California's primary election will be held this March 2024 rather than its traditional month of June.The 2024 election year will have a lot at stake outside of the presidential election. And for Californians, their votes will be counted among several other voters across the country as part of Super Tuesday.Leer en español. Below, you will find our guide on the most important races and measures to know about in Northern California. You can also look at the secretary of state's official voter information guide here. Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties beginning on Feb. 24, 2024. The Voter's Choice Act provides voters with more options of how, where, and when they vote — as early as 10 days before Election Day.| RELATED | Have you received your California primary election ballot? Here's what you can doNOTE: As we get closer to the March 5 primary, we will add more to this guide. Bookmark this page for the latest. Watch our voter guide special in the video leading this story.)What is a primary election, and why does it matter?Think of the primary election as a sort of checkpoint for many races. It's an important stopping point for candidates who want to make it on the November ballot.Because of California's top-two system, the two candidates, regardless of political party, advance to the general election.However, there are some races, such as local or special elections, where the competition for a new officeholder can be decided in March. This happens if someone wins half of the votes plus one extra vote. Races where this exception applies include ones such as for city mayor, city council, county sheriff, or special elections.Races of note affecting Northern CaliforniansU.S. SenatePartial/Full TermMuch like with the 2022 election, the same U.S. Senate seat will be on the ballot twice. One race will be a partial term to fill the rest of the term not finished from when Dianne Feinstein died. The other race is a full term that will begin in 2025.Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed longtime political strategist Laphonza Butler to replace Feinstein, but that appointment is only temporary and Butler is not running.Regardless of whoever wins the partial race, there will be a brief period where that person will serve as senator for roughly less than two months.After the rest of term started by Feinstein finishes in January, whoever wins the full term will take over.The top four candidates met on Feb. 20 for a third and final debate in Southern California ahead of the primary. Get a recap here.KCRA 3's Edie Lambert interviewed the four leading candidates as they became available. Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey. Rep. Adam Schiff.Rep. Barbara Lee.Rep. Katie Porter.You can see the official candidate statements on page 20 of the secretary of state's voter information guide here. | MORE | Get the Facts: Claims in attack ad against California Senate candidate Katie PorterList of partial-term candidatesSepi Gilani, DemocratBarbara Lee, DemocratChristina Pascucci, DemocratKatie Porter, DemocratAdam Schiff, DemocratEric Early, RepublicanSteve Garvey, RepublicanList of full-term candidatesSarah Sun Liew, RepublicanJames "Jim" Macauley, RepublicanJonathan Reiss, RepublicanStefan Simchowitz, RepublicanMartin Veprauskas, RepublicanForrest Jones, American IndependentGail Lightfoot, LibertarianLaura Garza, No Party PreferenceDon J. Grundmann, No Party PreferenceMark Ruzon, No Party PreferenceMajor Singh, No Party PreferenceSepi Gilani, DemocratBarbara Lee, Democrat Christina Pascucci, DemocratKatie Porter, DemocratAdam Schiff, DemocratEric Early, RepublicanSteve Garvey, RepublicanCongressional races on the 2024 ballotDistrict 3This district is geographically the largest in California, spanning parts of several counties in Northern California and the Eastern Sierra.Voters will decide whether to move forward with their newcomer in Congress, Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, or someone else.That someone is Democratic challenger Jessica Morse. There was a third candidate listed under the No Party Preference, but KCRA 3 chose to interview Kiley and Morse because they have fundraising reflected in records provided by the Federal Elections Commission, while Robert Smith did not.Find more about the candidates we spoke with here.Find more about the third candidate Robert Smith here.District 7Democratic Congresswoman Doris Matsui is facing a challenger on the left in the upcoming primary election.Former Sacramento Bee reporter and human rights attorney David Mandel has said Matsui is not progressive enough and has said Sacramento can't wait any longer to have more progressive representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Meanwhile, as she makes her case for reelection, Matsui touts her experience and the resources she has secured for the area in her nearly two decades in Congress.The sole Republican candidate in this race, Tom Silva, also spoke with KCRA 3.District 9California's Congressional District 9 covers a large portion of the Central Valley, including Tracy, Manteca, Stockton and Lodi. Incumbent Democrat