Thomas D. Elias

Results like those from Tuesday’s primary cause detractors to call California’s four-year-old “top two” election system the “jungle primary” because it often features races with a dozen contestants and completely unpredictable outcomes. For sure, that makes it more fun both to vote and follow election returns – unless you are a ...

No candidate campaigned harder this spring than Neel Kashkari, the former federal Treasury Dept. official and ex-Goldman Sachs executive who just become the first Asian-American ever nominated for governor of California. He was someplace every day. His campaign issued a non-stop barrage of press releases. He willingly met with political reporters, who took him seriously even when he was at 2 percent in the polls. Mr. Kashkari also won the endorsements of ...

There’s a huge political implication in the big difference between 13.7 billion barrels of oil and 600 million. Similarly, there's meaning in the gigantic difference between 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 6.4 billion (the average California household uses about two to three cubic feet of natural gas per day). Taken together, it’s the difference between fueling the entire United States for several years and ...

With memories of last fall’s federal government shutdown and several national debt default crises already faded from the public mind, national Democrats no longer appear to believe they have a realistic chance of retaking control of the House of Representatives from the Republicans who wrested it away from them unexpectedly almost four years ago. But they might still gain some ...

California voters created tectonic changes in state politics four years ago, when they approved the Top Two primary election system that takes effect in races for statewide offices next month. There is no longer any guarantee Democrats and Republicans will face off in November runoff elections. Four years ago, primary election voters set up more than two dozen intra-party runoffs matching Democrat on Democrat or Republican on Republican in legislative and congressional contests. It could happen in ...

Looking for a new reason to distrust a state government that won’t even expel legislators when they have been indicted or convicted? Examine $46.5 million in grants recently announced by the state Energy Commission for building refueling stations to serve the hydrogen-powered cars due to appear on California roads as early as next year. These grants thoroughly pollute the coming hydrogen highway. Fully 58 percent of the money – $27.5 million – will go to ...

With no serious contest at the top of next month’s primary election ballot and none likely to emerge this fall, the multi-candidate run for California secretary of state has drawn a lot of political attention. But the intra-party race for state schools superintendent offers at least as much contrast. It might have more consequences down the line.

As springtime admission and rejection letters went out from the nine undergraduate campuses of the University of California, the squeeze on this state’s most promising high school graduates became tighter than ever before. That made it fair for many of those rejected despite meeting all qualifications to wonder just whose U.C. this great public university will eventually become. Will it continue to be the fundamental goal and reward for the state’s high schoolers, motivating them to achieve and attempt ever more difficult academic challenges?

It is all the rage these days to say that politics has been changed enormously by the combination of the “top two” primary election system and voters’ increasing reluctance to declare allegiance to either major political party. While it is true these phenomena have made some changes, some basics remain.

Californians don’t trust their state government. That’s nothing really new, but there is as much cause for distrust as ever before in modern times. There is, of course, the scandal that sees three indicted or convicted state senators under suspension after accusations of political corruption, gun-running and/or perjury, all refusing to resign. This leaves millions of Californians without ...