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Presented by Southern California Edison: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte, Ramon Castanos and Matthew Brown | Presented by Southern California Edison | THE BUZZ: California’s Senate contenders have finally gone from presumed to confirmed. Rep. Adam Schiff made his long-awaited campaign announcement Thursday, launching into a field that already features Rep. Katie Porter and almost certainly Rep. Barbara Lee, who is already fundraising for a Senate run and telling colleagues she’s in. While Lee’s planned entry surprised those who believed she was more focused on an appointment in the event of an early exit by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California has been bracing for the Porter-Schiff clash for months. California’s next U.S. senator will be a Democrat. The state’s azure electorate makes that all but inevitable, barring some mathematical anomaly in which enough Democrats split the primary vote to let a pair of Republicans sneak into the top two. So the conflict in this race will center on which Democrat prevails over fellow party members. Campaigns and PACs will spend tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to help voters decide. Schiff rose to prominence as a principal antagonist of President Donald Trump, playing a starring role in impeachment proceedings. That made him a villain to Republicans and a hero to resistance Democrats whose rising support can be quantified by Schiff’s fundraising totals: In the 2015-2016 cycle, the last before Trump became president, Schiff raised $975,000. That jumped to $6.2 million the following cycle and vaulted to $19.5 million in the next round. The Los Angeles Democrat emphasized that background when POLITICO asked how he would differentiate himself from fellow Democrats. “I’ve been at the center of all those fights, and that’s what Californians have come to expect,” Schiff said, hours after releasing a video that heavily featured Trump and footage from Schiff’s impeachment testimony. Economic issues play a key role, Schiff said, because a dysfunctional economy has helped demagogues ride public discontent to power. While Schiff’s anti-Trump persona bolstered his liberal credibility, he's widely seen as more of a centrist than Porter or Lee. He said he views himself as “very much a progressive,” citing his support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. But he'll likely need to square those positions with his history as a leader of the economically moderate Blue Dog Democrats. Some California progressives see his historical corporate donor list as disqualifying. Porter pointedly noted Schiff is not a Progressive Caucus member. Democratic divides could be the key to this campaign. That’s especially true in a crowded primary field, where the first-place finisher may manage only a plurality and a split liberal vote
means only one Democrat makes it to the general — where they become the presumptive winner. Energizing loyal progressives will matter. So will persuading no-party-preference voters and lower-propensity moderates. Lee clearly occupies the progressive lane, becoming an icon of the left with a history that includes the lone vote against the war in Afghanistan. Porter has emphasized defying special interests and positioned herself as a “fresh new voice” who is more of an outsider than long-serving opponents. Schiff will have plenty of money to spread his message of safeguarding democracy and repairing the economy. We’ll see how voters respond. BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. Republican National Committee members gathered in Dana Point are set to elect a leader today, with California Republican fixture Harmeet Dhillon pushing hard to unseat Ronna McDaniel. ICYMI, we talked to Dhillon about her challenge. We are also expecting video footage from the attack on Paul Pelosi to be released today. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.
| | | | A message from Southern California Edison: We believe everyone should have the right to breathe clean air. That’s why we’re leading the charge for more clean, renewable energy. We’re a national leader in battery storage and delivering solar energy to our customers. We’re working to cut emissions from buildings and freeways. And we proudly support the growth of green jobs. | | | QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think we need a change, I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC. I like what Harmeet Dhillon has said about getting the RNC out of DC.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praises Dhillon, via Florida’s Voice. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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Twitter | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | —“Storms ravaged this California town. Here's what happened to those who refused to evacuate,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Summer Lin: “Most of the residents are immigrants without documentation, live below the poverty line and don’t have flood insurance, he added.” —“DeSantis scrambles RNC race after praising Dhillon and urging ‘new blood’,” by POLITICO’s Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw: “Dhillon’s team was caught off guard by DeSantis’ remarks on Thursday, though thrilled with his show of support, said Caroline Wren, Dhillon’s campaign adviser.” —“The dark history of the eugenics movement in North California has chilling implications for today,” by the San Francisco Standard’s Julie Zigors: “Even though California repealed its laws authorizing sterilization in 1979, the practice continued illegally, most often in prison settings.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | L.A. SUCCESSION — Schiff’s launch means Los Angeles will get a new House member. Candidates have already been anticipating the possibility of a safe Democratic seat opening up: Assemblymember Laura Friedman, LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin and actor Ben Savage have opened committees. Activist and 2022 challenger Maebe A. Girl is running. Terming-out state Sen. Anthony Portantino could as well. Schiff said he had “a lot of friends who are running for my seat now” but intends “to stay out.”
