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California Secretary of State Shirley Weber speaks during the California Democratic State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on May 31, 2025. This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist.
If you find value in independent local reporting, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who made history in 2021 as the first Black person to hold the office, is seeking a second four-year term. As the incumbent and the only Democrat in the field, she will almost certainly cruise to victory in November. She faces only one serious challenger: Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, a Republican. No Republican has won a statewide race since 2006.
— so slow that projected winners of state legislative races are often sworn in before Weber’s office certifies the results. Under state law, county election officials have 30 days to count ballots and conduct audits. Critics, including Wagner, say the time frame undermines voters’ trust in the In an interview with CalMatters, Weber dismissed the concerns as an issue President Donald Trump drummed up to pick on California.
She argued it’s important to count every ballot and that most outcomes are known before she certifies the results anyway. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
“I know the value of being fast for some folks,” she said. “For me, accuracy is far more important. ” Wagner criticized Weber for doing little to lobby state lawmakers to speed up the ballot count. He said he would roll back the practice of sending universal mail-in ballots to every voter, which the state made permanent during the COVID-19 pandemic, though that would require legislative approval.
He said he’d also support legislation to move up the deadline to certify election results. A new study from UC Irvine finds using a tablet or TV to distract children can lead to more behavior problems down the line. Why LA college students are ditching $30 Ubers for the Metro Free passes, safer stations, rising gas prices and expanding lines are inspiring a new generation to ditch cars and ride transit.
“Rather than wait 30 days, let's make these changes that are right now causing people of all parties and no party to question: ‘Geez, is that really a fair election? ’” Wagner said. Weber, a former San Diego assemblymember, was appointed to the position by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 and later won a full term in 2022.
Thewho fled the Jim Crow South, Weber drew on her family history and campaigned on expanding voter access and boosting voter turnout. Over the past five years, Weber has overseen the administration of contentious elections that drew the national spotlight, from thein 2021 to the congressional redistricting fight last November.
She said she has focused on expanding voter outreach to rural corners of California and encouraging voter registration on high school and college campuses — something she said she would continue to focus on in her second term if she is re-elected. Weber said she fought to defend Californians’ voting rights.
“If we were giving away like candy, who would trust us … to protect their records? ” Weber has also faced criticism from advocates who say the state hasn’t done enough to make voting accessible. Disability advocatesWagner, the Republican challenger, wants to present an alternative to Weber, even though he acknowledged that a GOP upset would shock even himself.
But if he were elected, Wagner, who also served in the state Assembly, said he’d garner enough national attention to use the office as a “bully pulpit” with the Democratic supermajority in the state Legislature. He said he would require voters to display ID while voting, which also would require a new law. A GOP-backedWagner argued that the goal is to restore voters’ trust in state elections.
“I am not one of those Republicans who is going to be out there telling you that unless a Republican wins, the election got stolen,” he told CalMatters. “What I am saying is I believe folks on either side of the political aisle and in the middle question the integrity. ” You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit.
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