California Policy and Politics Monday

From an LGBTQ+ rally to Trunk or Treat, Becerra and Hilton barnstorm California hoping to be next governor -- Polls give Democrat Becerra a commanding lead; he has made the contest a referendum on President Trump, seeking to mobilize Democrats and boost House candidates. Hilton has cast himself as an underdog, blaming Democratic rule for inaffordability and homelessness while promising sweeping tax cuts and lower gas prices; voters also voiced concerns about housing and living costs. Seema Mehta and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/2/26

Mayoral candidates Bass and Raman crisscross L.A. on final weekend before the election -- The former allies, and now competitors, took veiled shots at each other as they each hit multiple campaign stops Sunday morning, with both attending church services and other events. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/2/26

The accidental politician who could run Los Angeles -- Nithya Raman didn’t plan on a political career. But an unsolicited direct message, an “Evil Elmo,” and a stubborn homelessness crisis has put her at City Hall’s door. Will McCarthy Politico -- 11/2/26

Culture War Tensions Roil Beverly Hills School Board Race -- Battles over Israel, antisemitism and race have shaken Beverly Hills in recent years and divided the formerly Democratic enclave. Tim Arango in the New York Times$ -- 11/2/26

Health Care

S.F. hospitals are rethinking emergency care for older adults -- San Francisco hospitals are adapting emergency care for older adults, with specialized screening, social work and even music. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/2/26

AI

If we say AI deserves rights, it could start to believe it, Microsoft AI CEO says -- The debate over whether to treat the idea that current AI systems are conscious as an open-ended question, or to dismiss the concept outright, continues to divide the industry. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/2/26

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El-Sayed raised $1.2 million in hours since Haley Stevens endorsed his rival -- Senate Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign says it has raised $1.2 million in the four hours and counting after former primary rival Rep. Haley Stevens backed Republican Mike Rogers in the final messy days of the Michigan Senate race. Adam Wren Politico -- 11/2/26

Democrats Show Strength in Final Days of Race for the Senate, New Polls Find -- Democrats are up in Michigan, Texas, Kansas, Maine and Ohio, have an edge in Alaska and are effectively tied with Republicans in Iowa, new New York Times/Siena polls found. Shane Goldmacher and Ruth Igielnik in the New York Times$ -- 11/2/26

The Final Polls Show a Blue Surge. Can We Trust Them? -- On the other hand, there’s precedent in the Trump era for polls to overestimate Democrats, and it’s reasonable to wonder whether the polls might be overestimating Democratic strength yet again. This is a real possibility. President Trump’s supporters are relatively unlikely to respond to polls, which introduces the ever-present risk of a polling misfire. Nate Cohn in the New York Times$ -- 11/2/26

Judge tosses DOJ’s attempt to delay Alaska’s Senate results if Republican loses -- A federal judge on Sunday rejected the Justice Department’s bid to hold up the certification of the results in Alaska’s Senate election in the event of a Republican loss, cutting short an extraordinary legal intervention in the race by the Trump administration. Jeremy Roebuck and Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ Nicholas Riccardi, Becky Bohrer Associated Press -- 11/2/26

Trump is giving his closing midterm pitch at problem-plagued Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool -- President Donald Trump is making his closing pitch of the midterm elections at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, pushing his slow, expensive and problem-plagued efforts to repair it back into the spotlight on the eve of Election Day. Will Weissert Associated Press -- 11/2/26

 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

The Olympics are becoming a flashpoint in LA’s mayoral race -- Karen Bass and her allies are turning the 2028 Olympic Games into a closing argument against Nithya Raman in Los Angeles’ mayoral race, warning that her past opposition to hosting and pledge to fire the city’s police chief could jeopardize preparations for the mega-event. Alex Nieves and Daniel Miller Politico -- 11/1/26

L.A. to decide whether to stay the course with Mayor Bass or vote for change with Raman -- It started with the February surprise. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a wonkish technocrat aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, upended the race for mayor by launching a last-minute bid to unseat incumbent Karen Bass. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

Los Angeles Voters Weigh Whether a DSA Mayor Can Fix the City’s Problems -- Democratic socialist Nithya Raman is in a close race with incumbent Karen Bass as frustration mounts over quality of life. Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/1/26

In L.A., a Stark Generational Divide May Determine the Mayor’s Race -- Young voters want affordability. Older ones want stability. That tension may be the biggest factor in the contest between Karen Bass, 73, the incumbent, and Nithya Raman, 45. Shawn Hubler and Jill Cowan in the New York Times$ -- 11/1/26

