Politics

The initial voting results are in and the unofficial figures show incumbent Ignacio Velazquez will keep his title as the City of Hollister’s mayor for another two years.

A day before Hollister council members sold the open 400 block of San Benito Street for development, Mayor Ignacio Velazquez issued a call to action against the sale on social media. He announced that the following day, June 5, the city council would decide on...

San Benito County and its elected board of supervisors violated state environmental protection laws when they approved a conditional use permit for the Betabel commercial project proposed next to Highway 101, according to a lawsuit filed last week by two nonprofit organizations.  The lawsuit—filed Dec....

Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, taking office at a moment of profound health, economic and political crises with a promise to seek unity after a tumultuous four years that tore at the fabric of American society.

The hotly contested races—and the incumbents—attracted the most contributions in San Benito County’s primary election campaigns, according to the latest reports filed with the Elections Office. Nearly $90,000 had been raised through Feb. 15 in the campaigns surrounding Measure K, a referendum on the commercial...

The Hollister City Council delayed its decision on flying the “thin blue line flag” at City Hall on Aug. 2, citing the need for more background on the significance of the timing. On July 16, the city received an application from a group that identifies...

Dolores Morales appears headed to victory in the five-person race for Hollister City Council District 3, according to unofficial election results. Morales has received 482 votes, or about 42% of the ballots counted so far in the Nov. 2 special election, says the San Benito...

The public anger that led to the resignation of Hollister’s city manager candidate hasn’t subsided— it’s gone viral. In his Nov. 15 resignation letter, Interim City Manager Paul Eckert said he had been the victim of a “witch-hunt” and warned that he “will likely take...

San Benito County Supervisor Robert Rivas’ political campaign announced last week the endorsement of Equality California in the race for the 30th State Assembly District. “I am extremely proud to be endorsed by Equality California,” Rivas said. “I am dedicated to making sure all Californians...

The Free Lance takes a first look at the District Two county supervisor race. The Free Lance will look at the candidates in District One and District Five next week. Coverage of candidates’ views on top issues will follow. One year ago, four-term San Benito...