Semantic Coherence: The Mercury News – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[H2] Featured

Poll shows close contest among three leaders, while support has faded for trailing candidates.

[IMG: From left, Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa and Betty Yee stand on the stage during the California gubernatorial candidate debate Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Laure Andrillon)]

[IMG: Robots that are assessing pedestrian infrastructure in Hollister were vandalized on Thursday, May 29, 2026. Police are asking for the public]

[IMG: Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan won’t win in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary. But their decisions to stay in the race will likely enable Republican Steve Hilton to move on to the general election.]

[IMG: San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Caleb Kilian reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Colorado Rockies]

[IMG: Ground motion simulation of a magnitude 7 earthquake on the Hayward fault at 5, 15, and 25 seconds using the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory-Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Earthquake Simulation platform. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)]

[H2] Latest Headlines

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[H3] Latest poll shows tightening race for No. 2 spot in California governor race
Latest poll shows tightening race for No. 2 spot in California governor race
[H3] Dear Abby: He might soon be my son-in-law. For now, he’s the guy who stole my money.
Dear Abby: He might soon be my son-in-law. For now, he's the guy who stole my money.
[H3] Meta to slash thousands more Bay Area jobs
Meta to slash thousands more Bay Area jobs
[H3] New poll points to possible Becerra-Hilton matchup in California governor’s race
New poll points to possible Becerra-Hilton matchup in California governor’s race
[H3] Bay Area News Group’s endorsement guide to California’s June 2 Primary
Bay Area News Group's endorsement guide to California's June 2 Primary
[H3] Borenstein: Porter’s and Mahan’s egos fuel Hilton in California governor race
Borenstein: Porter's and Mahan's egos fuel Hilton in California governor race
[H3] Harriette Cole: I ignored my cousin’s warning and dated this man. It ended badly.
Harriette Cole: I ignored my cousin's warning and dated this man. It ended badly.
[H3] Woman behind notorious Los Gatos teen party scandal gets maximum prison sentence
Woman behind notorious Los Gatos teen party scandal gets maximum prison sentence
[H3] What’s required when renewing your California driver’s license if you’re over 70?
What’s required when renewing your California driver’s license if you’re over 70?
[H3] Barron Trump skips Don Jr.’s wedding as Melania Trump keeps her distance: reports
Barron Trump skips Don Jr.'s wedding as Melania Trump keeps her distance: reports

[H2]
Crime and Public Safety

[IMG: This photo provided by the Virginia State Police, shows the scene of a fatal accident involving a bus on Interstate 95 near Quantico, Va., on Friday, May 29, 2026. (Virginia State Police via AP)]
The family wedding will go forward Sunday in South Carolina, but it also will be a time to mourn the loss.

[H2]
Sports

[IMG: Archbishop Mitty celebrates winning the CCS Division II championship against Palma School at Excite Ballpark in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, May 29, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)]
Felix Chang's homer helps propel Mitty to its seventh CCS title as Monarchs win Division II. In Division V final, Half Moon Bay edges San Mateo in a classic pitchers' duel.

[H2]
Real Estate

[IMG: A black and white photo of Jack London.]
According to the realtor, the land and the house has remained in the care of London’s descendants for more than a century, “held, protected, and rarely experienced from within — until now.”

[H2] Photos

[IMG: A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket stands ready for launch.]
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin posted on X.

[IMG: From left, Ian Doty, his son Rye, dad Steve and daughter Eve with some of the hundreds of lunch bags, first drawn in pen by Steve for Ian 35 years ago who now creates colorful pieces for his own children. Photo taken Thursday, May 21, 2026 in their home near Forestville. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)]

[IMG: Leo Woodall stars as a piano whose acute sense of hearing is put to nefarious use in]

[IMG: From left, Martyna Kuron and her siblings, Maja and Oliver, of Pleasanton have fun at The Wave Waterpark]

[IMG: Chiwetel Ejiofor finds himself lost and trapped in a series of empty rooms in]

[IMG: Joshua Kerling, 20, and Katy Kerling, his mother, hold their socialized pigs snout-to-snout recently. Their family’s business, The Mini-Experience Petting Zoo, brings animals, smiles and community connection to events throughout East Contra Costa County and much further beyond. (Charleen Earley for Bay Area News Group)]

[IMG: Kauai, a 4-year-old spayed female pit bull currently available for adoption, looks past the cage at the City of San JosÈ Animal Care Center in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)]

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[IMG: Larry Hayes, 86-year-old 65+ tennis league captain, practices with his team at Cuesta Park in Mountain View, Calif., on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)]

[IMG: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The updated ride lets visitors pick from the three different destinations – Bespin (Cloud City), Endor (Wreckage of the second Death Star) or Coruscant (The city-planet) – and appearances by The Mandalorian and Grogu. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)]

[IMG: Golden State Valkyries rookie Justė Jocytė (4) is congratulated at the end of their win against the Connecticut Sun after making her debut at Chase Center in San Francisco, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)]

[IMG: BottleRock Napa Valley festivalgoers wear looks inspired by the 1970s, 1990s and early 2000s in Napa on Saturday, May 24, 2026. (Anna Armstrong / The Press Democrat)]

[IMG: A 95 pound anvil is launched in to the air with 1/2 a pound of gun powder at the end of “Memorial Day at Union Cemetery” in Redwood City, Calif., on Monday, May 25, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)]

[H2]
Things To Do

[IMG: Zephira Milea of Berkeley smiles as she reacts to participants in the parade during the Oakland Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)]
Looking for ways to celebrate Pride this summer? Skip SF and scout out these events...