The biggest fight over the future of the Democratic Party is playing out in L.A. -- In California’s largest city, a progressive mayor once inspired by Castro’s Cuba faces a democratic socialist who wants to unleash housing development. Peter Jamison in the Washington Post$ -- 11/1/26

Lopez: No undecideds here: Why Bass backers are on board, and Raman fans are fired up -- At one point it looked as though Raman had a comfortable lead over Bass. The latest polling shows the race is close. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

Proposed billionaire tax could impact California sports teams -- The proposed billionaire tax on California’s November ballot could slap a one-time 5% levy on wealthy residents, including sports team owners, to raise healthcare funds. Opponents warn professional sports teams owned by wealthy Californians could face higher costs, resulting in job losses, as well as increases to the cost of tickets, parking and concessions. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

Can a new mayor fix the ‘abusive relationship’ between this Bay Area city and its biggest employer? -- With the future of its largest taxpayer uncertain, a progressive Bay Area city is at a crossroads. Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/1/26

A tribe returns, joyful, to 51 acres in the San Gabriel foothills -- A 51-acre piece of land along the Pacific Crest Trail above Santa Clarita is going back to descendants of the people who once lived there. The couple who owned it marketed the plot as a potential glamping site, but they decided to sell it instead to the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

Measure A could radically alter L.A. County labor talks. There’s been little debate -- Measure A would mandate binding arbitration when labor talks between the L.A, County supervisors and public safety unions that are barred from striking reach an impasse. The measure is backed by unions representing county firefighters, deputy sheriffs and others, which are spending millions of dollars to see it passed. There isn’t any formal opposition. Jon Regardie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

This L.A. city board is more than 120 years old. A ballot measure could quietly hasten its end -- Measure LA on Tuesday’s ballot would allow the City Council to disband the Board of Public Works, which has been around since 1905. Supporters say it would streamline infrastructure repairs, while opponents say it would concentrate too much authority in one person. Jon Regardie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

 

As toxic chemical fire burns, L.A. County officials ghost Chiquita Canyon Landfill hearing -- A group of California lawmakers and state oversight officials have admonished Los Angeles County health authorities for failing to attend a public hearing on their response to a toxic chemical reaction within Chiquita Canyon Landfill. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

The Sudden Death of an Nvidia AI Prodigy Leaves Behind Bitter Accusations -- Authorities found no evidence of foul play, but the 32-year-old’s supporters in Silicon Valley and Bangladesh refuse to let the case close. Zusha Elinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/1/26

Massive sewage main break prompts closure of all coastal waters off Long Beach -- Ocean waters off Long Beach were closed to swimmers Saturday after a sewer main break, and it’s unclear when the water will be considered safe to enter. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

Also

Turmoil in Michigan’s Senate race as Democrat Haley Stevens appears with Republican Mike Rogers -- Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s former opponent in the U.S. Senate primary, Haley Stevens, stunned party officials Sunday by appearing with Republican Mike Rogers at a Detroit church service as tensions boiled over days before the election that could determine the balance of power on Capitol Hill. Joey Cappelletti, Corey Williams Associated Press -- 11/1/26

Arellano: This is the prayer Catholic bishops should have offered to Trump -- Protect those whom Trump has wronged, which is basically everyone in this country except tech bros, foreign dictators and men with great asses. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26

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Voters Usually Ignore Corruption as an Issue. It Now Has Their Attention -- Voters have shrugged off accusations of corruption for years, believing all politicians are corrupt, but thanks to President Trump’s unpopularity and growing wealth, the issue is breaking through. David Ovalle and Emily Cochrane in the New York Times$ -- 11/1/26

Trump administration retools its battle over elections to keep fights alive after Election Day -- The newest phase in Trump’s fight includes lawsuits and investigations that would preserve the administration’s ability to cast doubt on the results. Patrick Marley and Jeremy Roebuck in the Washington Post$ -- 11/1/26

Threats, Gaffes and Men’s Posteriors: Trump’s Talk Gets Wilder -- A Times review of the president’s public speeches finds that he is more profane, more absolutist, longer-winded and less coherent than he was in 2016. Peter Baker and Dylan Freedman in the New York Times$ -- 11/1/26

Barabak: This desert duel is a key test of Trump’s effect on the midterm election -- Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani and Democratic challenger JoAnna Mendoza are battling over some of the hardest-fought political turf in America. But many voters regard the contest as more of a proxy fight between the president and his antagonists. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/1/26