The Ballot Book Blog

The Major Donors Who Shaped the 2024 Legislative Elections

Who were the biggest financial backers of California’s 2024 legislative candidates? We used The Ballot Book’s new campaign finance tools to analyze which major donors spent the most — and how often their candidates won. The results offer a revealing look at the individuals, businesses, and organizations shaping the future of the State Assembly and Senate.

[New Feature] Local + Legislative Results Now Mapped

Now you can view how each precinct voted in state legislative and local races—including city council, school board, and more. Explore newly added results from 2022, 2024, and past legislative cycles going back to 2014.

Who’s Backing the Right Candidates in Sacramento?

Discover which California political committees are best at picking winning candidates. Our analysis of three recent election cycles reveals the top-performing PACs, their hit rates, and what it says about influence in state politics.

Tracking Early Fundraising in the 2026 Governor’s Race

With the 2026 primary approaching, early fundraising numbers offer a glimpse into which gubernatorial candidates are gaining momentum — and who might be stalling. This breakdown uses data from The Ballot Book’s campaign finance platform to track who’s raising, spending, and signaling viability.

Why Some California Tax Measures Win and Others Fail

We analyzed more than a decade of California ballot measures to reveal the hidden factors behind voter approval of local taxes. Discover how ballot language, tax types, and strategic framing shape the outcomes of tax proposals—and learn which specific combinations succeed most often.

Tracking Trump's Shifting Support: California Districts from 2016 to 2024

Explore how Trump support shifted across California districts between 2016-2024. Our data reveals surprising double-digit gains in Democratic areas while Republican districts remained stable. See the complete analysis with The Ballot Book's redistricting-adjusted data.

Proposition 33 Analysis: Who Supported Rent Control?

What explains support for rent control in California? Our analysis of Proposition 33 reveals that it’s not just about income or affordability—it's about identity. Voter registration, housing tenure, generational divides, and immigrant communities all play powerful, independent roles in shaping how Californians view rent regulation. Using data from The Ballot Book, we explore which cities supported the measure and why.

California's Dramatic Shift on Criminal Justice: A Decade of Change

In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47, reducing certain non-violent offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. Ten years later, Proposition 36 (2024) reversed course by increasing penalties for theft and drug offenses. Using The Ballot Book's comprehensive election data, we analyzed how California cities shifted their stance on criminal justice over this decade.

Did SB 1439 Change Local Campaign Finance?

When SB 1439 became law in 2022, it aimed to curb donor influence by restricting local officials from voting on matters tied to recent contributors. New data from 95 California agencies shows that while overall fundraising and outside spending remain strong, the law may not have significantly changed how money moves through local politics.

When Does a District Become Impossible to Win?

At what point does voter registration make a district unwinnable for Republicans or Democrats? Analyzing over 700 elections since 2014, we pinpoint the exact registration advantage where races become toss-ups and highlight the candidates who’ve defied the odds most dramatically.