Elections

Gavin Newsom raised millions for his mental health ballot measure. His opponents have $1,000

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March ballot measure would raise billions of dollars for mental health housing and treatment facilities, but some clinics fear it would strip them of revenue they need for services they provide today.

By

Kristen Hwang

and

Jeremia Kimelman

• January 29, 2024

Candidates, from left, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-California, and former baseball player Steve Garvey, stand on stage during a televised debate for candidates in the senate race to succeed the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2024. Photo by Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo

Politics

What you need to know from the high-stakes U.S. Senate debate

The four top candidates faced off for the first time. Democrats Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff clashed over earmarks and the Gaza war, and ganged up on Republican Steve Garvey over his support for former President Trump. But will the debate change the dynamics of the race before the March 5 primary?

By

Yue Stella Yu

• January 22, 2024

State Senate leader Toni Atkins kicked off her gubernatorial campaign with an event in San Diego on Jan. 19, 2024. Photo by Bryan Giardinelli, Breathe New Winds

Politics

California picks its next governor in more than 1,000 days. Why the race is already so crowded

More than two years until the first votes are cast, Senate leader Toni Atkins becomes the fourth big-name Democrat to jump into the governor's race. She is seeking to become the first female and openly gay chief executive.

By

Alexei Koseff

• January 19, 2024

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. center, flanked by Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif. left, and Rep. Barbara Lee D-Calif. right, during a U.S. Senate Candidate Forum hosted by the National Union of Health Care Workers (NUHW) in Los Angeles on Oct. 8, 2023. Photo by Richard Vogel, AP Photo

Politics

5 major candidates want to be California’s new U.S. senator. Where they stand on the economy, crime and the border

The five major contenders have different track records and proposals on some of the biggest issues facing California. They’re trying to position themselves to appeal to sizable voting blocs before the March 5 primary.

By

Yue Stella Yu

• January 18, 2024

Politics

Vince Fong allowed to run for Kevin McCarthy’s seat in Congress

A judge rules that the Bakersfield Republican is eligible to run in the 2024 election for Congress even though he had already filed to run for his state Assembly seat.

By

Yue Stella Yu

• December 28, 2023

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, talks to reporters at the Capitol on Oct. 3, 2023. McCarthy says he's resigning from his congressional seat in California two months after his historic ouster as House speaker. Photo by J. Scott Applewhite, AP Photo

Politics

McCarthy resignation sets off mad scramble

Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield announces he will leave Congress at the end of the year after fellow Republicans booted him as House speaker. Who might run for his seat? Could one candidate be former Rep. Devin Nunes?

By

Joe Kieta

• December 6, 2023

Journalists watch Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis debate Gov. Gavin Newsom in Alpharetta, Georgia, on Nov. 30, 2023. Photo by Elijah Nouvelage, Reuters

Politics

Five key moments from the Newsom-DeSantis debate

The high-stakes Newsom-DeSantis debate devolved into name-calling and arguing over facts — with the backdrop of the presidential campaign.

By

Alexei Koseff

• November 30, 2023

Protesters calling for a ceasefire of Israeli bombing in Gaza interrupted the general session at the California Democratic Convention in Sacramento on Nov. 18, 2023. The group broke past security and gained access to the general session events at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Politics

California Democrats are divided on Senate race, Gaza war

Rep. Barbara Lee edged Adam Schiff for the most delegates for the U.S. Senate race. The state Democratic Party convention was divided and disrupted by protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

By

Yue Stella Yu

• November 19, 2023

Voting booths in front of an altar for Dias de los Muertos during the Latino Mock Voting event organized by The League of United Latin American Citizens in Tulare on Nov. 1, 2023. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for CalMatters

Politics

Many Latino Californians aren’t voting. Can U.S. Senate candidates motivate them?

Latino voters are up for grabs in the 2024 California election, and could help decide who wins the U.S. Senate seat. But will the campaigns do enough outreach to convince them?

By

Yue Stella Yu

• November 16, 2023

Tony Strickland, Mayor of Huntington Beach, right, speaks at a Veteran's Day ceremony in Huntington Beach on Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

Politics

The Pride flag is gone. Library books are under review. It’s a new era of backlash politics in California

Lacking power at the state level, conservatives are leaning into local governance to protest California’s progressive politics. The fight in Huntington Beach could be a harbinger of what’s to come.

By

Alexei Koseff

• November 15, 2023