Into the Valley of the Democrats

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Wednesday Jan 19,2022 02:17 pm

Jan 19, 2022

By Jeremy B. White, Chris Ramirez and Graph Massara

THE BUZZ — LOOK OUT, OC: California’s Central Valley may be the state’s most dynamic campaign hotspot.

Rep. Jerry McNerney uncorked a cascade of political recalibration on Tuesday by announcing he’d retire rather than seek reelection. McNerney’s fate was a major variable for Central Valley campaigns, from the House down through the Legislature. After the redistricting commission released new maps, it initially appeared the 70-year-old McNerney would be staying put. But McNerney reshaped the landscape by becoming the fourth California House Democrat to announce their retirement since the new lines emerged.

Rep. Jerry McNerney in 2019.

Rep. Jerry McNerney in 2019. | House Television via AP

The dominoes started falling immediately thereafter, as frontline Democratic Rep. Josh Harder announced he’d shift his 2022 effort to the Stockton-anchored 9th Congressional district McNerney was giving up. Harder had initially declared for the newly drawn 13th Congressional district. Both his old target and his new one are solidly Democratic, so this may have a limited effect on the House majority. But his district swap quickly rippled across the map.

Assemblymember Adam Gray was next to make his move, declaring for CA-13, now suddenly up for grabs. Gray, a moderate Democrat, will be termed out in 2024 and has been somewhat sidelined in Sacramento after losing his chairmanship of the powerful Governmental Organization Committee. Gray immediately touted a lengthy roster of endorsers, indicating he’d long been planning a run. Among them: Gray’s father-in-law and former boss, former Rep. Gary Condit, along with numerous Democratic officeholders and Republican former legislators Kristin Olsen and Anthony Cannella.

Now we are watching state Sen. Anna Caballero. She is currently headed for a Democrat-on-Democrat reelection fight with Sen. Melissa Hurtado thanks to new district lines. A run for the new CA-13 could relieve that pressure, although she would still be matching up against a fellow Democrat, Gray. The district is also majority-Latino, and while Caballero has not made a decision, her campaign consultant, Orrin Evans, told us Caballero “thinks this is [a] historic opportunity for a Latina to represent the Central Valley.”

BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Lest you think redistricting season has ended, Oakland is considering its semifinal map of new city council and school district lines and taking public comment today.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit jwhite@politico.com or follow me on Twitter @jeremybwhite.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He generally is more measured in private conversations with the companies. … At the end of the day, I think he understands more than most that Facebook’s got to do what they’ve got to do, and he’s got to do what he’s got to do, and it’s all part of the political game of Washington.” Republican former Facebook employee Katie Harbath on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s stance toward Big Tech, via POLITICO.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Actor @MarkRuffalo weighs in on a former governor’s solar fight stance: “Someone should have a stern talk with Ralph Cavanagh at @NRDC.”

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

TOP TALKERS

— “Felony charges are 1st in a fatal crash involving Autopilot,” by the AP’s Tom Krisher and Stefanie Dazio: “The misuse of Autopilot, which can control steering, speed and braking, has occurred on numerous occasions and is the subject of investigations by two federal agencies. The filing of charges in the California crash could serve notice to drivers who use systems like Autopilot that they cannot rely on them to control vehicles.”

— “One man’s lonely journey through California’s plan to end homelessness,” by CalMatters’ Jackie Botts: “California’s pandemic response marked the start of Maya’s journey indoors. Through Project Roomkey, the statewide effort to take vulnerable and elderly people off the street, he was given the keys to a hotel room of his own that June. Later, Maya would credit the program — and Gov. Gavin Newsom — with having ended his homelessness.”

EXPLOSIVE — “NASA scientists estimate Tonga blast at 10 megatons,” by NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel: “That means the explosive force was more than 500 times as powerful as the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, at the end of World War II.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

ANOTHER ONE — “State Senate leader Bob Hertzberg to run for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors,” by the LA Times’ Seema Mehta: “Hertzberg, who serves as the majority leader in the state Senate and was previously the speaker of the state Assembly, told The Times he was motivated to run by new district lines that place much of the Valley inside a single district.”

