Ed Hernandez

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is projected to win the race for California governor, while former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis is leading in the lieutenant governor race as of press time at 12:23 a.m. Wednesday.

This November, Berkeley voters have the opportunity to bring their city new representation at the state level. There are several critical seats up for election, including governor, secretary of state and state Assembly member in the 15th District — and Californians must to do their civic duty by showing up to the polls.

California’s candidates for lieutenant governor — state Senator Ed Hernandez and former U.S. ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis — spoke about college affordability, capacity and access at a moderated interview hosted by the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Tuesday night.

Many candidates were political newcomers, running for elected office for the first time. This crowded race included four Democrats, four Republicans, one Libertarian and two independent candidates.

On Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills into effect that will raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 and reclassify electronic cigarettes as tobacco products in California.

On Thursday, the California state Legislature passed Senate Bill 7, which will raise the minimum legal smoking age from 18 to 21 statewide if signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

California voters will not decide in the 2014 election whether race, gender, and ethnicity ought to be considered in college admissions, after lawmakers postponed deliberation on a bill that intends to amend the state constitution.

Widening inequality in the United States and California will only become inevitable if it is taken for granted.

California voters may soon have the opportunity to decide if race, gender or ethnicity should be used as factors of consideration in admission, retention and recruitment programs in the state’s higher education systems, including the UC.

A state constitutional amendment that would allow California’s institutions of public education to give preferential treatment based on race and ethnicity, passed the state Senate Committee on Education July 3.