Welcome to A Schism in Blue

I've missed you so.

Hey there. Welcome.

It’s me, Kempa.

You might remember me as the founding editor of VOICES: River City. Or as the divisive figure on Sacramento Twitter (I’m quite nice in person!). Or maybe you’re new to this whole ride.

For those of you who know me as one of the original hosts of V:RC, you might have guessed that I’ve long wanted to cover more state-level issues on the show during our four-year run since the beginning of the pandemic. The three other cohosts (in all likelihood, correctly) leaned a lot harder to local politics, which deepened and enriched our regional following to a degree that I never would have dreamed.

Today, however, I’d like to invite you to A Schism in Blue, my ongoing exploration into a California political climate that includes a moribund state GOP and a Democratic Party that has expanded so broadly to the point that state political battles are shielded by intraparty discourse outside of the public view.

For some background reading, here’s a piece I wrote in the Sacramento News & Review exploring the death rattle of the state GOP in 2019, and another discussing potential intra-party challenges for state Democrats in Jacobin.

The Democrats hold *all* of the power at the state level, which has made transparency for reporters remarkably difficult in the last decade as it pertains to process and policy.

This project aims to bring clarity and credence to our concerns as everyday citizens of the largest state in the US.

I’m excited for you to join me.