Rep. Josh Harder has held the office since the 2022 midterm elections.His challengers include Republican Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, Republican John McBride and Republican Khalid Jeffrey Jafri.Lincoln has been mayor since he won the 2020 election, and he filed to run for House District 9 in December 2023.Find out more about John McBride here.Find out more about Khalid Jeffrey Jafri here.District 13California's Central Valley will see a rematch of a congressional race that separated the candidates by less than half of a percentage point in 2022.Republican Congressional newcomer John Duarte will face off once again against former Democratic state Assemblyman Adam Gray for California's U.S. House District 13, which includes Merced, Madera, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Fresno counties.The vote tally in 2022 took several weeks to count and separated the two by less than 600 votes. The race was so close and took so long to finalize, that both Duarte and Gray attended the new lawmaker orientation in Washington, D.C.NBC News has considered the race one of nine California races that could determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives.Find more here.State Assembly RacesDistrict 6Of all the Assembly races happening in Northern California, this is the most crowded race of them all. KCRA 3 was contacted by all of the candidates we spoke with during the summer of 2023, some of them before they even launched an official campaign. Because of California's top-two system, the top two vote-getters, regardless of political affiliation, will advance to the November general election. We look forward to speaking with those two candidates after the results of the primary election.Emmanuel Amanfor, DemocratEmmanuel Amanfor hopes his life and professional experience will help him stand out.Amanfor immigrated to the United States as a child from Nigeria. He and his mother were homeless for a period of time while living on the East Coast. Amanfor grew up in Newark, New Jersey, where he says he lived in low-income housing.His experience spurred him to become a housing and economic development advocate, who currently leads the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. With a master's degree in public health, Amanfor also helps oversee rehabilitation programs with California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Find more on him here.Sean Frame, DemocratOne of many Democrats running for this position formerly held by Kevin McCarty, who is now running for Sacramento mayor, hopes to stand out from the others.As a self-described union progressive dad, he listed off some of his achievements in an interview with KCRA 3, including going from a volunteer at his son's school to being on a school board because he felt somebody needed to step up.He also spoke about organized labor, California's status as one of the largest economies in the world and affordable housing.Find more here. Rosanna Herber, DemocratAs a 40-year resident of Sacramento and with more than 20 years of service working in various roles for the city's community-owned utility company, Rosanna Herber is hoping to take her experience to the California Legislature.Herber is the vice president of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, also known as SMUD, where she was first elected to serve in 2018 after spending two decades working for the utility. She is the board's first openly gay member.Climate change, childcare, and tackling the state's homelessness crisis are a few of her top priorities.Find more here.Maggy Krell, DemocratDemocrat Maggy Krell is also one of a handful who announced her campaign shortly after Kevin McCarty announced he would be running for Sacramento mayor. Krell originally also announced a run for mayor but dropped out of that to focus on the State Assembly.Krell currently serves as a deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice. She was also an attorney for Planned Parenthood, and one of her biggest claims to fame was exposing Backpage.com and its role in sex trafficking.Find more here.Carlos Marquez, DemocratCarlos Marquez is the former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union's California Action lobbying group. He has also worked for advocacy groups, including the ACLU, the California Charter Schools Association, the SEIU and local LGBTQ centers.As a third-generation Mexican American who grew up in the Central Valley, he said homelessness, education, public safety and environmental quality of life are some of the issues he said he wants to focus on. He would also be the first openly gay man to represent Sacramento in the State Assembly.Find more here.Evan Minton, DemocratKnown as the first-ever transgender staffer to work at the state Capitol, Evan Minton hopes to make history in California's State Assembly. Minton currently works as a policy advocate while also volunteering for several local causes. They have made headlines for suing Dignity Health for denying them health care, a case that reached the United States Supreme Court.Find more here.Paula Marie Villescaz, Democrat If Paula