Santa Cruz County Elections & Politics Overview

California's government was born out of utter chaos. Here's how the state developed some sort of order to the way it operates, and how it makes and enforces laws.

Justin Cummings declares victory after unlikely comeback

A victory would mark the Santa Cruz City Councilmember’s second unlikely comeback

California has expanded voting access and participation, but that can delay election results. Are there ways to count votes faster without undermining election security?

Gail Pellerin, the favorite to win the 28th Assembly District race, will be the first woman from the county to be elected to state office

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Jennifer Schacher, who has held the Trustee Area 5 seat since she was elected in 2018, has closed the gap between herself and opponent Olivia Flores since early returns began to come in Tuesday …

WATSONVILLE—Felipe Hernandez has increased his lead on Jimmy Dutra in the race for the 4th District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, according to updated results released by the County Elections Department on Friday evening. Hernandez, the …

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s half-cent sales tax increase had formidable support from voters in initial results released by the Santa Cruz County Elections Department. As of Wednesday morning, Measure R had amassed 64.67% of the 3,151 votes tallied. The general tax measure only …

Along with the Derek Timm-Allan Timms slate’s strong performance at the polls, Tuesday night, both of the school board candidates they supported appeared poised for victory, too. By Wednesday, teacher Lucia Rocha-Nestler had grabbed the largest share of the Scotts …

Incumbent Democrat Congressman will likely defeat Republican opponent Jeff Gordon