Government & Politics

From left to right: Duf Sundheim, Kamala Harris, Loretta Sanchez, Ron Unz, Tom Del Beccaro at a debate at KPBS in San Diego, May 10, 2016.

Milan Kovacevic / KPBS

Claire Trageser | KPBS

Republicans in the California Legislature are sizing up their own campaigns now that businessman Donald Trump will be their party’s presidential nominee. And they’re hoping the old election cliché holds true that “all politics is local."

Neither Senate Minority Leader Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) nor Assembly Minority Leader Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley) have endorsed Trump yet.

Mayes, who previously endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich, even tweeted that he agreed with House Speaker Paul Ryan’s non-endorsement.

When Republican Duf Sundheim showed up at the Democratic Party’s statewide convention in San Jose a few weeks ago, I was a little surprised to see him and asked him what he was doing there.

“Listening and learning,” Sundheim said, “and letting the people of California know that if I’m elected to the United States Senate I’m not just going to listen to the people who voted for me. I’m going to listen to all the people of California.”

Attorneys for the family of a Bakersfield man who died in custody of the Kern County Sheriff’s office three years ago have settled their wrongful death lawsuit with the county for $3.4 million. FM89’s Joe Moore reports.

David Silva was arrested in May 2013 after he was found intoxicated, sleeping outside Kern Medical Center. He allegedly resisted arrest, was beaten by deputies, and was then handcuffed and restrained before he died.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, only one candidate has any experience in Congress, and that’s Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. But in a recent Senate debate, Sanchez denied she’s the insider. She said she’s not the status quo.

“In fact,” she says, “Washington hasn’t changed me. I’ve been changing Congress for 20 years.”

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz speaks at the California Republican Party 2016 Convention in Burlingame, Calif., Saturday, April 30, 2016.

Jeff Chiu / AP

PolitiFact California looks at claims made by elected officials, candidates and groups and rates them as: True, Mostly True, Half True, Mostly False, False and Pants On Fire. Learn more about PolitiFact California.

California Republicans aren't used to being wooed by presidential candidates for anything other than money. But this weekend's state GOP convention in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, drew all three active candidates, as well as hundreds of protesters, police in riot gear and throngs of national media.  

Democrats cast ballots on Sunday to choose delegates for Hillary Clinton.

Ben Bradford/Capital Public Radio

At caucuses throughout the state on Sunday, California Democrats elected many of the delegates who will travel to the party’s national convention and officially choose a presidential candidate.

In Sacramento, the line stretched out the door at a local community center. More than 500 registered Democrats showed up to select six delegates and one alternate. The candidates handed out flyers and lobbied for votes.