Marie Villescaz's name sounds familiar, that's because she was most recently on the ballot in the race to represent parts of Sacramento County in the State Senate but lost to Roger Niello by five points.She now hopes to be part of the State Assembly. Villescaz is currently a board member for the San Juan Unified School District and a former assistant secretary for the California Department of Health and Human Services.She hopes her variety of experiences will propel her in a crowded race of candidates.Find more here. Nikki Ellis, RepublicanPreston Romero, RepublicanKevin Olmar Martinez, Peace and Freedom PartySacramento mayoral raceWith Darrell Steinberg announcing in 2023 that he would not seek reelection, that opened up the floor for candidates seeking to take his place.Watch our debate between the top four leading candidates based on the latest campaign finance data below. See a recap here. Kevin McCartyOn the same day Steinberg announced he would not run again, Democratic California Assemblymember Kevin McCarty launched his bid.McCarty has been representing Sacramento in the State Assembly since 2014. He has since been the Chairman of the Assembly’s Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. Prior to his time in the Legislature, McCarty served on the Sacramento City Council.McCarty’s announcement also comes months after he was re-elected to serve in the Assembly with 65% of the vote. He is still eligible to serve one more term.Find more here.Dr. Flojaune CoferShe was the first person to announce her candidacy in April 2023.In addition to her work in the medical field, Cofer serves as the senior director of policy for the nonprofit Public Health Advocates, and she was also the chair of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee.Cofer told KCRA 3 that as mayor, her public service experience and her emphasis on community collaboration will help propel Sacramento to new heights.Find more here.Steve HansenIn 2012, Hansen made history as the city’s first openly gay city council member. If elected, he would be Sacramento’s first openly gay mayor.Hansen served on the city council until 2020 following a re-election loss to council member Katie Valenzuela. In the mayoral race, Hansen said the number one issue will be safety.He said that closely tied to safety is the issue of homelessness. Hansen also called for a regional plan to fund affordable housing.Find more here.Dr. Richard PanHe is a pediatrician, a former UC Davis educator and a prominent proponent of vaccinations. Pan began his time in state government in 2010.He served as an assembly member and, more recently, as a senator before reaching the 12-year term limit.As mayor, he said his priorities would include homelessness, economic development and public safety.Find more here. Sacramento City CouncilThe abrupt departure of one of Sacramento's city council members is resulting in both an application period for someone to fill the rest of that term and another race for when the new term starts.Sean Loloee represented Sacramento's District 2, which covers the northeastern part of the city, and resigned amid a federal investigation involving his Viva Supermarket chains. With Loloee's seat now vacant, there are a couple of ways filling his seat can go.Currently, applications are open for an interim council member, but the nine candidates actually running for the seat may also apply, but they must submit an application.However, if one of the candidates wins outright with half of all votes plus an extra vote in the March primary election, Mayor Darrell Steinberg said the city council would consider appointing that winner to the position after the election.If there is no outright winner, the new city council member will be decided in the November general election.Either way, the city council wants someone sworn in by the end of the year.These are the nine candidates running for District 2.Alicia BledsoeDaryl CollinsKim DavieRoger DickinsonRamona LanderosPenelope LarryMary L. RussellVeronica SmithStephen WaltonThere are three other city council seats up for election in March. This election will be the first time that some voters will have been able to vote for a representative since 2018. That's because some boundaries changed with redistricting and members who were previously elected no longer represented those areas. The mayor and staff have been acting as representatives for those "deferred voting areas," which included parts of Valley Hi, Delta Shores, the River District, Cal Expo, East Sacramento and Colonial Heights. District 4Katie ValenzuelaJ. Marilynn Mackey MeyerPhil PluckebaumDistrict 6Eric GuerraDavid DrelingerKevin RooneyKatherine SchuftDistrict 8Mai VangStockton Mayoral Race Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln is not seeking to keep his seat and instead is running for Congress. That has left six candidates vying to replace him as mayor. KCRA 3's Orko Manna interviewed each of the candidates about their priorities. Here is where to learn more about Jesús Andrade, Jessica Velez and Dan Wright.Here is where to learn more about Shakeel Ahmad, Christina Fugazi and Tom Patti.Modesto