Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, gave out $1 million checks to gin up support for Donald Trump. California lawmakers want to ban big cash payments to registered voters.

Documents filed as recently as Tuesday with the San Jose City Clerk reveal several stunning reversals from the funding patterns of the initial four-month million-dollar campaign for the District 3 City Council seat.

Gov. Gavin Newsom long insisted that he had no interest in running for president, despite rampant speculation. Now he’s publicly acknowledging that it’s a possibility.

In contrast to the nearly $1.2 million spent by and for the top three candidates in the initial four-month campaign for the coveted downtown council seat, spending for the campaigns of Gabby Chavez-Lopez and Anthony Tordillos has totalled just over $70,000 since the April 8 vote.

Republicans in the California Legislature are increasingly pushing Democrats on child sex crimes bills. The supermajority is growing more divided about it.

Gabby Chavez-Lopez led Anthony Tordillos by 706 votes in the special election, but won just 30% of the overall vote.

The recount of the April 8 Special Election, required by the narrow margin at the close of regular vote tallies, showed Gabby Chavez-Lopez with 2,712 votes, Anthony Tordillos with 2006 votes and Matthew Quevedo with 2000 votes.

Google, oil companies and utilities helped push California lobbying to a record $540 million in 2024, up 10% from the year before.

A one-day recount will begin on April 24, with certification of the final two candidates to be announced on April 28.

Here are the District 3 leaders after the last Election Day vote count:
Gabby Chavez-Lopez 2,087
Matthew Quevedo  1,592
Anthony Tordillos 1,433
Irene Smith 1,186

PACs allow Big Labor, Big Oil, developers and a billionaire to bypass city contribution limits.

California’s political watchdog staff accused former Assemblymember Evan Low of concealing payments to actor Alec Baldwin for appearing at a 2020 fundraiser for Low, plus multiple other campaign finance violations.

Starting Saturday, March 29, two Vote Centers will be open daily from 9am to 5pm through April 7 at the Joyce Ellington Branch Library Community Room and the Olinder Community Center Community Room.

Those who miss the deadline can still participate in the San Jose City Council District 3 election, but they must register in-person and vote on the same day at the Registrar of Voters’ Office, 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, or at any vote center starting March 29.

Calls to LGBTQ crisis lines spiked after President Donald Trump’s election. His policies target health care for young transgender people, creating uncertainty for a vulnerable community. A spate of recent policy decisions by the Trump administration targeting transgender youth has led to an escalating mental health crisis among an already vulnerable population, experts and advocates say.

Eight years ago, California Democrats adopted “sanctuary” policies to protect immigrants from President Donald Trump’s deportation plans. But now, as Trump ramps up threats against sanctuary states and cities, Democratic leaders have taken on a softer tone.