Cara Brown McCormick - Independent Voter News (Page 2)

Are California's Cannabis Raids Starting to Work?

California has seized more than $1.2 billion in illegal cannabis since 2022. But whether those numbers are moving the needle on the state's entrenched illicit market is another matter.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ April 6, 2026

Are California's Cannabis Raids Starting to Work?

Paige Against the Machine: Scranton Mayor Runs Against Congressional Corruption and Old Party Rules

In the fall of 2019, Scranton, Pennsylvania, was in crisis. Its mayor, Bill Courtright, had resigned and pleaded guilty to federal charges of bribery, extortion, and conspiracy.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 30, 2026

Paige Against the Machine: Scranton Mayor Runs Against Congressional Corruption and Old Party Rules

10 U.S. House Members Who Quit Their Party While in Office

Impeachments. Wave elections. Gerrymandered maps. A stolen election that never was. Frustration with leadership. The reasons House members abandon their parties mid-term are as varied as the members themselves.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 26, 2026

A lone congressman walks away from red and blue partisan paths toward the U.S. Capitol, symbolizing Kevin Kiley’s switch from Republican to independent.

Kevin Kiley Leaves GOP, Bets on Independent Voters in California’s 6th District

On March 9, 2026, US Rep. Kevin Kiley held a press conference and announced he was breaking up with the GOP. With that, Kiley became the only capital "I" Independent in the House

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 24, 2026

Crowded Mayoral Race Exposes Why Los Angeles Needs Ranked Choice Voting

The city of Los Angeles will hold a primary election on June 2nd in which fourteen people are running for mayor, including a sitting councilmember, a sitting mayor, and a former reality television personality.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 23, 2026

Will Independent Voters Deliver Dawn Addis a Third Assembly Term in California’s Central Coast?

Dawn Addis, born July 12, 1972, is a former teacher and Morro Bay city councilmember who was first elected to the Assembly in 2022 and re-elected in 2024

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 19, 2026

Assembly member Dawn Addis speaking with an ASL interpreter next to her.

Race to Watch: With Moderate Esmeralda Soria Out, Who Will Appeal to Independents in the Central Valley?

This 2026 race snapped into focus in May 2025 when Soria announced she would seek the SD14 State Senate seat being vacated by Anna Caballero due to term limits. The announcement transformed an already competitive district into one of the top Republican targets in California.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 12, 2026

Illustration of an independent voter casting their ballot with recognizable Merced, California, landmarks in the background.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Ranked Choice Voting for All Elections

State Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) and Representative Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) introduced LRB-5709 on March 5, legislation that would implement ranked choice voting for state, federal, and local elections in Wisconsin.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 10, 2026

Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Ranked Choice Voting for All Elections

California’s Voter ID Initiative is Way More Chill Than Trump’s SAVE Act

A proposed California ballot initiative would amend the state constitution to add an initiative that aims to "deter and detect voter fraud by maintaining accurate voter registration records and confirming eligibility to vote..."

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 10, 2026

Illustration comparing California voter ID ballot initiative with the federal SAVE Act, showing a simple voter ID check versus complex federal documentation requirements.

The Most Unlikely College Campus in America

Cal State LA's Prison Graduation Initiative (PGI) will begin offering courses toward a bachelor's degree at the newly rebranded San Quentin Rehabilitation Center starting in fall 2026. The program will enroll an inaugural cohort of 35 incarcerated students...

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 6, 2026

An incarcerated student walks out of a prison cell and onto a graduation stage in a cap and gown, symbolizing prison education and rehabilitation at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.

Trump to Noem: You're Fired

When threat levels are at their highest due to the situation in Iran, President Trump ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at 1:40 p.m. March 5 in a Truth Social post and named Republican U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as her replacement.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 5, 2026

How It Really Works: The California Billionaire Wealth Tax

California’s proposed billionaire wealth tax has become one of the most consequential policy debates in the nation.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 3, 2026

How It Really Works: The California Billionaire Wealth Tax