[H2]
Restaurants, Food and Drink

[IMG: Basil, a summer plant, tastes refreshingly green. The robust herb works beautifully in this easy pesto. (Getty Images)]
Tear a single leaf of fresh basil, and you are enveloped in the essence of...

[H2]
Opinion

[IMG: Election2026_featured_image]
Mercury News and East Bay Times editorial boards' choices for key ballot initiatives and pivotal...

[H2]
Business

[IMG: FILE – In this Nov. 9, 2018, file photo shoppers look at televisions at a Walmart Supercenter in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)]
Until the Department of Justice informed the judge of its planned appeal, the refund system...

[H2]
Celebrities

"Alaskan Bush People" star Matt Brown's family believes the Discovery Channel alum, who was allegedly...

[H2]
Housing

[IMG: Single-family-home-sells-for-3.9-million-in-Monte-Sereno]
A 2,965-square-foot single-family house, built in 1969, has changed hands. The house in the 16300...

[H2]
Best Reviews

[IMG: Adobe Stock]
Keeping the bathroom smelling fresh is the ultimate goal. These solutions may hold the answer...

[H2] Events

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...Here are our endorsements, so far, for California’s June 2 primary. Read our editorials and our In Their Words interviews with the main candidates for statewide offices, Congress, the state Senate and Bay Area counties. Bookmark this page to return to view additional endorsements as they are published between now and election day.
RELATED: California’s 2026 primary: Everything Bay Area voters need to know

U.S. Congress
Congressional District 14 — Aisha Wahab
In their words: The four main candidates running for ex-Rep. Swalwell’s seat
[H4] Statewide offices
Lieutenant governor — Fiona Ma
In their words: Fiona Ma v. Josh Fryday v. Michael Tubbs v. Gloria Romero. We asked. They answered.

Treasurer — Eleni Kounalakis
In their words: Kounalakis, Caballero, Vazquez tell us why they can manage California’s $162 billion
Insurance commissioner — Ben Allen
In their words: These five candidates want to control your home insurance. Here’s why and what they’ll do.

Superintendent of Public Instruction
Richard Barrera, Josh Newman, Anthony Rendon, Sonja Shaw,
[H4] State Senate
District 10 — David Cohen
In their words: The chemist, attorney and ex-Palantir exec fighting an expensive war to represent Silicon Valley and Alameda County in Senate
[H4] San Jose City Council
District 5
In their words: Nora Campos, Karen Martinez and Peter Ortiz
District 7
In their words: Bien Doan, Rafael Garcia, Van Le, Hanh-Giao “HG” Nguyen
District 9 — Genny Altwer
In their words: Genny Altwer, Gordon Chester, Mike Hennessy, Scott Hughes,

[H4] Alameda County
District Attorney — Ursula Jones Dickson
[H4] Contra Costa County
Assessor — Vince Robb
In their words: Kismat Kathrani, Vince Robb and Nick Spinner
Clerk-Recorder — Kristin Braun Connelly
Superintendent of Schools — Dana Eaton
In their words: Dana Eaton and Jaguanana “Jag” Lathan
San Mateo County
Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer — Jim Irizarry
In their words: David Canepa and Jim Irizarry
Superintendent — Hector Camacho
In their words: Chelsea Bonini and Hector Camacho
[H4] Ballot Measures
Santa Clara County
D – Open Space Authority — No
Contra Costa County
A – Urban limit line — Yes
B – Sales tax — No
G – Community college bond — Yes
Oakland
E – Parcel Tax — No