BONIN BOLSTERED — “Mike Bonin recall drive has failed to turn in enough valid signatures, officials say,” by the LA Times’ David Zahniser: “City Clerk Holly Wolcott, whose office has been reviewing recall petitions for several weeks, concluded that the [Los Angeles City Council Member] Bonin recall group had 25,965 valid signatures, about 1,350 short of the amount needed.”

NEO-NIELLO? Republican former Assemblyman Roger Niello is looking to return to the Capitol, launching a run for the new, Republican-leaning 6th Senate district. Sacramento area residents will recognize Niello from the chain of car dealerships that bear his name.

VOTING FEVER — “Here’s everything you need to know about San Francisco’s Feb. 15 special election,” by the SF Chronicle’s Mallory Moench: “The election includes two races — the result of shuffling at City Hall — and a recall.”

— “Campos, Haney spar over universal health care,” by the Bay Area Reporter’s Matthew S. Bajko: “The issue has become a flashpoint between District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, a straight ally, and gay former District 9 supervisor David Campos as they campaign for the open 17th Assembly District seat on the ballot for the February 15 special election.”

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

SOLAR FLARES — “California's rooftop solar proposal tees up conflict between agencies,” by POLITICO’s Colby Bermel: “The CPUC has argued that [California Energy Commission's changes] would make solar owners pay their share of grid costs, in addition to stabilizing the electric system by incentivizing storage of solar energy.”

INCOMING — “LA Fire Chief Is Retiring, Making Way For The Department's First Female Leader,” via LAist: “If confirmed by the city council, Crowley will take over a department that has been rocked in recent months by allegations of systemic sexism and racism, complaints that have been raised in one form or another for decades.”

— “ Native Americans want to ditch the name Squaw Valley. A county supervisor says context matters,” by the LA Times’ Lila Seidman: “Suzan Shown Harjo, president of the Morning Star Institute and a leading Native American rights advocate, said ‘squaw’ was popularized by French and British trappers, who conscripted Indigenous women as slave laborers as early as the 1600s.”

THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE — “ In familiar refrain, United Farm Workers grapples with how to grow,” by CalMatters’ Melissa Montalvo and Nigel Duara: “Today, UFW focuses its efforts on political advocacy, hoping for better election outcomes by making accommodations such as at-home voting. Even if the measure passes, it’s unclear whether that will lead to more members.”

DO BETTER — “ NATIONAs Omicron Surges, California Students Demand More From Adults,” by Capital & Main’s Mark Kriedler: “Protests last week at two wildly disparate districts, Redondo Beach and Oakland, suggested not only the outlines of student concerns but also the challenge of effectively safeguarding schools in general.”

CLASS IN SESSION — “ Palo Alto Schools Stay Open During Omicron Surge Thanks to Parent Volunteers,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Zusha Elinson: “With many teachers and staff out because of the Covid-19 variant, hundreds of parents serve as custodians, cafeteria workers and classroom aides.”

— “Fired OC district attorney’s investigator who accused Todd Spitzer of bribery gets job back in arbitration, ” by the OC Register’s Tony Saavedra: “Tucker, a veteran of nearly 30 years, was fired in December 2020 amid allegations that he unilaterally began investigating his suspicions that Spitzer was giving preferential treatment to donors.”

— “Wildfire Risk in California Drives Insurers to Pull Policies for Pricey Homes,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Leslie Scism: “As early as this month, American International Group Inc. will begin notifying about 9,000 customers in its Private Client Group that their home policies won’t be renewed this year. The change is part of a plan by AIG to cease selling home policies in California through a unit regulated by the state’s insurance department.”

— “Newsom’s $50 million opioids education pledge comes as colleges warn of risks, ” by CalMatters’ Emily Forschen, Itzel Luna and Colleen Murphy: “When asked whether Newsom’s proposal would target college students, the California Department of Public Health said it would conduct research to craft the campaign and identify specific audiences and age ranges. The campaign would aim to reach both youths and adults, the department said in a statement to the CalMattersCollege Journalism Network, using social media, print and digital ads, and online toolkits.”

