California Policy and Politics Sunday

Trying to be ‘strategic,’ California Democrats wait to vote amid fears of governor’s lockout -- California Democrats have been wringing their hands for weeks about who would emerge as front-runners in the unusually crowded race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/31/26

Becerra gains support in latest poll with Steyer and Hilton not far behind -- Former state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra commands a growing lead in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary, with billionaire Tom Steyer and conservative commentator Steve Hilton trailing closely behind, according to a closely watched poll. Andrea Flores in the Los Angeles Times$ Corey Schmidt in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/31/26

He Was Satirized on British TV. Now He’s Trump’s Pick to Lead California. -- Steve Hilton grabbed headlines when he worked in conservative politics in Britain. His American political renaissance in the California governor’s race has bemused former British colleagues and rivals. Danny Hakim, Stephen Castle and Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 5/31/26

A Reality Check on the Polls in California’s Most Chaotic Race -- Will California elect another Democrat — or could Republicans pull off a stunning upset? Our roundtable examines the candidates, the surprises and the paths to victory. Katy Murphy Politico -- 5/31/26

Xavier Becerra has doubts about California's EV ambitions -- The Democratic frontrunner to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom isn’t sold on California’s plan to phase out new gas car sales. Alex Nieves Politico -- 5/31/26

Election 2026: What low voter turnout in California means, or not, for June 2 primary -- Primary elections, particularly during non-presidential years, don’t generally drive oodles of folks to vote. This year is no exception. And even with a competitive race for governor, California is seeing lower turnout than would generally be expected heading into the week of June 2 Election Day. Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the LA Daily News -- 5/31/26

Barabak: In Washington, the knives are out for Xavier Becerra. Most anonymously, of course -- Xavier Becerra has spent nearly four decades in elected office. To some that speaks of extensive experience and a deep grounding in policy. To others, it smacks of political careerism and a long-term investment in the failed status quo. Wired or tired? It all depends on your perspective. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/31/26

 

Should California insurance commissioner really be an elected position? Here’s what candidates for the job say -- Every four years, Californians elect an insurance commissioner — one of just a dozen states nationwide to use that method to choose the top insurance regulator. Some current candidates for the job think the position, charged with safeguarding the health of one of the largest insurance markets in the world, should not be left in the hands of voters. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/31/26

Nancy Pelosi, hailed as ‘forever speaker,’ makes final push for Connie Chan in S.F. -- Crowds parted and smiles broke when Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi entered a San Francisco union hall Saturday sporting a T-shirt with “CONNIE” across her chest. Sara DiNatale, Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/31/26

 

How Restaurants Became One of the Hottest Issues in Los Angeles Politics -- In advance of Tuesday’s down-to-the-wire mayoral primary, several candidates have made the hospitality industry part of their platforms. Meghan McCarron in the New York Times$ -- 5/31/26

L.A. politics fractures amid dissatisfaction, frayed alliances, generational conflict -- For most of the last half century, moderate Democrats have dominated City Hall; now Mayor Karen Bass is struggling to unite her traditional base as she is challenged by democratic socialist Nithya Raman and Republican Spencer Pratt. Mainstream Democratic coalitions are splintering as soaring housing costs have led to a more politically vocal class of renters and a large chunk of the electorate views Bass unfavorably due to her handling of the Palisades fire. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/31/26

An ‘occupational hazard’: Even in California, women in elected office face more abuse than men -- From convoys of truckers circling their neighborhoods to bombs left outside their homes, women experience both higher numbers and higher severities of threats than their male counterparts. Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/31/26

CalFresh limits

‘Absolutely critical proportions’: Nearly 100,000 across San Diego County risk losing CalFresh under new rule -- Beginning June 1, most adults must meet new work and volunteer requirements to keep accessing benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, more commonly known as food stamps. The change comes as rising prices for groceries, gasoline and more have already pushed growing numbers of San Diegans to seek support from food banks and other nonprofits, many of which are already at capacity. Maura Fox in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/31/26

