From Our Publisher

Dear Readers,

Last night’s election results are still raw for me. Yet, immediately after the Pennsylvania call, I felt the collective spirit that we felt eight years ago. Our work, our struggle, and our commitment to progress continues on. There will be a lot of dissecting of what went wrong.

As a millennial woman, I felt most acutely for the Gen Z women of the electorate. Particularly those voting for the first time. A generation of folk who grew up practicing active shooter drills, fighting the climate crisis, and with less reproductive rights than their mothers and grandmothers.

Democracy is an experiment. Our forefathers forged a path that was very flawed, and they couldn’t imagine or dream of the diversity of our country, nor of the economic powerhouse and global leader America has become.

In this election (maybe the most consequential of my life, though I’d take the Obama ’08 election), a clear message was sent to the elected officials of what the majority of the electorate supports. Santa Barbara is an anomaly to have so many women leaders, and it does feel like women can do anything here … even become our president.

We should continue to hold our region’s elected officials accountable to what a majority of their constituents want: opportunity for our children, investment in affordable housing, and a fight against the climate crisis.

I do not take that lightly. As a mother of three young children, I understand that the work I do for their future includes protecting our culture and telling the stories of our community. However divided, we must make our decisions based on facts. You, our readers, depend on the Independent for not only what is happening in our community but also a reminder of why it matters in your life. We are committed to expanding our coverage and making our regional journalism a model for what community journalism can be. Now is your opportunity to join in our growth and help us continue to move this story of American democracy forward even without completely turning the page.

Brandi Rivera, Publisher, The Santa Barbara Independent