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[H2] RevContent Feed

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...The latest poll in California’s governor race Friday shows Democratic former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra maintaining his lead and a tightening contest for second place between Republican former political commentator Steve Hilton and billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer that raises the specter of a GOP wipeout in Tuesday’s primary.
The Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll showed Becerra with 25% support among likely voters, followed by Hilton with 21% and Steyer with 19%. The two candidates who receive the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, will compete against each other in the November general election.
“This has been a wide-open and very unusual race,” IGS co-director Eric Schickler said in a statement about the poll. “While voter preferences have clarified some since our last poll, there is still a fair amount of uncertainty about which of the top three candidates will make the November ballot. Much now depends on turnout and whether those who prefer one of the lower polling candidates end up tilting toward one of the polling leaders.”
The poll was conducted May 19-24 among more than 5,000 likely California voters, with a margin of error of about 2 percentage points.
The poll showed support for Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 11%, former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter at 7% and Democratic San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan at 4%.
None of the 46 other candidates listed on the June primary election ballot and who were included in the latest poll received more than 1% support, while 7% of voters did not offer a preference, the poll found.
On Wednesday, the Public Policy Institute of California published a poll that found Becerra with 23% support, followed by Hilton at 20% and Steyer at 15%, in a survey taken May 14-18. The campaign for Steyer, a former hedge fund founder turned environmentalist and philanthropist, responded that the PPIC poll didn’t reflect more recent changes in voter sentiment as Steyer and his supporters have launched more ads targeting Becerra, who also is a former California attorney general.

Steyer’s campaign responded to Friday’s Berkeley IGS poll by noting the close margins of the three leaders in the race.
“This poll makes two things clear: three candidates are in contention, and it’s a tight race,” Steyer’s campaign said in a statement.
Becerra’s campaign noted his front-runner status in the latest Berkeley IGS poll with a social media post that said “Four days left. Let’s go California.”
Hilton’s campaign hasn’t responded to the latest poll. But after the PPIC poll, Hilton’s campaign noted that, in a race many Democrats once feared could end with their voters so divided among what had been eight serious Democratic contenders, that the two leading Republicans would win the primary, polling now suggests there might be no Republican on the November ballot.

“The Doomsday scenario for California — two Democrats in the top two — is still a very real possibility thanks to the split in the Republican vote,” Hilton’s campaign said Wednesday.
Berkeley IGS noted the changes since its last poll in early March. Becerra’s support has increased fivefold since his 5% showing then, which the pollsters attributed to fellow Democrat and former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s April suspension of his once-promising campaign and resignation amid sexual misconduct accusations he’s denied.
The poll noted that Hilton has seen his support rise from 17% to 21% since early March. Political analysts have attributed his rise to receiving President Donald Trump’s endorsement since then. Bianco’s support has fallen over the same period from 16% to 11%.
Steyer has seen his support nearly double since early March, from 10% to 19%, while Porter, who has been contending with him for support from the Democrats’ progressive left wing, has seen her support fade from 13% to 7%, the poll found.
Steyer has poured more than $212 million of his considerable wealth into his campaign and benefited from an additional $1.5 million in spending on his behalf from an independent committee backed by the California Nurses Association, according to campaign filings.
Becerra, by contrast, has raised $11 million, but has benefited from nearly $14 million spent on his behalf by independent committees whose contributors include Chevron, Meta and McDonald’s, and as well as more than $33 million spent by committees opposing Steyer whose funders include the California Chamber of Commerce, California Association of Realtors and PG&E.
Hilton has raised $13 million, and had $14 million spent by outside groups on his behalf, and $1.8 million opposing him with funding coming from the Democratic Governors Association and SEIU California State Council for Working People.
Mahan’s 4% polling was unchanged from early March, the poll found. Mahan’s campaign had the second-most funding behind Steyer’s at $15 million and he enjoyed more than $21 million spent on his behalf by outside groups funded by technology company leaders and investors, with $570,000 spent by union-funded independent committees opposing him.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
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[H2] RevContent Feed

[H1] Opinion

[H2] Featured

[IMG: Election2026_featured_image]

Mercury News and East Bay Times editorial boards' choices for key ballot initiatives and pivotal city, county, state and federal offices.

[IMG: Jim Irizarry is running for Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer for San Mateo County in the 2026 election.]
County Supervisor David Canepa's main sales pitch is his force of personality, which he wants...

[IMG: Genny Altwer, a cop-turned-therapist, is running to represent 100,000 residents of San Jose City Council District 9, the suburban southwest corner of the city encompassing Cambrian Park, Hillsdale, Kirk Park and parts of Willow Glen.]
Altwer, a cop-turned-therapist, represents neither the status quo nor a radical break from it. But...

[H2]
Editorials

[IMG: Jim Irizarry is running for Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer for San Mateo County in the 2026 election.]
County Supervisor David Canepa's main sales pitch is his force of personality, which he wants us to believe can make up for a lack of any relevant experience.

[H2]
Opinion Columnists

[IMG: A press conference in San Jose in 2020 responding to the U.S. Supreme Court]
'Their vibe is still so positive. The only difference now is that they’re just more scared.'

[H2]
Letters to the Editor

[IMG: 110717 Opinion teaser]
We encourage you to submit letters that share your opinions on issues of interest to residents in our community. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

[H2]
Commentary

[IMG: Voters arrive for the Statewide Special Election at the Santa Clara Registrar of Voters in San Jose in November.]
With this reform, city could deliver more representative results and save millions without cutting a single city service.