 

‘408 hates ICE’: Bay Area protesters rally against planned Gilroy detention center -- As the federal government’s immigration crackdown moves closer to the Bay Area, about 100 people gathered Saturday afternoon at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose to protest plans to build a detention center in Gilroy. Molly Gibbs and Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/31/26

Trump's immigration enforcers look into buying ad data. Industry insiders fear what comes next. -- It appears to be the first time ICE has issued a public request on how to use this kind of data, which can include information on people’s purchases, web browsing or social media use. Alfred Ng Politico -- 5/31/26

Trump Squeezes Immigrants by Cutting Them Off From Jobs, Health Care and Housing -- The methodically planned strategy is intended to pressure noncitizens, including many with legal status, to leave the United States. Nicholas Nehamas, Miriam Jordan, Coral Davenport, Hamed Aleaziz, Lydia DePillis and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 5/31/26

 

Indian engineers spent years chasing Silicon Valley. Now some say, ‘I would not come to the U.S.’ -- Some Indian tech trailblazers fear that, after decades of prominence, the best days of the diaspora in Silicon Valley are over. Shwanika Narayan, Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/31/26

San Diego’s Muslim community looks to healing in wake of mosque attack. ‘We must find a greater love.’ -- As they support the families of the deceased and return to the Islamic Center of San Diego for prayers, local Muslims are on a long road to recovery. Roxana Popescu, Karen Kucher and Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/31/26

Housing

The salary needed to buy a home is falling across the U.S. — but not in San Francisco -- Home buyers had to make about $444,000 a year to afford a mid-priced home sold in the San Francisco metropolitan area in April, according to a new report from real estate brokerage Redfin. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/31/26

Also

Transgender athlete AB Hernandez adds two state titles as high school track and field career ends -- Jurupa Valley High’s AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete, added two more state titles to her track and field résumé at the CIF state meet in Clovis on Saturday. Noah Furtado in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/31/26

Robots vandalized while evaluating Hollister pedestrian infrastructure -- Police say one unit was knocked on its side, while another was struck and doused with beer. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/31/26

Got a parking ticket in San Diego? City must pay more than $16M to drivers hit with late penalties -- San Diego is facing a $16.5 million payout after a judge found it added late-payment penalties to parking citations without giving people proper notice of the penalties or enough time to pay the original ticket. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/31/26

As poisonings soar to record, health officials urge Californians not to pick or eat wild mushrooms -- Public health officials link the surge in cases to accidental picking and consumption of poisonous wild mushrooms, including death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/31/26

POTUS 47

Trump Names Himself Headliner for 250th Birthday Kickoff -- As his motorcade sped to his private golf club in Sterling, Va., on Saturday, President Trump worked the phones to see if his team could find a replacement for several musicians who had dropped out of a celebration planned for America’s 250th birthday, according to a person familiar with the matter. By the time he arrived, Trump had talked to top advisers and come up with an alternative act: himself. Philip Wegmann, Joseph Pisani and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ Natalie Allison in the Washington Post$ -- 5/31/26

A New ‘Wounded Bear Caucus’ in the Senate Means More Trouble for Trump -- Why the GOP’s split with the White House over a $1.8 billion fund could be first of many public fights. Siobhan Hughes, Annie Linskey and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/31/26

Blue states pitch 100 percent tax on Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ payouts -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has endorsed the idea, saying, “It’s an action we look forward to taking.” State legislators in New York and Wisconsin are crafting bills on the topic. And Democratic candidates are rallying behind the tactic in blue states. Hannah Knowles and Dan Merica in the Washington Post$ -- 5/31/26

Trump Administration Sees Striking Exodus of Legal Talent -- The departure of more than 10,000 federal lawyers has left some agencies without sufficient staff and has boosted the ranks of state attorneys general offices and advocacy groups. Eileen Sullivan and Andrea Fuller in the New York Times$ -- 5/31/26