Articles by Cara Brown McCormick

The race to be California’s next governor entered a new chapter this week. Toni Atkins, a veteran lawmaker with decades of influence in Sacramento, has stepped aside. In her place, Ian Calderon, bringing the restless energy of a 39-year-old millennial eager to reimagine the state’s future, has jumped into the contest. The shakeup reflects both the end of one political era and the beginning of another, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most exciting primaries in recent California history....

On September 28, President Donald Trump posted a Truth Social video praising CBD as a “game-changer” for seniors....

A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS between August 21 and September 1 surveyed 2,077 adults, including 1,006 who identify as independents. The results challenge the idea that independents are a single bloc of undecided swing voters. Instead, they fall into five distinct groups with very different views of politics....

The landscape for cannabis in the United States continues to shift on multiple fronts, with recent developments spanning state tax relief, federal enforcement, and congressional roadblocks to reform....

Veterans are once again answering the call to serve, not overseas but here at home, to help heal America’s broken politics. Veterans for All Voters, a coalition of more than 700 active veteran volunteers, has officially launched the Take the Oath Challenge, a nationwide effort to reaffirm the enduring promise at the heart of military and public service: the oath to the Constitution. ...

The South Carolina Supreme Court has closed the door on a challenge to the state’s 2022 congressional map, ruling in a unanimous 5–0 opinion that partisan gerrymandering claims cannot be resolved by the courts....

When California lawmakers extended indoor heat protections for workers across California last year, unfortunately, they stopped at the prison gate, leaving tens of thousands of correctional officers and thousands of their coworkers to clock in for their shifts in record-breaking heat with no guaranteed safeguards....

The shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk has shaken the country and highlighted just how fractured our democracy has become. On this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, Chad Peace and Cara McCormick reflect on the moment, drawing comparisons to the unity the nation felt after 9/11 and asking whether independent-minded reforms could help bring Americans back together....

Colorado has reached a new milestone in voter registration: unaffiliated voters now make up more than half of the electorate....