| | | | A message from Southern California Edison:   | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — Recent rains mean more water for Californians in the year ahead, by POLITICO’s Wes Venteicher and Camille von Kanael: "Recent storms replenished California reservoirs enough for the State Water Project to provide six times more water to local agencies than state officials expected in December, fulfilling 30 percent of the agencies’ requests instead of 5 percent, the Department of Water Resources said Thursday." —“Civil rights groups file lawsuit to block Newsom's plan for treating people with mental illness,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Hannah Wiley: “Critics argued that CARE Court was a misguided approach for solving an issue that needed more significant investments in permanent housing and voluntary treatment services.” —“Judge who struck down California’s COVID misinformation law questions ‘scientific consensus’ on vaccines,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bob Egelko: “She said the state Medical Board already has the power to punish doctors, by suspending or revoking their licenses, if they knowingly give patients false information about their condition or treatment, but the board has not yet exercised that authority against a doctor who opposes COVID vaccines.” —“College enrollment decline leads to funding changes for underperforming Cal State schools,” by CalMatters’ Mikhail Zinshteyn: “Seven campuses in particular — CSU Channel Islands, Chico State, Cal State East Bay, Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal Maritime, Sonoma State and San Francisco State — are missing their state enrollment targets by 10 percent or more.” —“California’s resolve questioned after it grants Medi-Cal contract concessions,” by California Healthline’s Bernard J. Wolfson and Samantha Young: “Consumer advocates had worried that lingering uncertainty would hinder the rollout of a far-reaching nearly $12 billion, five-year Medi-Cal initiative to provide nonmedical social services that address socioeconomic factors such as homelessness and food insecurity, widely viewed as key health indicators.” —“Attorney for S.F. officer charged with manslaughter says case should be dropped, alleging ‘misconduct’ by ex-D.A. Boudin,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Joshua Sharpe: “In a court filing obtained Wednesday by The Chronicle, Samayoa’s attorneys allege that Boudin went around the investigator because he, as well as others who’d reviewed the case, didn’t believe the case could be successfully prosecuted.” —“Rand survey finds homelessness up 18 percent in L.A. hot spots where the official count recorded decreases,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Dough Smith: “The Rand study, conducted from September 2021 through October 2022, draws no conclusion on the accuracy of LAHSA’s estimate of the total number of homeless people in Los Angeles County last year, 69,144."
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | —“Meet the Bay Area-born Justice Department attorney who’ll square off in House GOP investigations,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Sarah D. Wire: “Assistant Atty. Gen. Carlos Uriarte has spent months preparing to face off against House Republicans as they unleash a gantlet of congressional investigations into the Justice Department.” —“Chevron’s Buyback boosts stock, get rebuke from White House,” by The Associated Press: ”Both Chevron and Exxon Mobil are expected to announce record annual profits for 2022 when they report their earnings over the next few days. Shares of both companies have more than doubled since the start of 2021, outpacing the performance of their counterparts in Europe, where investors are under greater pressure to divest from fossil fuel companies.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | —“‘A Hard Sell’: Can Biden’s DOJ really shatter Google’s grip on digital ads,” by Politico’s Josh Sisco and Brendon Bordelon: "The Justice Department finally unveiled its vaunted antitrust lawsuit seeking to break up Google’s advertising business, a case that could reshape Silicon Valley and define President Joe Biden’s legacy." —“ChatGPT creator Sam Altman visits Washington to meet lawmakers,” by Semafor’s Reed Albergotti: “In the meetings, Altman told policymakers that OpenAI is on the path to creating “artificial general intelligence,” a term used to describe an artificial intelligence that can think and understand on the level of the human brain.”
| | | | A message from Southern California Edison: This is a time of great change and uncertainty. But what remains constant is our commitment to building a clean energy future for everyone. That’s why SCE is standing with California, leading the charge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve local air quality and support continued economic growth. We’re a national leader in battery storage and delivering solar energy to our customers. We’re working to cut emissions from buildings and freeways. And we proudly support the fastest the growth of green jobs. We’re more than 13,000 employees serving 15 million Californians. When we work together, we can move full speed ahead into a clean energy future. | | | | | MIXTAPE | | —“Vallejo police union ignored subpoena in Sean Monterrosa civil rights case, attorneys allege,” by the VallejoSun’s Scott Morris —“California State Bar moves to pull Trump ally John Eastman's license over 2020 election plot,” by CNBC’s Dan Mangan and Kevin Breuniger —“Roseville CA ranks 2nd in the nation for one-way U-Haul arrivals,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Molly Joe —“How to see and help tiny blue butterflies in L.A.,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Jake Safane
| | IN MEMORIAM | | —“Bruce Wolfe, Bay Area artist who sculpted Tony Bennett, Clint Eastwood and Gavin Newsom in bronze, dead at 81,” by the San Francisco Chronicles’ Sam Whiting 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.
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