Population growth began to slow in the late 1990s, thanks largely to out-migration of Southern California aerospace workers and their families as defense spending dried up after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Some regions "don't feel like they're fully engaged in the prosperity that is the state of California," the governor admitted.

Lake County elections officials are tired of the rush to count ballots, defending their history of being the last in California and possibly the nation to tally votes.

THE BUZZ: AI DIPLOMACY — Global tech leaders who gathered for a historic artificial intelligence safety summit in San Francisco this week are keeping close tabs on California as Washington looks poised to scrap guardrails for the emerging technology under President-elect Donald Trump.

Ex-Obama fundraiser and Silicon Valley tech pioneer Allison Huynh spoke to Fox News Digital about the recent progressive losses in California after the election.

As the tip of the spear for Democrats nationally, California pushes the party to the left. President-elect Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election suggests the party — and California leaders — may be too out of touch with the American people.

As of late Tuesday, an estimated 570,500 ballots statewide were yet to be counted, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

The closest House race in the nation is in Southern California, where Representative Michelle Steel is trailing her challenger, Derek Tran, by a tiny margin after nearly 310,000 votes have been counted.

Laura Richardson, a former Congress member, will represent Senate District 35 in the California Legislature after a costly and negative election.

Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, defeated his Republican challenger in California’s 9th Congressional District, the Associated Press projected. Harder, a member of Congress since 2019, faced Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln in a race that analysts predicted could become close.

Now, some Democrats say that is a problem. So, what, if anything, does the state need to do to win back Democratic voters? Taryn Luna covers the governor for the Times and she joined Lisa McRee from Sacramento.