The drama and division over the California Democratic Party chairperson's election does not appear to be ending anytime soon.

Kimberly Ellis, who narrowly lost the race to lead the party, announced Monday that she planned to appeal a party committee’s affirmation of the election results two days ago, a potential precursor to a lawsuit.

“While I, perhaps more than anyone, want immediate closure, I also understand my tremendous responsibility to the thousands of delegates and supporters who are counting on us to see this through to its final conclusion. No doubt, this is not the easier path, but often times the righteous one is not,” she wrote in a fundraising plea to supporters. “To turn away now would be a betrayal to my own sense of integrity and ethics.”

Former Vice President Al Gore has been promoting a new documentary, "An Inconvenient Sequel" — the follow-up to his Oscar-winning film about climate change, "An Inconvenient Truth." The media tour brought him on Monday to San Francisco, where he was interviewed on stage during an event organized by the Commonwealth Club. 

California lawmakers just approved extending the cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of the state's global warming battle. Gore noted the victory for Gov. Jerry Brown.

Gore said he was optimistic that the United States could meet its climate goals under the Paris accord, despite some research suggesting otherwise. 

Comic-Con is, at its root, an escapist event for fans and obsessives of pop culture. This year it made room for public policy wonks as well.

In a lively panel called "Who Cleans Up the Mess?" at the conference Saturday morning in San Diego, a collection of politicians and civil servants looked at how civic life would be different if the dazzling superhero battles seen in blockbusters year after year came to life.

Among them was California Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate John Chiang, who used "X-Men" footage as a jumping-off point to talk about the need for infrastructure repair, and a scene of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man damaging high-rises while trying to stop a runaway train to talk about the need for more affordable housing.

California’s congressional races are pivotal to Democratic efforts to flip the House, and there are already more than 60 candidates in more than a dozen battleground districts for the 2018 election.

Political insiders and donors are looking at the most recent campaign finance reports for indicators of who has fundraising ability. A strong early fundraising figure can deter potential rivals or draw support from the national political parties. Weak fundraising can encourage new opponents to enter the race.

Speculation over California Sen. Kamala Harris’ political ambitions was stoked over the weekend by her appearance at the Hamptons home of major Democratic donor Michael Kempner, a top bundler for former President Obama and bankroller for liberal causes across the country.

“So great hosting Senator Kamala Harris @kamalaharris at our Hamptons summer home today,” he wrote in a private Instagram post that featured a picture of Harris, her husband, Douglas Emhoff, and Kempner and his wife, Jacqueline. “She’s a star!”

Kendall Glazer, granddaughter of billionaire Malcolm Glazer, the late owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team and the Manchester United soccer team, replied, “Yes she is!!”

President Trump on Monday morning criticized the Democratic leader of the House investigation into Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 election, calling Burbank Rep. Adam Schiff "sleazy" and "biased."

Schiff is the highest ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee, which is examining whether the Trump campaign assisted in Russia's efforts. The committee is meeting behind closed doors Tuesday to hear from Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The investigation has catapulted Schiff into the national spotlight. Schiff has become a frequent guest on cable and Sunday morning news shows, and has turned to Twitter, the president's preferred medium, to respond directly to Trump.

Dave Cogdill, a Central Valley Republican whose support for temporary taxes during the state's economic meltdown ended his legislative career, died Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer, his family said. He was 66.

A real estate appraiser in Modesto, Cogdill served three terms in the state Assembly, and served as assessor of Stanislaus County after his departure from the Legislature. Since 2013, he has been the president and CEO of the California Building Industry Assn.

"He selflessly dedicated his life to his family and community," said his son, David Cogdill Jr., in an emailed statement about his father's death. "Throughout his life, he made such a difference in the lives of so many people."

After spending weeks sifting through allegations of vote stuffing and corruption, a California Democratic Party panel on Saturday affirmed the election of Eric Bauman as the party leader.

The decision is not expected to bring the bitter fight over the election to an end.

Bay Area Democratic organizer Kimberly Ellis, who lost the race for party chair to Bauman by just 57 votes, has indicated she will likely mount a court challenge.

No topic in Sacramento this year has been the focus of more intense, high-level negotiations than extending the state's cap-and-trade program.

And the political ramifications of Monday's final vote by the Legislature are likely to be felt for a long time.

This week's California Politics Podcast is devoted entirely to digging deep into the bipartisan deal, one that extends the life of the state's key climate change program by an additional decade.