Author: Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner

Leaders of a small Virginia town voted Tuesday night to keep funding its police department, a week after the town council tried to dismantle it without public input or warning. Town residents have had problems with the council before, but they were caught off guard when it voted 4-2 earlier this month to defund the police…

Former Rep. Barbara Lee, a progressive politician with more than 30 years of service under her belt, is projected to win Oakland, California’s special mayoral election. Lee and her more centrist challenger, Loren Taylor, were the top two challengers in a crowded field of nine jockeying to lead the struggling Bay Area city. Lee will…

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger outraised her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, by more than $3 million, according to the new campaign finance reports. Spanberger reported raising $6.7 million during the first three months of 2025, more than double the $3.1 million raised by Earle-Sears, according to an analysis by the Virginia Public…

The property crime rate in San Francisco has hit a 22-year low. Law enforcement has aggressively cracked down on smash-and-grab jobs, deploying new strategies, bringing in additional help, conducting stings, and deploying “hot spot” overtime units. Incident reports fell to 8,500 in 2024 from 28,500 in 2017. Couple that with Daniel Lurie’s fledgling stint as…

Residents in a small Virginia town launched a petition to recall four of its leaders after they voted to eliminate the entire police department without warning. Purcellville Mayor Christopher Bertaut, Vice Mayor Carl Nett, and Council members Susan Khalil and Carol Luke are all targets of the recall effort. Town residents have had problems with…

Voters in Oakland, California, are going to the polls on Tuesday to pick a new mayor in an election that could reshape the struggling city. The final results, though, may not be known for several days. That’s because the election will be decided by ranked choice voting. Under the system, voters rank candidates from most to least preferred.…

The top two candidates in Oakland‘s special election for mayor spent the weekend canvassing neighborhoods and making their closing arguments to voters in a city riddled with problems. Oakland has yet to bounce back from the pandemic, has a serious public safety problem, and has seen city services slashed due to a budget deficit and years of…

When political novice Daniel Lurie won the San Francisco mayoral race in November, he inherited a hefty to-do list and the unenviable task of cleaning up a once-great city that had fallen into disarray. Now, 100 days later, Lurie believes the city is on its way, as targeted approaches to homelessness, crime, and attracting businesses…

Katie Porter, a California Democrat who harnessed the power of social media and whiteboards in Congress to gain popularity, is no stranger to brutal political races. Porter received attention nationwide for taking CEOs of big pharmaceuticals to task, but she was no match for then-Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) Senate campaign machine. Schiff outmaneuvered her in the state’s dramatic 2024…

State Farm could get the green light soon to raise premiums on California homeowners following public hearings this week, during which the insurance giant argued it needed the price hikes to restore financial stability. An attorney for the California Department of Insurance described State Farm’s situation as “dire,” likening it to the Titanic, but adding that there…