Mayoral RaceIncumbent Mayor Sue Zwahlen joined KCRA 3 News on My58 to talk about her administration's accomplishments and their focus should she win re-election.We also spoke to Dewey Bedford Jr.We also have an interview with Sebastian Jones.The only statewide California proposition on the ballotProposition 1You may have seen ads on the measure, claiming that it will help veterans.Prop 1 is a $6.4 billion bond measure that promises to expand the state's mental health systems to target the unhoused and those struggling with severe mental illness. That includes veterans but is not limited to just veterans. In an ad, Newsom says, "It’s disgraceful we have 10,000 veterans living on the streets, many suffering PTSD. Prop 1 directs $1 billion to serve veterans struggling with mental health and substance use issues.”This claim is true. The measure dedicates $1 billion to services specifically for veterans.The bulk of the money — $4.4 billion — would be dedicated to building facilities that would provide a total of 10,000 new treatment beds.McGeorge School of Law Professor Chris Micheli noted the ad's messaging on veterans is a way to make the measure more appealing to voters broadly. He also noted California is home to several military bases.Find more here.The secretary of state's voter information guide lists more information about Prop 1, on page 11, including an analysis of its impacts by the legislative analyst and arguments in favor and against. | Dig Deeper | What is California Proposition 1? What supporters, opponents say about measure aimed at homelessnessSacramento's Measure CThe city of Sacramento is hoping a new business tax increase will help pare down its more than $50 million budget deficit in the coming fiscal year.The measure, if approved, would increase business operation taxes. Businesses operating in or with the city of Sacramento could see an increase in the maximum annual tax liability from $5,000 to $125,000 through the course of the next four years. The only exemption would be for Sacramento cannabis businesses.Measure C would also impact professionals in 16 industries, such as accountants, architects, engineers, and psychologists. They would have to pay an annual business tax fee of $684. That's an increase from the different business tax rates, which start at $75 for state-licensed professionals during their first three years. This increases to $150 for professionals working between three to seven years and bumps up to $300 after that.A city spokesperson also said that the $684 tax rate was adjusted for inflation, and added that they were in contact with Chambers of Commerce, Greater Sacramento Economic Development, and the Metro Chamber, before bringing a final proposal to the council.A simple majority vote of 50% plus one extra vote is required for the approval of Measure C.If passed, it would go into effect on July 1, 2024.Woodland's Measure MMeasure M would allow the city of Woodland to accept at least $300 million in state and federal funding to protect the city against flooding. It would authorize the construction of the Lower Cache Creek Flood Risk Management Project, which would channel floodwaters away from Woodland to a bypass in the east, away from homes and businesses.City leaders said Measure M is necessary and would benefit homeowners, but many farming families in the Woodland area said it would impact their land and livelihoods.According to the full text of the ballot measure, Measure M would increase public safety and provide an “economically feasible and environmentally” solution to potential flooding. While Woodland has never flooded, Woodland mayor Tania Garcia-Cadena said it is important to be prepared.Garcia-Cadena also said approving the Lower Cache Creek Flood Risk Management Project would reduce the cost of flood insurance for residents and property owners who are currently required to pay large amounts.Learn more here. | Another Issue on the Ballot in Woodland | School board recall attemptAlso in Woodland, voters will be asked whether to recall school board member Emily MacDonald over comments she made at a meeting about transgender people. Learn more here. Mountain House Measures D and E Voters in Mountain House will decide if their community will formally become California’s newest city.According to Steve Pinkerton, general manager of the Mountain House Community Services District, nearly 30,000 people call Mountain House home.Measure D would establish Mountain House as an independent, self-governing city. Measure E would establish how city council elections are determined and would only take effect if Measure D passed. If Measure D is enacted, taxes would shift from San Joaquin County to Mountain House as a city to cover services. They would not go up. Becoming a city would increase local control over land use decisions. Find more here. More Election Coverage California March 5 Primary Election: Important dates, deadlines for voters, how to registerFind all candidates on California 2024 primary ballot hereHow to vote, track your ballot in California's 2024 primary election --KCRA 3's Ron Edens contributed to this voter guide.