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

UNCLEAR JOB DESCRIPTION — “Harris still struggling to define herself one year in VP job,” by the AP’s Alexandra Jaffe: “Harris’ aides say privately that the vice president is careful not to get ahead of the president, never wanting to take credit for the administration’s successes. She will also often say that while she offers her frank opinions to the president privately, her public role is to ensure he is successful.”

SILICON VALLEYLAND

IT’S COMPLICATED — McCarthy’s love-hate relationship with Silicon Valley, by POLITICO’s Emily Birnbaum and Hailey Fuchs: Allies of the GOP leader say that McCarthy’s extensive criticism in recent years is a manifestation of a party growing increasingly frustrated with large tech platforms — a frustration fanned by former President Donald Trump, who has been booted off a few of those platforms.

LEVELING UP — “Microsoft Buys Scandal-Tainted Activision in Bet on Metaverse,” by Bloomberg’s Dina Bass and Nate Lanxon: “Microsoft Corp. plans to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. for $68.7 billion, acquiring a legendary game publisher responsible for franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, but recently roiled by claims of sexual misconduct and discrimination.”

HELPING HAND — “White House Weighs Support for Klobuchar’s Tech Antitrust Bill,” by Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs and Anna Edgerton: “The White House would like to help build consensus for the measure, but doesn’t intend to openly endorse the legislation at this point, according to one of the people familiar with situation.”

TAKING THE L — “Facebook loses bid to dismiss users’ data-privacy antitrust claims,” by Reutters’ Mike Scarcella: “Koh ruled that advertisers can sue Facebook over an agreement the company reached with Google Inc in 2018 to refrain from entering each other's market, Koh said.”

MONEY MOVES — “Lyft makes largest one-time political donation in Massachusetts history, fueling gig worker ballot fight,” by the Boston Globe’s Matt Stout and John Hilliard.

HOLLYWOODLAND

MUSIC SHUFFLE — “Grammys Leave LA For Vegas, Move From January To April,” by the LAist’s Mike Roe: “Las Vegas currently has fewer COVID-19 restrictions for indoor events than L.A. — as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority notes on its website: ‘Las Vegas is open and ready to welcome you back, without restrictions involving capacity limits and large gatherings.’”

— “Yvette Mimieux Dies: Actress-Writer Who Starred In ‘The Time Machine’ Had Just Turned 80,” by Deadline’s Mike Flemming Jr.: “Mimieux was a prolific actress best remembered for starring opposite Rod Taylor in the 1960 George Pal-directed film version of the H.G. Wells novel The Time Machine at MGM, where she was soon put under a long-term contract.”

CANNABIS COUNTRY

— Louisiana Senate candidate smokes a blunt in first campaign ad, via POLITICO.

MIXTAPE

— “Long Beach diver dies during offshore excursion at Huntington Beach oil platform,” by the LA Times’ Nathan Solis.

— “ CalPERS board president announces resignation after cancer diagnosis,” by the Sac Bee’s Wes Venteicher.

— “Supreme Court hears Californians’ claim to painting taken by Nazis, sold to museum,” by the LA Times’ David G. Savage.

— “ East Bay thieves using ‘sleight of hand’ to steal jewelry, police say. Here’s how their alleged scam works,” by the SF Chronicle’s Jessica Flores.

— “In wealthy LA enclave, harsher penalties for wasting water,” by the AP’s Kathleen Ronayne.

— “Proposed Oakland business tax changes would hit larger companies harder,” by the SF Chronicle’s Sarah Ravani.

TRANSITIONS

— Stefanie Lao has joined J&Z Strategies as a new campaign associate. Lao formerly worked for former Rep. Harley Rouda’s campaign and California Environmental Voters.

— Jenna Dresner is now senior campaign strategist at Citizen Data. She most recently was deputy comms director for the California Secretary of State.

BIRTHDAYS

Sarah Farnsworth … Alexis Gay … Adam Sege

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this -only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

Follow us on Twitter