Your guide to California policy and politics

Presented by Climate-Smart Agricultural Partnership, Californians Against Higher Taxes, Save our Capitol and Sutter Health

Today is shaping up to be a pretty unusual day in Sacramento.

Newly elected state lawmakers will be descending on the Capitol to be sworn into office — even though two seats are still up in the air. That’s because, by some measures, California is in the middle of two of its closest legislative races in more than a century: According to figures updated this morning, Democratic incumbent Melissa Hurtado and Republican David Shepard each had 50% of the vote for a state Senate seat looping around east Bakersfield — and Democrat Christy Holstege and Republican Greg Wallis each had 50% of the vote for an Assembly seat straddling Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

• However, the race for California’s last undecided U.S. House of Representatives seat came to an end Friday, when Democratic Assemblymember Adam Gray conceded to Republican farmer John Duarte for the Central Valley slot. California’s new congressional delegation contains 40 Democrats and 12 Republicans, compared to 42 Democrats and 11 Republicans heading into Election Day. (Due to slowing population growth, California lost one House seat after the 2020 Census.)

Latest coverage of the 2022 general election in California

Also unusual: State legislators will be convening a special session focused on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to pass a “price...

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