2012 Election News

State treasurer to retire in 2014 after 40 years in politics

11:37 AM, Jun 3, 2013

Bill Lockyer announces he'll retire at the end of his term as state treasurer in 2014, the end to a 45 year career in elective office.

A new poll finds Californians leery of high speed rail and a 2014 water bond, and are divided on issues related to gun control and the environment.

Poll: Uphill battle for rail, Republicans, and more

9:00 PM, Mar 20, 2013

A new poll finds Californians leery of high speed rail and a 2014 water bond, and are divided on issues related to gun control and the environment.

A poll sent to reporters on gun control support one Central Valley congressional district sampled voters in ratios out of balance with actual voter registration.

Reality Check: Gun poll in California districts uses shaky assumptions

8:55 PM, Mar 5, 2013

A poll sent to reporters on gun control support in one Central Valley congressional district appears to have flawed assumptions about the area's voter allegiances.

Feinstein asks court for campaign treasurer's records

6:24 PM, Feb 26, 2013

Attorneys for Dianne Feinstein want a federal judge to allow them access to the computer files of convicted campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee.

Sacramento County officials discover 407 unopened, and uncounted, ballots from the fall election. And theyre going to stay that way.

Uncounted fall ballots found in Sacramento County

1:41 PM, Feb 14, 2013

Sacramento County officials discover 407 unopened, and uncounted, ballots from the fall election. And they're going to stay that way.

A bill in the Assembly asks state elections officials to come up with plans for holding an election in the wake of a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood.

State needs election disaster plan, says legislator

12:15 PM, Feb 11, 2013

A bill in the Assembly asks state elections officials to come up with plans for holding an election in the wake of a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood.

There a move afoot for a 2014 ballot initiative to add $1 per pack to the state tobacco tax, and use the money for college scholarships and financial aid.

Tobacco tax hike eyed for 2014 state ballot

6:28 PM, Jan 21, 2013

Efforts are now underway to ask California voters in 2014 to, once again, consider a tobacco tax increase -- this time, to pay for college scholarships and financial aid.

Fall ballot shuffle by Legislature illegal, says court

4:48 PM, Jan 18, 2013

A state appeals court says the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown illegally shuffled the order of November ballot measures. That election may be over, but the ruling could block future actions.

When it comes to making a list of big political stories, 2012 offered an embarrassment of riches in the Golden State.

Diverse voters may push big California changes

10:36 PM, Dec 5, 2012

A new statewide poll provides fodder for a hot political debate: the stark contrast between traditional voters and new voters, the latter being younger, more ethnically diverse, and undoubtedly the future of California elections.

A former Democratic campaign treasurer gets 8 years in federal prison for stealing some $10 million in political cash, a case prosecutors say is the biggest of its kind in U.S. history.

California Democratic operative gets prison for embezzlement

3:26 PM, Nov 28, 2012

A former Democratic campaign treasurer gets 8 years in federal prison for stealing some $10 million in political cash, a case prosecutors say is the biggest of its kind in U.S. history.

Calif. political reforms create more competition

4:12 PM, Nov 9, 2012

California's changes to its political systems, through independent redistricting and a new primary system, created more competition and may have helped fuel the strong gains by Democrats on Election Day... so says an early report from researchers.

News10 Political Editor John Myers breaks down the propositions with local political analysts Shaudi Falamaki and Matt David.

Analysis: Brown, Democrats win big in California

2:45 AM, Nov 7, 2012

Not only does Gov. Jerry Brown's tax increase, Proposition 30, appear to be on the winning side of Election Day, but Democrats are in the position to capture a super-majority of both the state Senate and Assembly... the first time any party has done that in California since 1933.

An Arizona group has given California campaign finance officials confidential information about the sources of its $11 million contribution aimed at influencing two Golden State ballot measures.

Mystery political donors revealed as... mystery political donors

1:00 AM, Nov 6, 2012

Exactly three weeks to the day that it put $11 million into a conservative California political action committee, an Arizona nonprofit admitted Monday that the money wasn't really theirs... but rather, was part of an elaborate effort that California officials say is a clear case of political money laundering.

Another new poll confirms the recent downward slide for Gov. Jerry Browns tax increase initiative, but also suggests theres a very real chance that Brown and his allies will eke out a victory on Election Day.

