels.Squeezed into one 90-mile-long wedge between the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountains, the valley’s residents constitute less than 1% of Californians but have shaped the identity of the whole state.

Homeless Californians face many barriers to casting a ballot, even in elections that affect their lives. Some counties and nonprofits are trying to boost turnout.

Proposition 33 on local rent control and the related Proposition 34 are attracting the most campaign cash by far of the 10 ballot measures. But the amount pales to what was spent on dueling sports betting measures in 2022.

A summary of the latest campaign finance filings from candidates running for seats on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in the November election.