Insight With Vicki Gonzalez

Preliminary Election Results

After months of campaigning, curveballs and uncertainty, we are starting to get a look at which candidates are advancing to the general. Many are still too early to be called. County elections offices have until July 2nd to count all the ballots. The Secretary of State will certify primary results on July 10th. Statehouse Politics Reporters Laura Fitzgerald and Gerardo Zavala join us with an update about races they’ve been tracking. We’ll also hear the latest on Sacramento city and county races from Government Reporters Tony Rodriguez and Riley Palmer. 

Voter Data and Republican Analysis

With the primary less than 24 hours behind us, momentum is already picking up for the Midterm. The once congested governor’s race will soon be whittled down to two candidates, and we’ll see if California Democrats’ attempt to flip Republican congressional seats via Prop. 50 came to fruition. Paul Mitchell is the Vice President of Political Data Inc., which tracks ballots across the state. He was also the architect of the new congressional maps under Prop 50 and joined us with post-primary analysis. Also Rob Stutzman, a Republican political consultant and former deputy chief of staff for communications to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, discusses what the California GOP will take to the November general election.

Role of Social Media on Campaigns

How well candidates are able to harness the media is one aspect of political campaigning that can lead to success. From million dollar ad buys on traditional media to big spending on social media, where a candidate places their money can say a lot about what they are and who they hope to reach. Mindy Romero is the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy and she joined us to discuss the growing role of social media in election campaigns.