Election Day is upon us. Or, shall we say the last throes of democracy in America is near?
Nevertheless, Bay Area News Group political reporter Matthew Artz joins the podcast for a special Election Day in the East Bay preview.
We touch on the presidential election, California's U.S. Senate race and the suburban battle in the 16th Assembly District.
All bases are covered in the East Bay, from Fremont's mayoral race to Hayward's war among public officials, to the titanic tilt in the 17th Congressional District between Rep. Mike Honda and Ro Khanna. And who can forget Oakland's forgettable council races?
We also give our prediction, too!
In his first interview since registering the biggest upset of the June primary season, 17th Congressional District candidate Ro Khanna returns to the East Bay Citizen Podcast.
Khanna candidly says he didn't anticipate beating Rep. Mike Honda in the primary earlier this month. The nearly two point margin puts Khanna in an advantageous position for the November rematch.
Later, Khanna lays out his progressive vision for the district that includes Fremont and portions of Santa Clara County all the way to San Jose, in addition, to his stances on marijuana legalization, affordable housing and rent control.
The 17th Congressional District primary race featuring Rep. Mike Honda and Ro Khanna is one of the most highly-anticipated House race in the country.
With six candidates hoping to grab a spot in the Top Two primary, supporters for Honda and Khanna duel it out in the East Bay Citizen Podcast's first-time-ever three person show.
In the spirited podcast, Daily Kos citizen blogger Glen "The Plumber" Shaffer and former Tri City Democratic Forum chair Yogi Chugh debate some of the issues in the hyped House race. And it is, indeed, spirited.
In addition, don't forget to vote on June 7!
Primary Day is less than two weeks away and state Senate candidate Nancy Skinner sits down to chat about her campaign in the Ninth District.
Skinner, as a former East bay assemblymember, once represented half of the much larger state Senate. The other half was previously represented by her rival this June (and likely next November) former assemblymember Sandre Swanson. The top two advance to the November General Election.
In the meantime, Skinner gives her thoughts on the June primary race, her experience in Sacramento and offers her views on governance, while touting her clear progressives credentials.
By the way, don't miss the end of the program! Listen to the reggae jam Skinner recorded back in 1981!
In most years, the California Republican State Convention is a sleepy affair, but certainly not this year. Republican presidential contenders Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich are coming to Burlingame this weekend to begin the final stretch toward the big June 7 California primary.
To kickoff coverage of the GOP state convention, former Alameda County Republican Party chair and 13th Congressional District candidate Sue Caro joins the program this week to talk about the local search by presidential hopefuls for locating loyal delegates to the national convention in Cleveland this summer.
Caro also lays out her vision for the congressional district long dominated by Rep. Barbara Lee, one of the most progressive members of Congress. In the interview, Caro describes Lee as ineffective for the district and merely a "symbol of a certain kind of thought process."
I've seen and heard much on the campaign trails across the East Bay over the past few months. Races at the state, county and city level, not to mention the nationally-watched Rep. Mike Honda-Ro Khanna rematch dominate the June Primary ballot. (By the way, if you're not registered to vote, do so now or forever hold your peace).
On this week's episode, I'll break down the candidates and issues in the big five races in the East Bay: State Senate Ninth District races; Assembly races in the 14th and 16th Districts; Hayward's 10-candidate City Council race; the aforementioned 17th Congressional District; and Alameda County's Board of Supervisor District Four winner-take-all race featuring Supervisor Nate Miley and Bryan Parker.
Tojo Thomas, Miley's opponent from four years ago, drops in to talk about his success during the last election cycle in baiting Miley into repeatedly losing his cool and setting up the long-time incumbent to make statements that could be used against him during this June Primary season.
Just months before the grueling 2014 congressional election in the 17th Congressional District between Democrats Rep. Mike Honda and Ro Khanna was nearing its climax, a former Honda congressional staffer was blowing the whistle on Honda's alleged commingling of officials and campaign duties.
Ruchit Agrawal, the then-Honda staffer, provided internal emails to the Office of Congressional Ethics showing the alleged improper actions, including one that could potentially lead to the end of Honda's 16-year political career this November, if found true.
On this week's East Bay Citizen Podcast, Agrawal, however, has surprisingly kind words for Honda and says the incumbent congressman is not unethical as his challenger Khanna suggests.
Agrawal also refutes other aspects of the allegations routinely used against Honda in the media, including the allegation that a list of campaign donors was crosschecked with the congressional office to offer additional and improper personal benefits to the contributor.
San Leandro is on the rise, if you can believe it. The momentum has been building for years and finally many in the tech world and potential home buyers are beginning to notice Oakland's neighbor to the south.
San Leandro Mayor Pauline Cutter joins the East Bay Citizen Podcast to discuss her city's newly found perch as a place other East Bay cities look to for leadership. Later, she talks about development of the San Leandro Marina, its downtown fiber optics loop sought after by industry, and the possibility one day of citywide free WiFi.
The city's first-ever medical marijuana dispensary is due to open later this year and another is already out to bid. Things are changing in The 'Dro, that's for sure.
The big 17th Congressional District primary race is much more than its Democratic headliners, Rep. Mike Honda and Ro Khanna. This week the show goes red with Republican candidates Peter Kuo and Ron Cohen.
Kuo has experience succeeding in mudslinging primaries including Democrats when he sneaked into the 2014 general election in the 10th State Senate District between Bob Wieckowski and Mary Hayashi. Will he play a similar role this time around as the designated peacemeaker in the race?
Cohen is a Fremont CPA running in his first political campaign. Although, one early report had him pledging allegiance to the Tea Party-led House Freedom Caucus, his conservative chops are much more diverse and complex. Unsurprisingly as a tax man by day, listen to Cohen's finer points on the nation's need for fiscal reforms.
The East Bay Citizen Podcast heads to one of this year's political hotspots--Berkeley--where Councilmember Jesse Arreguin is running for the city's open mayoral seat.
Like almost every Bay Area city, the lack of affordable housing, is a big problem. Arreguin describes his ideas for filling the gap and his campaign pledge to innovate Berkeley government.
There's also the problem of Berkeley's slow slide from being a nationally known icon of progressive thought. He says he wants to take back the mantle from local cities like Richmond and Oakland, along with other western cities, like Portland and Seattle.
The East Bay Citizen Podcast is back following the holiday break. Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty joins the program for a lively, entertaining discussion. Haggerty had some new insights into the Raiders stadium saga and, of course, revealed some of his gripes.
In the past week, Haggerty laid into some Castro Valley residents during a Alameda County Board of Supervisors meeting. He's unapologetic about calling the group "unappreciative" of the board's leadership in the unincorporated area.
Haggerty also touched upon the county campaign finance ordinance he authored in 2010 and its first real test coming with Supervisor Nate Miley's re-election campaign against a well-financed challenger.