Dem convention shows a party divided

By Dustin Gardiner

Pro-Palestinian protestors occupied the lobby where the California Democratic Party was holding its annual convention. | Dustin Gardiner/POLITICO

DRIVING THE DAY: ON THE ROAD AGAIN — Interstate 10 is scheduled to reopen south of downtown Los Angeles today. The freeway closed following a fire on Nov. 11 that caused severe damage. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Vice President Kamala Harris and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass held a news conference Sunday to celebrate the freeway reopening weeks earlier than expected (sparing them backlash from angry motorists stranded in traffic).

THE BUZZ: MELTDOWN IN SACTOWN — California Democrats’ statewide convention was advertised as a chance for party delegates to come together ahead of a tough election year. Instead, it became a picture of disunity.

The party’s endorsing convention over the weekend went off the rails after about 1,000 protesters opposed to U.S. support for Israel in its war with Hamas burst through security barriers and occupied the building. Party leaders canceled several events as they struggled to regain control.

POLITICO’s California team was in the convention hall for the whole ordeal. Our top four takeaways:

1. Israeli-Palestinian split deepens: Protesters didn’t just overshadow the convention — they exposed the degree to which the conflict has divided the party, a split that speaks to generational fault lines. Protesters, many of them Gen Z progressives, arrived with a goal to shut down the convention and pressure party brass to support calls for a cease-fire in Gaza as the civilian death toll mounts.

They succeeded in shutting down the convention Saturday night. But the protesters' actions appear to have widened intra-party divisions over the conflict.

Chair Rusty Hicks condemned the demonstrators, vowing there will be repercussions for delegates who violated the party’s code of conduct (some could be stripped of their delegate status). Hicks said a few security guards sustained minor injuries as protesters forced their way through an entrance.

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks. | AP

As the chaos unfolded, Jewish groups held a private gathering four blocks away in a banquet room at the Citizen Hotel. The mood was somber, as some Jewish delegates said they felt unsafe participating in the rest of the convention.

“A number of delegates were clearly rattled by what they experienced,” said Igor Tregub, chair of the Alameda County Democratic Party.

A host of state officials denounced the pro-Palestinian demonstration. Prominent party leaders who’ve refused to back calls for a cease-fire — including Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, both U.S. Senate candidates — were unmoved after protesters interrupted their appearances earlier in the day. Christine Pelosi, one of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughters, flashed a thumbs down sign as she passed protesters holding a “Cease Fire Now” banner.

Leaders of the legislative Jewish Caucus, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and state Sen. Scott Wiener, decried protesters who chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” an expression they said amounts to the eradication of Israel.

But ultra-progressive groups behind the protest said their tactics were justified to call attention to “genocide” in Gaza. They warned the party’s status could alienate younger voters next year.

2. Senate non-endorsement: Rep. Barbara Lee’s supporters came into the convention with high hopes that winning the party endorsement could save her ailing Senate campaign. Despite a highly-visible ground game in the convention hall, she fell far short.

Lee received a slight plurality of the delegate vote, but was nowhere near the 60 percent vote required. Schiff and Lee were essentially tied, with Porter coming in a distant third place.

Lee’s camp sent out a press release that incorrectly proclaimed “BARBARA LEE EARNS CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY ENDORSEMENT,” apparently assuming she would win. Her team corrected its statement within minutes, but rival camps were quick to jump on the fumble.

Bottom line: The party’s non-endorsement is highly unlikely to change the dynamics of the race. Schiff and Porter have been statistically tied in several recent polls, and Lee missed her chance to flip the narrative.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). | AP

3. Eyeing the next office: Several top Democrats skipped the convention, including Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Alex Padilla. That left room in the spotlight for the next tier of state leaders eyeing their shot at higher office.

Two Democrats considering a run for governor in 2026 (when Newsom is termed out) sounded very, well, gubernatorial in their speeches to delegates.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins unveiled an ad highlighting her life story coming from a poor community in rural Virginia and her prominent legislative career. The rumor mill is abuzz about when she might announce her plans and hand off the baton to incoming Pro Tem Mike McGuire.

