The contest between Joe Simitian and Evan Low could be decided by Friday's report from San Mateo County, which last reported results on Wednesday, March 13.

Bay Area residents got a shock with the hike in their January energy bills.  Those rates will increase—again—in April. These rising energy bills follow higher bills for insurance, food, water and medicine – not to mention the already-punishing cost of rent or a mortgage.  The bills are just too damn high. Contrary to the belief of some, these higher bills aren’t simply the result of some generalized “inflation,” which declined sharply in recent months.  Rather, specific policy choices got us to this place—and it’s long past time for relief for millions of American families.

Homelessness is a national crisis, and Congress needs to treat it like one. 

Tech security entrepreneur Peter Dixon of Portola Valley filed his FEC candidate statement on Thursday and announced he already had raised $350,000; and Palo Alto Councilmember Julie Lythcott-Haims became the seventh Democrat – and first woman – to announce as a candidate for the seat held for 16 terms by Rep. Anna Eshoo.

The combination of the new early primary date, March 5, plus the prospect of the most hotly contested congressional primary in the Bay Area in decades boosts the likelihood of campaign war chests in the millions.

With the March 5 primary just three months away and a campaign period interrupted by the holidays, the candidates – a total of five Democrats and two Republicans so far – have a big fundraising challenge ahead of them.

The Santa Clara County supervisor says he already has raised $600,000 in federal campaign funds.

Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo's hopes of filling the seat vacated by retiring Rep. Anna Eshoo were energized this week by results from a weekend poll showing the former mayor topping a field of eight possible opponents.

After initially pushing back on protestors’ allegations, the city agreed last month to settle the case before trial.

The city had estimated that the $25 fees would yield $1.3 million, to be collected by a non-profit foundation established to distribute all fee revenue to community-based programs focused on reducing gun violence. That revenue estimate was based on 100% participation of the city’s estimated 52,000 gun-owning households – one of every 15 city adults.

The city’s shifting demographics, a continuing affordable housing shortage, endemic homelessness, a looming budget deficit and the reality of five council elections – plus another mayoral ballot – in just two years create additional uncertainties.

Armed with the results of a new poll that shows overwhelming popular support for a special election to fill vacant District 8 and District 10 seats, council members next week may reconsider a plan rejected by a largely lame-duck city council last month.

Liccardo, a former city councilman, led the Bay Area city through a pandemic, a mass shooting, a homelessness crisis, a horrific flood and more.

A sure bet for Team Mahan is Matthew Quevedo, the new mayor’s campaign manager and former council office chief of staff, whose online profile says he’s deputy chief of staff. And Rachel Davis already posted her new job as Mahan’s communications chief, just in time for floods and rains.

Despite passionate and eloquent pleas from the City Hall audience, the Dec. 5 San Jose City Council decision wasn’t about taxpayers’ money, or voters’ rights. Cash, political power and private conversations not streamed on Zoom won the night.

The vacancies were created by the November election, when District 8 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas was elected as the District 1 representative on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and District 10 Councilmember Matt Mahan was elected mayor.