Get all the information you need as a Santa Cruz County voter as the June 2 primary election arrives.
Election 2026
Coverage of local, statewide and national elections in 2026.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California voting ends Tuesday. The results? Don’t expect them anytime soon
California has new rules meant to speed up ballot counting, but elections experts and county officials say close races could still take weeks to resolve.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Tom Steyer says the right things. His record says otherwise.
Rose K. Murphy argues that Tom Steyer’s environmental and economic rhetoric clashes with the investment record of the hedge fund he built at Farallon Capital Management. From water rights fights in Colorado to private prisons and overseas fossil fuel projects, the Watsonville resident writes that Steyer, now running for California governor, has never fully answered for the profits tied to environmental damage and corporate exploitation.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Your guide to the 2026 Santa Cruz County primary election
Get all the information you need as a Santa Cruz County voter on candidates and important dates as the June 2 primary election draws closer.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Who’s ahead in the California governor’s race?
Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are holding on to the lead in the latest poll ahead of the California governor election. That’s according to the Public Policy Institute of California, which surveyed 986 likely voters earlier this month.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
What would get Gen Z to vote in California’s primary? These candidates are trying
Historical voter turnout data show that voters aged 29 and younger disproportionately sit out primary elections in California compared to the general voting population. Still, a few gubernatorial candidates have been targeting young voters in their campaigns, particularly through social media and college organizations.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Follow the money: Who’s backing California’s next governor — and why
Billionaires, Big Oil and other interests are spending big to influence the California governor’s race, making for the most expensive primary campaign in state history.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Why did County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez take a campaign sign that wasn’t his own?
Felipe Hernandez, incumbent for the District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor seat, is facing allegations of removing one of his opponent’s campaign signs, just a week before the June 2 primary election.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz voters deserve a real mayoral contest, not political choreography
Community activist and acclaimed yoga instructor Mark Stephens argues that the four candidates running against Ryan Coonerty in the Santa Cruz mayoral race appear less focused on offering a compelling vision than on forcing Coonerty, the front-runner, into a run-off. Stephens contends that the strategy weakens the opposition, confuses voters and risks appearing politically evasive rather than principled. Stephens argues that voters deserve a direct and transparent contest of ideas, not fragmented tactical maneuvering and political games.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
¿Por qué el supervisor del condado Felipe Hernández tomó un letrero de campaña que no era suyo?
Felipe Hernández, actual supervisor del Distrito 4 del Condado de Santa Cruz, enfrenta acusaciones de haber retirado un letrero de campaña de uno de sus oponentes, a solo una semana de las elecciones primarias del 2 de junio.
