Both political parties opposed it vigorously, but voters responded to arguments that Proposition 14 would help reduce partisan rancor in the legislature, and approved the measure 54.2 percent to 45.8 percent. Passage means that in the 2012 primary elections, all voters can vote for all candidates, and the top two vote-getters will move forward to [...]

If you’re a political ‘wonk’ and want to check the local and state election returns on your own, with no filtering from us, here are links to the information: The San Diego County Registrar of Voters election results. The California Secretary of State’s election results.

Massive spending funded substantially by their personal fortunes has put Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina way out in front for the Republican races for Governor and Senator in California. Whitman has already spent $81 million, most of it her own money. This spells trouble for Democrats in those races in the fall. See the poll [...]

In a fiercely competitive discussion of endorsement in the 50th Congressional District, EDC members rated both candidates ‘acceptable’ during the May 8 meeting. A motion to endorse EDC member Francine Busby failed to achieve the 60 percent majority required. A subsequent motion to endorse EDC member Tracy Emblem also failed. Then separate motions to rate [...]

California voters will have a chance to conduct an experiment that could help reduce or even eliminate the corrosive effects of money and fundraising on the political process. Proposition 15 would increase fees on registered lobbyists to provide funding that would be used in the Secretary of State campaigns in 2014 and 2018. In this [...]

The discussion of Proposition 14 at the Club’s April 10 meeting seemed to be a contest between lofty aspirational goals for the democracy, and nuts and bolts questions about whether it could work. Voters will face Prop. 14 on the June ballot when they are asked to decide whether to open primaries so all voters [...]

Former founding executive director of MoveOn.org Peter Schurman has announced his candidacy for California Governor in the June primary. He will challenge former Governor Jerry Brown for the Democratic nomination. Details are sketchy, there is no website yet and very little information. Here are two posts about his email announcement Tuesday morning (April 6): Jerry [...]

The Region 20 pre-endorsement conference, held in Escondido Saturday, March 20, saw only one real contest as it considered candidates for endorsement in state and federal races. Francine Busby and Tracy Emblem were competing for an endorsement recommendation in the 50th Congressional District, where one of them will take on incumbent Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray. [...]