Elections

Nine Democrats, one party endorsement, zero consensus. California's gubernatorial hopefuls woo delegates while anxiety grows about a GOP lockout.

In a pivotal election year that will serve as a referendum on the second Trump administration, California Democrats face pressure from activists on the left to abandon “radical civility” and instead back candidates who will push back hard against the GOP.

“They believe they have the divine right to rule,” U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders told a crowd in Los Angeles Wednesday night. A proposed ballot measure would tax billionaires' net worth by 5% for health care and schools, but top Democrats say it will drive them away.

Kiley has yet to declare which district he'll run in — or whether he'll run at all — after Prop. 50 turned his current seat solidly Democratic.

After 2024 losses, Democrats split on strategy: move to the middle or embrace economic populism. A Central Valley congressional race encapsulates the divide.

It takes tens of millions of dollars to run a statewide campaign for governor. Strategists say the many Democratic candidates aren’t raising money quickly enough.

In the seven times he’s run for Congress, Valadao has lost his seat only once – in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first midterm election. Democrats hope to oust him again by leveraging his politically toxic vote for the GOP megabill that will cut funding to Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage for nearly two-thirds of his constituents.

The San Jose mayor broke with fellow Democrats on crime and wants to arrest homeless people who refuse shelter. He joins a crowded Democratic field for governor.

California has the second-highest electricity bills in the nation, and no candidate for governor has honed in as much as climate investor Tom Steyer. But is his promise to cut bills 25% realistic?

After the sudden death of U.S. Rep Doug LaMalfa, a CalMatters reporter who covered him for 20 years reflects on his life and legacy.