Measure Q, the Santa Cruz County Water and Wildfire Protection Initiative, has passed, with 60% of the vote.
Nov. 5 general election 2024
Posted inEducation
School district ballot measures: Most districts secure victories, Live Oak falls short
The majority of Santa Cruz County school district bond and parcel tax measures secured victories after a 4 p.m. Tuesday voting update. Live Oak School District’s Measure N was the only bond measure to fail.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville residents pass Measure V, Measure W
Watsonville residents look to be passing Measures V and W after Tuesday’s updated vote count, with Measure V receiving 7,434 votes (57.9%) and Measure W receiving 7,485 votes (58.6%) in support. Each needs a majority vote to pass.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Jimmy Dutra secures another term in Watsonville City Council, defeating Coffman-Gomez
Incumbent Jimmy Dutra was ahead by more than 10% and 200-plus votes after a Tuesday update from the Santa Cruz County Elections Department and looks set to keep his District 6 seat on the Watsonville City Council, beating out real estate broker and former councilmember Trina Coffman-Gomez.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Scotts Valley City Council: Lind, Clark and Jett win
With Tuesday afternoon’s round of vote tallies, Donna Lind, Steve Clark and Krista Jett won three seats on the Scotts Valley City Council. Corky Roberson, Mercedes Molloy, John Lewis and Dustin Lopez were unsuccessful.
Posted inEducation
Scotts Valley Unified School District: Newcomers Espinola, Redenbacher and Turzak win
After a 4 p.m. Tuesday vote drop, Stephanie Espinola, Gary Redenbacher and Erica Turzak won seats on the Scotts Valley Unified School District governing board. Michael Schulman, Mitali Weiglein and Tuka Gafari were unsuccessful.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Passage of Measure Z, Santa Cruz’s soda tax, nears certainty but not yet definite after Friday’s count
Measure Z, the 2-cent sugary drink tax proposed in the city of Santa Cruz, now has an almost-certain path to victory after it widened its lead to 1,129 votes on Friday; however, more than 1,800 ballots remain to be counted in the districts that touch the city of Santa Cruz. The county clerk’s office expects “nearly all” the ballots to be tallied by Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘I hope for the 1960s’: Republicans in Santa Cruz County come out of hiding after Trump’s victory
In the heart of liberal Santa Cruz County, an unlikely gathering of Donald Trump supporters came together on Election Night. After Trump’s second ascendancy to the White House, local conservatives and Trump supporters say they don’t want to hide anymore. Meanwhile, residents in the LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities gird for the second term of a president who has targeted them constantly.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I’ve been elected to public office eight times – here are my top tips for new elected officials
State Sen. John Laird – who has spent four decades in politics, starting with his first term on the Santa Cruz City Council in 1982 – offers his advice to those just elected. His rules offer insight into the political process as we sort through the Election Day aftermath.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Initial tallies bring some surprises across Santa Cruz County’s elections
A rundown of what we know so far about how races across the county are shaping up. Tens of thousands of ballots remain to be counted, but drama has begun for incumbent city councilmembers in Watsonville and Capitola, while Santa Cruz’s soda tax holds narrow support and the race for District 2 county supervisor remains a toss-up.