You may have heard the term “down-ballot” race this election cycle. For non-politicos this term denotes a contest for a political office that appears in a relatively low position on the electoral ballot, which typically lists contested offices in descending order from national to local.

Why is this term so important in 2016?

It is well documented in the media that the two anti-establishment candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have boosted interest and turnout in the 2016 primary election. Look for this trend to continue in California.

Donald Trump’s candidacy, in particular, may have a major impact in California’s 52nd Congressional District, where incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D) is running against 5 Republicans in the nonpartisan, top-two primary.

Leaders of the Independent Party of Oregon and the Independence Party of Minnesota have reached a "broad strokes" agreement on joining together to form a national coalition of nonpartisan, moderate, and centrist third parties. The parties will convene a national conference or tele-conference this summer to discuss joint nomination of a candidate for president. The group has identified potential third-party partners in multiple states.

Trabajé en la legislatura del Estado de California por 20 años, por lo que no soy extraño de la realidad fabricada en la que viven los políticos o de la visión a veces surrealista del público, la cual es creada por consultores políticos en ambos lados del pasillo. El Secretario de Estado Alex Padilla es un amigo y un compañero demócrata al que he apoyado y espero seguiré apoyando por muchos años.

Con las elecciones primarias del 7 de Junio acercándose a California, las controversias en el proceso de votación se han convertido en titulares en todo el país. Y California dio una gran sorpresa a una organización sin fines de lucro que busca promover el voto de los refugiados en San Diego.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - U.S. Senate candidates tried to go after each other in a televised debate held at KPBS studios in San Diego, but the moderator kept a strict debate format and refused to allow the important back-and-forth exchanges that can reveal a candidate's true demeanor and position on the issues.

Two Democrats and three Republicans debated the issues of public safety, illegal immigration, and the environment, but were often cut off by the moderator and not allowed to finish their thoughts or challenge one another.

I served 20 years in the California legislature so I am not without familiarity with the reality of the bubble that politicians live in or the sometimes surrealistic view of the public that is manufactured by political consultants on both sides of the aisle. Secretary of State Alex Padilla is both a friend and a fellow Democrat who I have supported and expect I will continue to support.

As the June 7 California primary nears, voting controversies have been making headlines across the country. Now California has delivered major surprises for one nonprofit organizing to get out the refugee vote in San Diego.

“From the start, he said: ‘This campaign is not about me’ – it’s a chance for voters who’ve been disregarded and discarded to forge a new political revolution that will continue to grow beyond this election and create a true people’s government.” ~ Jim Hightower, speaking on behalf of Bernie Sanders

Though Bernie Sanders is

With Donald Trump the now presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, he has quickly shifted gears away from his largely self-funded campaign, and is going after the large Republican donors.