Monty Torres owns the California elections

California's got crucial elections coming up in November, and a crucially entertaining election season already underway, with Arnold Schwarzenegger leaving the governor's office and leaving the door open to a possible return to power of Jerry Brown, along with a fight for Barbara Boxer's Senate seat and a number of other statewide races worth watching.

Now Californians have a front row seat to the action thanks to a new nightly syndicated news show that debuted last night: California Vote 2010, starring veteran television journalist, reporter and anchorman Monty Torres.

According to the producers at KMPH-TV in Fresno:

"...California Vote 2010 features political news and analysis that impacts Californians. It follows the stories that break inside the state and around the country. It tracks campaign contributions and spending. It investigates government waste, monitors campaigns, and takes a hard look at the daily handling of the state’s budget crisis. The program also features in-depth, probing interviews with candidates for state offices, ranging from US Senator, to Governor, to state Assembly seats..."

If last night's premiere is any indication, this kind of platform could be a starmaker for Monty Torres.

The show is airing around the state, Monday through Friday, usually around 11 and midnight, including San Diego (KUSI), Los Angeles (KDOC), Santa Barbara (KCOY), Monterey, San Francisco (KOFY) and KMPH/KFRE in Fresno. Here in L.A., we found it a t11 pm on KDOC. The TV listing said "Paid Programming," so surf until you find it.