Morning Lookout: The latest from Tuesday’s election and poetry meets art
Well hello there! Today is Wednesday, June 8, and a mostly sunny day lies ahead for Santa Cruz County, with highs in the 70s and 80s.
Ballots are still being counted after yesterday’s primary election, and while the next update isn’t expected until Friday, per County Clerk Tricia Webber, we’ve got the numbers from her office’s most recent release, at 2:48 this morning. Our Lookout crew of Mark Conley, Grace Stetson, Max Chun, Giovanni Moujaes and Jody K. Biehl were burning the midnight oil to bring you news and analysis, all of which you can find in our Election 2022 live story. Therein, you’ll get:
- Up-to-date vote totals on Measure D, where the “No” side has a clear lead.
- A look at the races for State Assembly Districts 28 and 30, where Gail Pellerin and Dawn Addis, respectively, lead.
- The counts in Santa Cruz County Supervisor races, with city councilmembers Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Justin Cummings seemingly headed to a November showdown in District 3 and Jimmy Dutra up on Felipe Hernandez in District 4.
- How other county and city of Santa Cruz ballot measures are faring, including a tax separated by just a couple dozen votes.
- Some early thoughts from veteran political observers.
- And lots of easy-to-read, interactive charts so you can visualize it all for yourself.
We’ve also got plenty from around the state, with incumbent Gavin Newsom leading the pack in the governor’s race, Alex Padilla out front in the vote for U.S. Senate, plus races for attorney general, controller and Los Angeles mayor, and San Francisco voting to recall its progressive district attorney.
Lookout will be following all of this closely, of course, with ongoing reporting and analysis in the days leading up to Friday’s report from Webber, so keep tabs by by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And if you want to make yourself heard on all this, here’s how to submit an op-ed or letter to the editor for our new Community Voices opinion forum.
You’ll find all that and Wallace Baine’s chat with our county’s poet laureate ahead of some big June events in this morning’s headlines, so let’s get after it.
Pellerin flexes her muscle, Measure D down big with votes still being counted
Former Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin has gobbled up 34.2% of the vote in the early portion of State Assembly District 28 voting. The early votes on Measure D showed “No” on the hotly contested rail-and-trail measure outpacing “Yes,” 21,021 votes to 8,580. Get the latest from our crew.
➤ WANT SOME BACKGROUND ON THE RACES? All of Lookout’s local coverage in one place
Newsom advances to November as California primary returns come in
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s showing in California’s primary shows how formidable he is even after COVID-19, devastating wildfires and worsening homelessness. Our partners at the Los Angeles Times report.
➤ ATTORNEY GENERAL: Incumbent Bonta, but which Republican? (CalMatters)
➤ CONTROLLER: Republican Chen, but which Democrat? (CalMatters)
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California Sen. Alex Padilla advances in midterm primary election
Alex Padilla was on the ballot twice — once to fill the remainder of Kamala Harris’ term through early 2023 and in the primary to run for a full six-year term. He advanced in both to compete twice again in the general election in November. The Times looks at the competition.
➤ LOS ANGELES MAYOR: Rick Caruso and Karen Bass headed to November runoff (Los Angeles Times)
San Francisco voters recall progressive D.A. Boudin
Progressive San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is recalled after a bitter and pricey campaign amid rising fears over crime and homelessness. A look at the vote and its broader implications.
➤ STATEWATCH: Much more on California politics here
‘Agents of Change’: Poetry on art, offering strands of hope
Santa Cruz County poet laureate David Sullivan talks about upcoming events — a show opening Friday at the downtown library and a workshop set for June 18 — and reflects on changing the world through the written word. Read his Q&A with Wallace Baine.
➤ MORE FROM WALLACE: Time for a new ‘Ohio’: Where is the protest song we need in 2022?
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Venus taps chef John Harry for Beachside, Glaum gains, Zayante mysteries & ‘foodies’ vs. ‘buffs’
All this democratic process got you hungry? You’re in luck, because Lily Belli has tasty morsels aplenty from the Santa Cruz food and drink scene in her latest newsletter. Dig in here.
➤ MORE FROM LILY: All of Lookout’s food & drink coverage in one place
Looking for someplace to watch the Warriors?
The Santa Cruz Warriors are hosting a watch party tonight as their parent club looks to take a lead in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on the road against the Boston Celtics. Click here for the details.
➤ MORE LOCAL EVENTS: Check out our BOLO calendar here
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- Annual Fund Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County
- Mortgage Operations Manager (Remote) at Bay Federal Credit Union
- Manager of Volunteers and Events at The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County
- Financial Aid Specialist at Cabrillo College
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Around the county ...
➤ Head-on Highway 1 crash outside Santa Cruz leaves one injured (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
➤ Hours-long standoff ends on Kilburn Street in Watsonville (The Pajaronian)
That’s it for today. If you’re enjoying our coverage, please tell your family and friends about our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center, where they can sign up for all the newsletters and alerts we offer. You can also keep tabs throughout the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Enjoy your Wednesday!
Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz
