Laura J. Nelson is a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, covering politics and campaign finance. Since joining The Times in 2012, she has also covered transportation and worked as an investigative and enterprise reporter. She was part of the team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, and the team that was a 2020 Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a dive-boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Nelson grew up in Kansas and graduated from USC.
Latest From This Author
Some Californians moved to the states to canvass for Democrats, while others join weekend bus trips to knock on doors.
Oct. 28, 2024
California safety regulators have cited the Central Valley nursery owned by Republican Rep. John Duarte and his family for several safety violations during the years that the incumbent congressman was in charge of the business, records show.
Oct. 25, 2024
In a tight Orange County congressional race, mailers sent by GOP Rep. Michelle Steel link Democrat Derek Tran to Mao Zedong and socialism, while Tran’s ads say Steel can’t be trusted to “stand up to China”
Oct. 22, 2024
The world’s richest man once said Donald Trump’s character didn’t ‘reflect well’ on the U.S. Now Elon Musk is touring the country, and spending big, to put Trump and other Republicans in power.
Oct. 16, 2024
House speaker and minority leader campaign for California congressional candidates, underscoring the state’s importance in controlling Congress.
Oct. 13, 2024
If Trump and Schiff both win, California’s likely voters want to see the Burbank lawmaker continue to play an antagonistic role against Trump, poll data suggest.
Oct. 11, 2024
Rep. Adam B. Schiff and former Dodger Steve Garvey squared off in the only head-to-head debate of California’s U.S. Senate race on Tuesday evening.
Oct. 9, 2024
Tuesday night, Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey will hold the only debate for one of the most coveted jobs in California politics, a U.S. Senate seat.
Oct. 7, 2024
Garvey owes as much as $750,000 to the IRS, while Schiff has made as much as $2 million from his 2021 book, “Midnight In Washington.”
Oct. 7, 2024
Democrat Laura Friedman squares off against Republican Alex Balekian in the race to replace longtime Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank.
Oct. 3, 2024