Politics and Elections
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California readies for contested presidential primary
As the GOP field consolidates in a bitterly contested election season, California Republicans brace for an uncertain but likely bruising state primary. Though small, California’s mainstream conservative establishment has a degree of power that appears to be unusual this election cycle, coalescing
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New poll shows support for legalizing marijuana in CA
A majority of likely California voters support legalizing marijuana, a new pollster announced. Just shy of 60 percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Probolsky Research threw their weight behind the Golden State’s upcoming referendum on pot, which would
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Patterson bill: Pay for your own special election
State legislators occasionally leave office early — often for higher office or to cash in as a lobbyist — sticking taxpayers with the hefty price tag of electing a replacement. But a bill introduced Friday would shift the costs from taxpayers to
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Effort underway to require legislators wear emblems of top donors
The movement to emblazon state legislators with the logos of their donors has collected tens of thousands of signatures for its would-be ballot initiative. “The measure, formally called the ‘Name All Sponsors California Accountability Reform (or NASCAR. Get it?) Initiative,’ would
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Race for CA Democratic Party chair heats up
SAN FRANCISCO – Kimberly Ellis has spent the last eight years trying to get more Democratic women elected to office. And now she’s the latest woman she’s trying to elevate to a top post. She says the California Democratic Party needs
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How to run a ballot initiative campaign
The ballot measure process is simple, right? One citizen has a great idea about how to change our state. He or she gets a bunch of signatures, oodles of volunteers help out and BAM, the measure passes, democracy is served, and
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Dems jockey to succeed Brown
The competition to replace Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018 has already heated up, with five prominent California Democrats already campaigning or angling to throw their hat in the ring. Along with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sought to get ahead of
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Crunch time for Obama’s big CA Asia summit
President Obama faced a soberminded summit with America’s Asian allies at the tail end of his latest trip to California, which will see him raise money for Democrats, make a guest appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show, and catch his
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Carly Fiorina suspends presidential campaign
After a momentary surge wherein she cast herself as a corporate leader who could wrest America back from the “political class,” former California Senate candidate and HP CEO Carly Fiorina ended her bid for the White House. The news
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Popular vote by 2020?
Though it means nothing for 2016, the 2020 presidential election may be decided by popular vote — or at least that’s the timeline given by one of the main proponents. As it stands now, there really is no national election for
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