Speaking to a bar full of delegates and lawmakers at Cafeteria 15L on Friday night, Atkins leaned into what seemed like a stump speech calling for Democratic unity. “This next year, our democracy is at stake,” she said. “And that overrides everything else.”

Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a potential contender for governor, gave a sweeping stump speech on the convention hall floor. Bonta previewed what sounded like a campaign slogan, “fighting for you,” telling delegates he’s dedicated to taking on entrenched interests like the NRA and big pharma.

Two other 2026 contenders who’ve already launched campaigns also worked the convention circuit. Lt. Gov. spoke at an opening reception Friday night, where she praised the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein as a pioneer for women in power — and was spotted Saturday morning posted up in the Sheraton lobby meeting with leaders of the Teamsters. And schools chief Tony Thurmond’s campaign had a standout swag offering: free bookmarks with the slogan “Ban fascism, not books.”

4. Feud in the Valley: Two of the spiciest party endorsement fights involved members of the prominent Rubio family, pitting legislators and sisters state Sen. Susan Rubio and Assemblymember Blanca Rubio against a group of more-progressive leaning rivals in the San Gabriel Valley.

Susan Rubio was blocked from clinching the endorsement in the crowded congressional primary for CA-31 (to replace retiring Rep. Grace Napolitano). Three candidates also vying for the L.A.-area seat — former Rep. Gil Cisneros, state Sen. Bob Archuleta and community college trustee Mary Ann Lutz — joined forces to torpedo Rubio’s chances. They organized delegates to vote against her.

The Rubio clan fared better in a second endorsement fight. Blanca Rubio secured the party’s endorsement to keep her seat in Assembly District 48, beating back a challenge from West Covina Councilman Brian Tabatabai.

Both endorsement fights speak to a long-running spat between the Rubio sisters, moderate Democrats and power brokers at the state Capitol, and more liberal Democrats seeking to erode their power base in the Valley.

On the afternoon of the endorsement vote, Tabatabai held a luncheon with delegates at a Thai restaurant a few blocks from the convention. His surrogates included Cisneros and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, an arch rival of the Rubios. Solis accused the siblings of selling out to corporate campaign donors. “They forget the values of why we get in public service,” said Solis, a former U.S. labor secretary. The Rubios could not be reached for comment.

—with help from Melanie Mason and Jeremy B. White

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SPOTTED: GLOW UP IN AISLE ONE — Of the many politicians seeking to promote their names in the exhibition area of the convention, nobody’s booth stood out quite like that of Assemblymember Evan Low. His stall was adorned with not one… but three giant headshots of the Silicon Valley member.

It was all part of the ballot measure campaign that Low and other LGBTQ leaders are spearheading to repeal the vestiges of Proposition 8 from the state Constitution. His booth featured a wedding photographer, inviting delegates to pose for their own glamorous same-sex wedding photos atop a large rainbow cake.

But Low wasn’t done there. He partnered with Equality California to throw a giant party Friday night, where attendees danced with rainbow glow sticks and danced to pop hits — all in the name of marriage equality.

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CLEANING UP FOR COMPANY: All eyes were on San Francisco Mayor London Breed as her city hosted some 30,000 business and government leaders for the APEC summit. By most accounts, she avoided any major catastrophes. That’s a boost for the mayor ahead of her tough reelection fight next year. (San Francisco Chronicle)

TROUBLE IN THE FIELDS: California’s Salinas Valley is one of the country’s most productive agricultural regions. But that bounty comes with a cost: Farmworkers in the region are often exposed to pesticides tied to some cancers and other illnesses. (The Wall St. Journal)

BIRTHDAYS — Robert Edmonson … Google’s Courtney Corbisiero … Hunter Sprole … 

(was Sunday): Richard Zare ... Sydney Cetner ... Bob Hertzberg ... Charlie Kaufman … Boyd Bailey …

(was Saturday): Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) … Jack Dorsey … (was Friday): Gary M. Pomerantz

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