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Presented by UPS: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Matthew Brown and Ramon Castanos | Presented by UPS | THE BUZZ: Don’t look now, but the California primaries are already heating up. In just 10 short months, California voters will cast the first ballot in what is expected to be a contentious and consequential election year, especially for Democrats as they look to hold onto the White House and Senate while regaining power in the House. The road to winning back control could run through California, where Republicans in the last few cycles managed to flip five seats, giving them just enough of a margin to take control of the House and promote Bakersfield’s own Kevin McCarthy to the speakership. Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for fierce fights in the general election, but some pre-primary rumblings within the parties could hinder candidates who don’t have much room for error. We’re already seeing evidence of that in the race for Rep. Katie Porter’s Orange County district. State Sen. Dave Min, her chosen successor, has been hounded by Republicans the past few weeks for a DUI arrest in Sacramento. On Monday, a Democrat entered the fray. Former Rep. Harley Rouda, who suspended his own campaign for CA-47 last month, endorsed Min’s opponent, activist Joanna Weiss, while calling on fellow Democrats to abandon the state senator and demand he withdraw from the race. “If it was a Republican candidate who got a DUI, Democrats would demand exactly that,” Rouda said. “Let’s not be hypocrites.” The jab came just hours before new details of the arrest surfaced. A report and video, first published by The Washington Free Beacon on Monday, revealed Min was driving a Senate-owned vehicle when he was pulled over and was noted as having a blood alcohol level of .15 percent — nearly twice the legal limit. A spokesman for Min’s campaign said he has the “continued support” of Porter along with SEIU, the California Federation of Teachers and police officers. But CA-47 is not a certain win for Democrats, and sharp elbows from fellow party players could hurt in the long run. Republicans are also dealing with their fair share of infighting. Rep. John Duarte was lambasted Monday by a 2022 primary challenger, David Giglio, who hasn’t yet entered the 2024 race, but is clearly seeking to undermine the Republican incumbent in a district the party barely won last year. Giglio slammed Duarte for voting against a border security bill, a decision he called “indefensible.” In other 2024 news: Will Rollins is getting back in. The Democrat is looking for a rematch against Republican Rep. Ken Calvert in his Palm Springs district, CA-41, after losing by five points last year. POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago got the excloo from Rollins and all the details on how he wants to shake things up. Read the story here. BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. Nurses are descending upon the Capitol today. The California Nurses Association and National Nurses United are sending nearly 500 union members to march in Sacramento for single-payer healthcare and legislation related to worker compensation and mental health care. Meanwhile, a different health care union, United Health Workers, is also sending hundreds to the statehouse in support of a $25/hour minimum wage for health care workers. 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 UPS: UPS invests more than $343 million in safety training in the U.S. every year. It’s why more than 10,000 UPS drivers have driven 25 years or more without an accident and earned a place in our Circle of Honor. Learn more | | | WHERE’S GAVIN? In Yuba County to announce new efforts to restore the Yuba River and support salmon and other fish. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "What they did not realize was that they were creating the perfect ingredients for a flashpoint in this nation. That they thought they could bury us beneath their system, but what they really did was water and plant seeds that are flourishing. " Visiting Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, who was temporarily expelled for demanding an assault weapons ban following the March mass shooting at a Nashville school. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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Scott_Wiener | WE’RE HIRING — POLITICO is embarking on an exciting expansion in the Golden State and looking for another journalist to join our growing team as a California Playbook author. More in the job description here.
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | — “Banko Brown: Video shows what led to S.F. Walgreens shooting; D.A. won’t file charges,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rachel Swan: “The video is a key piece of evidence underpinning District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ decision not to prosecute the guard for the April 27 shooting that stoked protests and roiled an already tense debate about criminal justice and the lengths to which merchants should go to quell retail theft. Jenkins citied the guard's claim to self-defense in a violent encounter that began over Banko Brown’s suspected shoplifting."
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: DEM DOLLARS — House Majority Forward, an affiliate of Democrats’ top super PAC, is launching new digital ads today in three competitive California districts, targeting GOP Reps. John Duarte, David Valadao, and Mike Garcia. The California ads are part of the organization’s $1 million messaging campaign in congressional districts across the country. Check out a couple of the ads here: Duarte ... Garcia
| | | | A message from UPS:   | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “California is losing population and building new houses. When will home prices come down?” by CalMatters’ Ben Christopher: “New numbers released by the Newsom administration show that California added homes to its housing stock at a faster clip than any time since the Great Recession — 123,350 additional units, or an increase of 0.85 percent. Over that same period, the state’s population declined, marking the third year in a row that it’s fallen from one new year to the next.” — “In Black-led Compton, a Latino majority fights for political power,” by The Washington Post’s Silvia Foster-Frau: “Public perception isn’t the biggest obstacle Compton’s Latino activists say they face to gaining greater recognition: The city’s leadership still reflects its demographic past, with an all-Black city council and school board. It has never had a Latino mayor. Compton is part of a congressional district represented by a Latina lawmaker, but its first and sole Latino council member was ousted last year after being accused of election fraud.” — “Coastal cities priced out low-wage workers. Now college graduates are leaving, too,” by The New York Times’ Emily Badger, Robert Gebeloff and Josh Katz: “Working-age Americans with a degree are still flowing into these regions from other parts of the country, often in large numbers. But as the pool leaving grows faster, that educational advantage is eroding. Boston’s pull with college graduates has weakened. Seattle’s edge vanished during the pandemic. And the analysis shows San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and Washington all crossing a significant threshold: More college-educated workers left than moved in.” — “Hours ahead of his resignation, Fletcher resurfaces to apologize to supporters, defend against allegations,” by The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jeff McDonald: “The 600-word letter, a copy of which was provided Sunday to The San Diego Union-Tribune, is being sent to friends and supporters this morning. In addition to expressing humility and regret and defending against the accusations against him, the letter confirms Fletcher’s resignation from the county Board of Supervisors is effective today.”
| | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — Will Kamala Harris harm Joe Biden’s reelection chances?, by POLITICO’s Jeff Greenfield: There’s no question the vice president will face serious scrutiny in 2024, and fairly or not, she’s struggled to win over Washington and much of the public. Particularly if the GOP sees Harris as a weaker figure than Biden, the attacks on her as a potential president will only increase.
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — “Elon Musk is stuck with his ‘Twitter sitter’ after court rejects bid to toss SEC settlement,” by The Verge’s Andrew J. Hawkins: “A federal appeals court rejected Musk’s bid to toss or modify his 2018 fraud settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, leaving in place a consent decree that requires his tweets to be approved by a lawyer before he can post them. "Given the frequency and volume of Musk’s tweets — and the fact that he now owns Twitter — it’s unclear whether Musk is abiding by the order to have the Twitter sitter review his tweets.”
| | MIXTAPE | | — “In Israel, S.F. Mayor London Breed looks to take lessons back to the Bay Area,” by Jewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss. — “ICU workers see the fentanyl epidemic up close. 'There are just so many.', by The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Paul Sisson.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | Lyft’s Jodi Seth … Jake Sticka
| | | | A message from UPS: UPS invests more than $343 million in safety training in the U.S. every year. Our operations employees completed more than 6 million hours of safety training in 2022 alone.
Not only do we practice safety, we celebrate it too. As of 2023, more than 10,000 UPS drivers have driven 25 years or more without an accident — which is about 15 billion miles — and have earned a place in our Circle of Honor.
Learn how UPS delivers safety | | | 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 | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
