Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ami Chen Mills ended her bid with a concession Friday afternoon, following the latest batch of vote counts from the county clerk.
Eastside / Live Oak / Pleasure Point
Eastside Santa Cruz, Live Oak and Pleasure Point neighborhoods
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz mayor: Coonerty continues to lead Chen Mills through Friday update
After another vote-count update Friday, longtime local politician Ryan Coonerty continued to lead Ami Chen Mills by just under 6% in the race for Santa Cruz mayor.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County 2026 general election in charts: The latest results after Friday’s update
Find the results for all local races in Santa Cruz County’s 2026 general election here. Lookout will update this page as new results come in.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Ryan Coonerty declares victory in Santa Cruz mayor’s race as vote count nears end
Ryan Coonerty declared victory Wednesday in the Santa Cruz mayor’s race, with more than 97% of the votes counted and a 1,518-vote lead over Ami Chen Mills.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz closes city beaches, wharf as county warns of 35-foot waves
Santa Cruz city beaches and the municipal wharf will close Friday night through early Sunday, with waves of 25 to 35 feet or larger expected along parts of the coast. County officials are telling people to stay away from the shoreline and cautioning about coastal flooding, possible evacuation warnings and winds strong enough to bring down trees and power lines.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz County braces for heavy rain, dangerous surf as waves could reach 30 feet
It’s looking like an indoor weekend for Santa Cruz County residents, with rain in the forecast and coastal hazard warnings issued.
Posted inFood & Drink
The best things I ate and drank in Santa Cruz County in October
October’s standout dishes in Santa Cruz County included bara chirashi sushi on the Westside of Santa Cruz, smoky St. Louis pork ribs in Live Oak, a spicy fried chicken sandwich in downtown Watsonville and roasted duck larb in Capitola. Though spanning Japanese, American and Thai cuisines, each dish showcases the care, skill and passion that make eating out special.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lookout tasted 11 pumpkin pies in Santa Cruz County. These two are the best.
Lookout staffers taste-tested pumpkin pies from 11 Santa Cruz County bakeries and grocery stores, evaluating appearance, crust, filling and flavor to find the best options for Thanksgiving. In the end, two pies — one from a bakery and one available at many markets — stood apart.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
How many ballots are left to count in Santa Cruz County? Here’s the latest
The Santa Cruz County Elections Department says the next release of results will be Tuesday at 4 p.m. With about 8,500 ballots still to be processed, County Clerk Tricia Webber hopes to add 4,900 to 5,000 votes to the county total.
Posted inThe Lookout List
The 2026 Lookout List: Community & Events
Santa Cruz County is teeming with festivals and fairs: wine, art, food, crafts, you name it. For the Lookout List Community & Events category, our voters celebrated these local staples — as well as the volunteer opportunities offering a different way to exist in community with each other.
