With the validity of their petition’s signatures confirmed, critics of Santa Cruz’s mixed-use downtown library project can now plan on taking their issues with the development to the city’s voters.
Local elections
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Primary election slowdown: Here’s why things aren’t moving more rapidly in Santa Cruz County
While the big countywide race, Measure D, left nothing to suspense on election night, and many others are also pretty convincing, there are several close races that won’t be conclusive until at least the end of the week. That’s because a surprising surge of election day voting by mail has left the Santa Cruz County Clerk’s office playing catch-up.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Ryan Coonerty: Who will be Santa Cruz’s George Washington and three other election hot takes
Ryan Coonerty, outgoing District 3 Santa Cruz County supervisor, offers four insights on Tuesday’s election results, along with a bit of wry humor. From the defeat of Measure D to low voter turnout and a historic supervisor runoff, he walks us through the ups and downs of election season and even helps us understand why Santa Cruz today is like Philadelphia circa 1787.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
THE VOTE IS IN: 10 questions on what happens next
Full vote counts from Santa Cruz County’s primary election aren’t expected until Friday, but we’ve seen enough of the results to begin looking ahead to next moves in the rail-trail debate and what’s ahead in the county supervisor and state Assembly races.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
What does Measure D have in common with your neighbor’s barking dog?
Elections offer an excellent time for reflection, and Tenzin Chogkyi, a Buddhist monastic who teaches courses on compassion, says we all can do better at handling conflict. She works at the Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County and offers several examples — from a barking dog to Measure D — to showcase how we can reduce animosity in our lives.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Election 2022 results: Vote counting is slow going with still 50% left to be tabulated
Just released voting totals — with 33,569 votes now counted by the County Clerk’s office — tells us more about what is decided, and what the November ballot will look like. And there are at least two possible cliffhangers in Measure F and the 4th District Supervisor race.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Will ‘D’ deliver voters? Turnout is light so far, but key issues could drive bigger Election Day balloting
By Friday afternoon, Santa Cruz County had received only 22,000 early ballots, “less than for a usual primary,” County Clerk Tricia Webber told Lookout. With no presidential decision on the ballot, will polarizing Measure D and key county supervisor and State Assembly races drive up the numbers?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
State Assembly fundraising: Pellerin, Rennie neck and neck in District 28, Addis way out front in District 30
We take a look at the fundraising for the Assembly District 28 and 30 races and how the candidates compare as election day draws closer.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Monterey survived redistricting; Santa Cruz can, too
Tyller Williamson, a city councilmember in Monterey, sees redistricting as good for minority communities because it allows them more representation. He also “cautiously supports” an at-large mayor. Monterey transitioned to district elections in November and is still working out the kinks. He’s watching Santa Cruz optimistically and says our two cities can learn from each other.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Felipe Hernandez lead: How fundraising stacks up in county supervisors races
With election day approaching rapidly, we take a look at how fundraising for the 3rd and 4th District Santa Cruz County Supervisor candidates compares, with the top candidates reporting dozens of contributors who maxed out their $500 gifts.