As the 2018 elections approach, California officials are taking steps to combat foreign interference, with or without the help of the federal government.

With its new Super Tuesday election in 2020 and demographic dominance, California is the ultimate prize in presidential elections not only for candidates, but also for enemies of democracy.

The latest intelligence reports conclude that this enemy is mostly Russian. Though Russian interference in the 2016 election had no quantifiable impact on vote tallies themselves, it was an unprecedented attempt to undermine confidence in our democracy.

Though Gov. Jerry Brown may have shied away from his usual tack of emphasizing fiscal responsibility and an impending economic downturn at his final State of the State address Thursday, his remarks highlighting the state’s progress on environmental issues, funding for transportation projects and criminal justice reform were received warmly by local lawmakers.