Santa Cruz County Elections & Politics Digest

Meet the candidates running for the Area 2 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Meet the candidates running for seats on the Scotts Valley City Council in the November election.

A look at Margaux Morgan, running for reelection to the Capitola City Council in the November election.

The Mercury News guide to the Proposition 2 $10 billion bond to build and repair public schools.

A summary of the September 23 forum for the candidates running for the District 2 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in the November election.

A look at Measure Q, the Water and Wildfire Protection Tax on the November ballot and comments from those in favor of the measure and some surprising opposition.

Meet the candidates running for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees Area 6 seat in the November election.

An explanation of the Scotts Valley business license tax Measure X on the November ballot.

An explanation of Measure Y, an increase of the Capitola sales tax from 9% to 9.25%, on the November ballot.

The Mercury News guide to the anti-crime and ant-drug dealing measure Proposition 36 on the November ballot.

A September 18 candidate forum in Felton featured Monica Martinez and Christopher Bradford who are running for the District 5 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in the November election.

A look at incumbent Trina Coffman-Gomez who is running for a new term on the Watsonville City Council in November.

Worries about retail theft and fentanyl deaths shaped a November ballot measure that would toughen some criminal penalties. Here are the facts about California crime trends.

The Sacramento Bee takes a look at the Proposition 33 rent-control measure on the November ballot.

An introduction to Christopher Bradford, candidate for the District 5 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.

An introduction to Monica Martinez, CEO of Encompass Community Services and candidate for the District 5 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.

Amid a Southern California heat wave, about 300 advocates for rent control — with two 10-foot “greedy landlord” puppets — rallied Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, chanting: “The rent is too damn high!”

The Santa Cruz Sentinel explains the City of Santa Cruz's Measure Z, the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax, which is on the November ballot.

The Times Publishing Group Q&A with the candidates running for Scotts Valley City Council.

The Times Publishing Group Q&A with the candidates running for the Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors District 2 seat in November.

The Times Publishing Group Q&A with four candidates running for Capitola City Council in November.

On August 29, backers of Santa Cruz Measure Measure Q to fund wildfire and climate resiliency and infrastructure announced the support of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council.

Some Democrats are pushing bills that could put their colleagues on the hot seat in an election year. The authors say they’re representing their constituents and there’s never a perfect time for votes.

Now that the measure qualification and candidate filing deadlines have passed, a look at the local November 5 ballot.

The Sacramento Bee explains Proposition 6, the initiative to ban involuntary servitude.

The Sacramento Bee explains Propisition 36, the anti-crime measure on the November Ballot.

Proposition 32 to increase the minimum wage from $16 isn’t as far-reaching as when it was first proposed. Fast food workers are already making more, and health care employees are on track. But worker groups are already pushing for more.

Two incumbents in the City of Scotts Valley will not be seeking reelection in November.

The filing deadline has officially passed, and all the candidates running for office in November are revealed.

Legislators and Gov. Newsom are working behind the scenes to draft energy legislation before the end-of-the-month deadline.

A voter at a polling center at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana on March 5, 2024. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

Although the initiative process — proposing new laws via ballot measures — has been in California’s constitution for more than a century, its use was fairly uncommon until the 1970s.