Puede el término “down-ballot” race te resulte familiar en este año electoral. Para quienes no están familiarizados con la política, este término hace referencia a las contiendas locales que aparecen en la parte inferior de la boleta electoral, donde usualmente se enlistan las oficinas en disputa, descendiendo de nacional a local.

¿Por qué es este término tan relevante en 2016?

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has taken another populist stance that many Republicans disagree with. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press recently, Trump said:

Two efforts by the Colorado state legislature to switch from a closed caucus system to a presidential primary died this week due to confusion over what to do with the state's 1.3 million unaffiliated voters.

Disillusionment with Colorado's closed caucus system reached a breaking point during the presidential caucus in March.

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.