Michael Smolens
Michael Smolens uses his politics column at the San Diego Union-Tribune to show how policy decisions and power struggles translate into concrete effects on housing, infrastructure, the environment and elections across his coverage area. He is a longtime columnist at the masthead and previously served as government and politics editor, overseeing local, state and national political news from 1992 to 2017.
Housing, homelessness and affordability
Smolens returns regularly to housing policy, tracking the tension between ambitious construction goals and persistent affordability problems.
Recent columns examine an apartment-building surge that has leveled off average rents without reducing them, a renewed but more cautious pro-housing stance by city leaders, and federal housing legislation whose local impact he parses in detail. He connects housing supply to homelessness, highlighting how more units and improved rent conditions helped lower the local homeless count while underlining that significant challenges remain.
His coverage of cities such as Encinitas and El Cajon rejecting homelessness funds focuses on disputes over “housing first” policy and what those decisions mean for encampment cleanups and local budgets. Across these pieces, he blends policy detail, budget numbers and program design to show how political choices in housing and homelessness affect residents on the ground.
Local governance, infrastructure and environment
Smolens uses large infrastructure and land-use fights to illustrate how agencies, elected officials and community groups contest the direction of regional growth. He has recently examined the regional planning agency’s airport transit proposals, weighing expanded bus and shuttle service against more ambitious rail concepts as long-term options.
Other columns follow the long, obstacle-strewn path of Midway district redevelopment, detailing court rulings, regulatory hurdles and political maneuvers that shape the massive project. He reports on proposed and existing high-voltage transmission lines through the desert, Mission Bay restroom controversies, and debates over how to manage wastewater flows in the Tijuana River, tying each to environmental, health and political concerns.
Coverage of sea-level rise and Colorado River water reductions situates local preparations and vulnerabilities within broader climate patterns such as El Niño, emphasizing long-term tests for coastal infrastructure and water security.
Elections, campaigns and voter power
Smolens writes frequently about elections, framing campaigns and ballot measures in terms of how they redistribute power and resources. His recent work includes analysis of a congressional race where one candidate emphasizes local issues and the other national themes, with attention to how those approaches play in a high-stakes contest.
He tracks party momentum in House races, recalling past cycles where anticipated partisan “waves” faded and assessing whether current Democratic hopes resemble 2018 or differ in important ways. Ballot measures and legislative votes receive similar treatment, including coverage of a countywide sales-tax proposal designed to bring in hundreds of millions in new revenue and a member of Congress supporting a Trump agenda bill while staying silent on Medicaid cuts. He also addresses election security and voter confidence, relaying reassurances and warnings from officials while unpacking how routine procedures operate in a politically charged environment.
National policy through a local lens
Beyond local races, Smolens covers national policy debates with a focus on their consequences for residents and regional institutions. His columns on congressional housing legislation examine bipartisan bills intended to spur homebuilding and affordability, asking what those incentives could mean for local markets already struggling with high costs. Work on immigration policy, including pieces arguing that DACA is beneficial for both the region and the country, combines economic and civic considerations with stories of affected communities.
Across these topics, his hallmark is connecting complex legislative and regulatory processes to specific impacts on housing, budgets, public services and political participation, using a column format that favors explanation over quick breaking news.
4 more politics journalists.
A.D. Quig
A.D. Quig follows money and power through Chicago and Cook County government, showing how political decisions, taxes and public spending affect residents and businesses. At the Chicago Tribune, she covers city and county politics, municipal finance, tax policy, budgets and the structures shaping mayoral and council authority. She joined the Tribune in 2022 after covering politics for Crain’s Chicago Business and The Daily Line. Her work examines council power, ethics rules, police leadership, tax incentives, public agencies and pandemic aid. She has reported on data center tax breaks, property tax errors, federal relief spending and the fiscal effects of major development proposals. Quig combines insider government reporting with public accountability journalism. She uses public records, data and budget documents, follows committees and staff negotiations, and explains complex decisions in plain language with precise numbers and a direct link to everyday consequences.
Adam Daly
Adam Daly covers politics for amNewYork with a focus on the inner workings of city and state government and the low-profile forums where power is exercised and negotiated. He reports on commissions and panels that shape how New York is governed, treating charter reform and government efficiency as central political terrain. His coverage of moves to replace an Adams-era charter commission with a new government efficiency panel foregrounds mandate, authority, and what “efficiency” means in practice for agencies and services. He tracks who gains and loses influence when one commission supplants another and which constituencies are being answered to. Daly explains dense procedural questions in clear, reader-facing terms, using specific institutional details and occasional wordplay to connect jargon-heavy reforms to public spending, service delivery, and mayoral power.
Adam Pack
Adam Pack covers Capitol Hill through power struggles, investigations and ideological fights, focusing on how Congress intersects with Donald Trump’s agenda. He is a politics writer on Fox News Digital’s Capitol Hill team, covering Congress, federal elections, legislative battles, election rules, war powers, primaries and intraparty fights. He previously wrote for the Daily Caller News Foundation. His reporting examines deadlines, vote counts, bill language, campaign spending, court rulings, oversight reports, culture clashes and emerging issues such as AI-backed political groups. He has covered FISA reauthorization, defense spending, the SAVE America Act, housing policy, redistricting, candidate absences, primary spending and disputes over sex, gender, religion and race-based caucuses. He reports primarily through news features and investigative-style pieces built around documents, committee reports, court records, unearthed video and specific legislative details. He often co-writes complex Capitol Hill stories and publishes “FIRST ON FOX” exclusives.
Adam Sullivan
Adam Sullivan is a veteran politics reporter for WCAX who connects elections and party disputes to everyday life. He covers statewide races, party primaries, federal representation, political rhetoric, extremism, and accountability across the Upper Valley and neighboring states. His reporting includes Becca Balint’s victory over Molly Gray in the Democratic U.S. House primary to replace Congressman Peter Welch. He also reports when political controversies affect public safety, political culture, towns, and institutions, including a New Hampshire Libertarian Party post endorsing violence against elected Democrats. Sullivan follows cultural stories with civic consequences, such as Noah Kahan’s appeal to fans to stop stealing a Strafford road sign linked to his music. He writes straight news centered on concrete events, official reactions, political context, community impact, and what comes next.