California’s notoriously long ballot-counting process has sown distrust in the state’s election systems. But experts can’t agree on how to speed up the process; some say a delayed result is better than potentially disenfranchising voters.
Election 2026
Coverage of local, statewide and national elections in 2026.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
District 4 County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez points to track record, experience in office as he makes bid for a second term
Current District 4 Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez spoke with Lookout about his first term, and responded to criticism from constituents over his stance on a battery storage facility proposed for outside Watsonville.
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El supervisor del condado del Distrito 4, Felipe Hernández, destaca su trayectoria y experiencia en el servicio público al buscar un segundo mandato
El actual supervisor del Distrito 4 del condado de Santa Cruz, Felipe Hernández, habló con Lookout sobre su primer mandato y respondió a las críticas de sus electores sobre su postura respecto a una propuesta de instalación de almacenamiento de baterías.
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Billionaire blitz: Steyer’s $132 million campaign dwarfs rivals in California governor race
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan dominated fellow Democrats in fundraising, bringing in $13 million, the most recent campaign finance disclosures show. Katie Porter raised $2.8 million, Xavier Becerra brought in $1 million, Antonio Villaraigosa raised $707,000 and Tony Thurmond raised just $62,000.
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A Westside elementary school principal and a UCSC student face off for Santa Cruz City Council’s District 6 seat
Incumbent Santa Cruz City Councilmember Renée Golder faces challenger Gabriella Noack, a UC Santa Cruz student, in the race for the Westside’s District 6 seat. The contest highlights contrasting approaches to homeless services and surveillance technology.
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A look at local candidates’ first pre-election campaign finance disclosures of 2026
Thursday was the deadline for candidates in the Santa Cruz mayoral and city council races as well as the District 4 county supervisor and superior court judge seats to file their first pre-election campaign finance disclosures of the election cycle. Here’s what they show.
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Achievement gaps, artificial intelligence and more: State superintendent hopefuls detail their plans at candidate forums
EdSource hosted two forums this week for the top six candidates vying to be California’s next superintendent of public instruction.
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Ami Chen Mills envisions a mayorship with more community conversations, leading to more people engaged in politics
Ami Chen Mills, an educator, writer and activist, aims to bring more community involvement to city government should she become Santa Cruz’s next mayor. She aspires to be an educator in office, too, with the hope of getting more people excited about and engaged in politics.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California’s woes at the center of debate among leading candidates for governor
A televised debate among six leading candidates for California governor Wednesday underscored sharp partisan divides on issues from homelessness to taxes, while the Democrats sought to distinguish themselves from each other in a chaotic race with no clear leader.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
A plan to cut a California tax is going to voters. Why L.A.’s ‘mansion tax’ is at the center of it
A measure to roll back two kinds of taxes is slated to go before voters in November. The measure would affect cities and taxpayers across the state, but Los Angeles and its controversial “mansion tax” is the prime target.