Poll shows Brown's Prop 30 down, not out

6:55 AM, Nov 1, 2012

Another new poll confirms the recent downward slide for Gov. Jerry Brown's tax increase initiative, but also suggests there's a very real chance that Brown and his allies will eke out a victory on Election Day.

Brown's Prop 30 slips under majority support

9:10 PM, Oct 24, 2012

With less than two weeks before Election Day, Gov. Jerry Brown finds his high profile tax increase initiative going the wrong way - down in the polls and, for the first time in any publicly released poll, below majority support.

Large donation fuels fight for Prop 32, against Prop 30

11:44 PM, Oct 16, 2012

A big campaign contribution reported on Tuesday night raises some interesting questions about the forces aligned to simultaneously kill Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative and pass an initiative to curtail the political power of organized labor.

There are two almost universally popular things in California politics: schools, and proposals to keep a leash on Sacramento lawmakers.

Reality Check: Prop 30 ads offer healthy dose of political spin

5:07 PM, Oct 8, 2012

There are two almost universally popular things in California politics: schools, and proposals to keep a leash on Sacramento lawmakers. That probably explains the approach by supporters of Proposition 30.

News10 Reality Check: Congressional Attack Ads. Are current ads targeting both candidates in the 10th congressional district accurate?

Reality Check: National political ads jab ethics, health care

11:56 PM, Sep 24, 2012

Four closely watched congressional races are in the Sacramento region this fall, and all have attracted a national blitz of TV ads funded by outside political action committees - ads where a dash of truth is often stretched and twisted into a political weapon.

More voters in California, but fewer Republicans

2:51 PM, Sep 21, 2012

A new report about the 17.2 million Californians registered to vote finds some recent trends show no signs of slowing down -- especially the inclination of voters to detach from political parties, and the declining party power of Republicans.

Its the most heated fight of the 2012 campaign season: are senior citizens in danger of losing Medicare benefits?

Reality Check: Denham alleges Medicare cuts

9:46 PM, Sep 13, 2012

It's the most heated fight of the 2012 campaign season: are senior citizens in danger of losing Medicare benefits? That's the accusation from Rep. Jeff Denham (R) in his Modesto congressional campaign against Jose Hernandez (D).

Rep. John Garamendi pulls a campaign ad after News10 questions the accuracy of the ads most explosive claim.

News10 Reality Check: Bogus claim in Garamendi ad

11:31 AM, Sep 11, 2012

Rep. John Garamendi pulls a campaign ad after News10 questions the accuracy of the ad's most explosive claim.

News10 political editor John Myers breaks down Obamas DNC speech with state democratic strategist Robin Swanson.

VIDEO: Dem. strategist breaks down Obama's DNC speech

10:14 PM, Sep 6, 2012

SACRAMENTO - News10 political editor John Myers breaks down Obama's DNC speech with state democratic strategist Robin Swanson.

News10 Political John Myers interviews California Assembly Speaker John Perez. 09-04-12

VIDEO: Assembly speaker jabs Christie, lauds Obama

6:43 PM, Sep 4, 2012

Democrats have a lot to be proud of, and so does California, in the eyes of Assembly Speaker John Pérez.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie slams California Gov. Jerry Brown at Republican National Convention.

California criticism, Jersey style

10:05 PM, Aug 27, 2012

"California made a bad choice by electing an old re-tread," said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at a Monday breakfast gathering of the Golden State's GOP delegates in Tampa.

A bevy of legislation left for the final days of Capitol action in 2012 would rewrite state election law, generally making it easier for voters to cast their ballots on Election Day.

Legislature may ease rules for voters to cast ballots

10:25 PM, Aug 23, 2012

A bevy of legislation left for the final days of Capitol action in 2012 would rewrite state election law, generally making it easier for voters to cast their ballots on Election Day.

Can Brown win tax vote with doomsday talk?

12:31 AM, Aug 23, 2012

Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 campaign has, so far, seemed more focused not on what happens if voters say yes, but rather the impending doom if they say no.

Tax measures rise in poll, could ballot labels be why?

5:09 PM, Aug 16, 2012

A new poll released Thursday shows an uptick in support for all of the November ballot's tax increasing initiatives. And the pollsters believe part of the reason could be the newly finalized, and perhaps more favorable, ballot labels.

Food giants stocking up to defeat Prop 37

9:41 AM, Aug 11, 2012

The nation's biggest food companies may not dabble in California politics very much, but they know how to read a poll. And with early surveys showing big support for an initiative to require new labels on genetically modified foods, Big Food is ponying up big cash.