Politics

La Mesa resident and City Councilmember Patricia Dillard has formally launched her campaign for mayor in the city’s 2026 municipal election. A review of candidate filings shows that Dillard is currently running unopposed. However, several community and political observers say La Mesa City Councilmember Laura Lothian is considering entering the race, which could significantly reshape the contest.

San Diego officials are tightening the city’s belt once again, confronting a financial hole that continues to widen despite a wave of new fees and rate increases approved earlier this year. Mayor Todd Gloria has instructed every department to clamp down on spending immediately, warning that the coming budget cycle will demand even tougher decisions.

Halle Berry intensified the national conversation around women’s health on December 3 when she openly criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom during the New York Times DealBook Summit, telling the audience that he “should not be our next president.” Her comments drew immediate attention, not only because of their directness, but also because they were delivered moments before Newsom himself appeared on the same stage.

Rumors are growing louder across California’s political landscape that Attorney General Rob Bonta may be eyeing a run for governor in 2026. The speculation has picked up momentum in recent weeks, fueled in part by the decisions of Kamala Harris and Alex Padilla — two Democrats long viewed as potential contenders — to stay out of the race.

ATLANTA - Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican representative from Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, announced this week that she will not run for reelection in 2026 and will resign her seat effective January 5, 2026.

Congressman Eric Swalwell stepped into the California spotlight with a declaration that blended late-night levity and urgent political messaging. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Bay Area Democrat used the stage to announce his run for governor, shifting suddenly from jokes to a serious pitch: California, he said, needs a fighter.

Former United States Senator Barbara Boxer traveled to San Diego to endorse Marni von Wilpert for Congress in California’s 48th Congressional District, injecting new momentum into a race that Democrats hope will flip Darrell Issa’s long-held Republican seat. Boxer called CA-48 a must-win district for Democrats and said von Wilpert is the strongest candidate to take on Issa in November.

As the 2026 gubernatorial campaign gains momentum, speculation is growing that U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell may be considering a run for the state’s top job. While the East Bay Democrat has not declared his candidacy, his name has become a frequent topic of discussion in political circles — and his potential entry is already stirring conversation about how it could change the dynamics of an already crowded field.

California voters have approved Proposition 50, a statewide ballot measure that temporarily shifts the authority to draw congressional district lines from the state’s independent redistricting commission to the Legislature. According to preliminary results, about 65 percent of voters supported the measure. Certification of the final count is expected later this month.

Radio host Charlamagne tha God is calling on Democratic leaders to bring an end to the ongoing government shutdown, saying the standoff has gone on long enough and is hurting ordinary Americans.

In the midst of the ongoing federal government shutdown, the Trump Administration announced Monday that the federal food-assistance lifeline known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be partially funded for the month of November — a tentative fix that leaves millions of Americans in limbo.

Voters across the country head to the polls tonight in a series of closely watched elections that could offer early insight into the political direction of the United States ahead of 2026. From city halls to governor’s mansions and statewide ballot measures, tonight’s contests stretch from coast to coast, each carrying implications beyond its borders.

Seventeen years ago tonight, on November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the office. His victory marked a turning point in American history, reshaping the nation’s political landscape and redefining what was possible in its democracy.

ormer U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who served from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush, has died at the age of 84. His family announced that he passed away Monday evening due to complications from pneumonia and long-term heart disease. Cheney was surrounded by his wife, Lynne, and their daughters, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney and Mary.

Newsom spoke at the United Domestic Workers union hall and was also joined by Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, California Assemblymember Lashae Sharp Collins and the Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers Doug Moore. among others.

San Diego Public Advocate Shane Harris has called on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to declare a Local Emergency as thousands of residents face the threat of food insecurity amid a potential federal government shutdown.

After more than a decade in Congress, Scott Peters is being mentioned as a potential candidate for Mayor of San Diego in 2028. The longtime representative, who first served on the San Diego City Council before being elected to Congress in 2012, has built a reputation as a pragmatic policymaker—someone who favors compromise and long-term solutions over sharp rhetoric.

Elo-Rivera, who represents District 9, has long positioned himself as a leading voice on affordability, equity, and opportunity in San Diego. Yet as the cost of living continues to rise, his decisions at City Hall are being closely scrutinized against the promises of his platform.

San Diego’s patience is wearing thin. From Paradise Hills to Clairemont, from Rancho Bernardo to Southcrest, the same refrain is echoing through backyards and block parties: “We’re getting nickel-and-dimed to death.” This time, it’s not the potholes or the parking tickets—it’s the trash fee.

With just days to go before California voters weigh in on Proposition 50, the statewide ballot measure to temporarily redraw congressional districts, the outlook remains cautiously positive for supporters — though the picture varies across voter groups.

In the city of sunshine and surf, beneath the palm-shadows of our coastal streets, a different kind of uncertainty is creeping in. For tens of thousands of San Diegans who rely on food-aid cards and monthly benefit uploads, the question is no longer will I get groceries—it’s when.

Sherriff Kelly Martinez and Supervisor Montgomery Steppe side by side. Montgomery Steppe's photo was taken by Zoë Meyers/inewsource by San Diego Monitor News Staff The conflict between San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe and Sheriff Kelly Martinez isn’t just another political disagreement—it’s a reckoning over what happens behind locked doors, where lives are lost and accountability often vanishes into bureaucracy. Montgomery Steppe, a lawyer by training and

A dynamic four-way portrait showcasing California’s leading gubernatorial contenders — Antonio Villaraigosa, Xavier Becerra, Betty Yee, and Katie Porter — captured in a clean, modern collage symbolizing the diversity, ambition, and energy defining the race for California’s next governor. By San Diego Monitor News Staff | October 20, 2025 The California governor’s race isn’t just a campaign—it’s a full-blown political remix playing out under the Pacific sun. The beat dropped w