California State Senate

Democratic Assemblyman Curren Price Jr. was leading a field of eight candidates in Tuesday's special election for the vacant 26th State Senate District seat but in early returns was falling short of the majority vote needed to avoid a runoff. With just absentee ballots and 17 of 354 precincts counted Tuesday night, Price was leading with 30% of the vote.

State Senate officials have secretly approved a $70,000 legal settlement that prohibits a staffer who accused a former colleague of harassment from going public with the charges. The payment, made last month, is the latest in a string of such settlements, most of which include confidentiality clauses that keep taxpayers in the dark about what exactly they are paying to settle and why.