Latest news with #CaliforniaGovernor
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Moment squirming Gavin Newsom says the quiet part out loud about trans kids... it's as humiliating as it is shameless
For more than four hours the supremely self-assured governor of California held court, waxing lyrical about his policies, beliefs and vision. Then came the simple yes or no question which stumped him. Should eight-year-old children be given medical treatments to change their biological sex?
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will she or won't she? The California governor's race waits on Kamala Harris
The Democrats running for California governor have spent the spring and summer working to win over the powerful donors and interest groups who could help them squeak through a competitive primary election. But the candidates, and many deep-pocketed Democrats, are still waiting for the decision that will have the biggest impact on the race: whether former Vice President Kamala Harris is running. Since Harris lost to President Trump in November, the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom has been in suspended animation, with candidates trying to plan their campaigns without knowing who their biggest opponents will be. A few are making contingency plans to run for other offices. And some major donors are waiting to write big checks. "It creates a little bit of a limbo situation," said Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of public instruction who launched his gubernatorial campaign in 2023. The Democrats in the race are talking to many of the same potential donors, Thurmond said, and most have the same question: "Is she going to run?" The only answer, Thurmond said, is an unsatisfying one: "We don't know." Read more: Who is running for California governor in 2026? Meet the candidates Since leaving Washington in January, Harris has mostly stayed out of the public eye, settling back into her Brentwood home with her husband, Doug Emhoff, and talking to close friends and confidantes about what she should do next. She is weighing whether to leave politics, run for governor or run for president for a third time. She is expected to make a decision about the gubernatorial race by the end of summer. The Democrats who are already running for governor lack Harris' star power, and her entry could upend the race. But the former vice president would also face questions about her 107-day sprint to the White House, what she knew about President Biden's decline and whether someone who has run unsuccessfully for president twice really wants to be California's governor. "She is looking closely where is the best place to put her energy and focus and her time," said Debbie Mesloh, a longtime Harris ally. The few public appearances Harris has made this year — meeting with firefighters in Altadena, attending a high school graduation in Compton and headlining a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in the Bay Area — have been fodder for those trying to read the tea leaves. What does it mean that Harris skipped the state Democratic Party convention? That Emhoff has taken a teaching job at USC? Harris had originally planned to take a two-week vacation at the end of this month but has canceled her trip, according to someone familiar with her plans. Harris has also been in New York, where she attended Broadway plays and the exclusive Met Gala; in San Francisco, where she dined with her niece Meena at the high-end Japanese restaurant Shoji; and in Los Angeles, where she has shopped for groceries at a 99 Ranch Market in Westwood and the Brentwood Farmers Market. As the months have worn on, some gubernatorial campaigns have started to think that Harris' victory feels like less of a foregone conclusion than if she'd announced in January after leaving office. Read more: Democrats running for California governor take digs at Kamala Harris' delayed decision on the race Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Biden Cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine have said that they will stay in the race no matter what. Veteran state Senate leader Toni Atkins of San Diego said she is also staying in if Harris runs, saying in a statement that "while the vice president has her own path, our campaign is moving full speed ahead." Former state Controller Betty Yee said in an interview this week that even if Harris runs, she is staying in, too. "No, no, no," Yee said, of the possibility of seeking another statewide office. Being governor, she said, "is what I feel like I've prepared to do. I will be staying in the race and really leaning into my fiscal and financial background." Yee said when she talks to donors, they want to know two things: how California can push back against the Trump administration, and what she will do if Harris enters the race. Dan Newman, a political strategist who's worked for Newsom, Harris and several of the gubernatorial candidates, said that the race is at an odd inflection point, with candidates who "don't know who their potential voters are, because they don't know who they're running against," and some donors who are waiting — at least for now — to write big checks. "They've got a good excuse to not give, because even if they are a big fan of a candidate who's in the race now, they don't know if the candidate will stay in the race," Newman said. "Then there are others who don't want to give to someone who might run against her." Eric Jaye, a political strategist who previously worked for Villaraigosa's 2018 gubernatorial campaign and advised Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco, said he's hearing "frustration" from donors who are ready to see the race pick up speed. "They're not going to wait much longer," Jaye said. "There are going to be donors who say, 'We have to go. We're not going to wait for you.'" But even if Harris entered, that wouldn't be a guarantee that donors would back her again, including those who are angry that she spent nearly $1.5 billion in campaign funds in her compressed campaign for the White House in 2024. "The money is very, very upset with her," said gubernatorial candidate Stephen Cloobeck, a businessman and Democratic donor who is running for California governor. "They're my friends. I'm part of that money. Everyone is thoroughly reeling." The amount of money that candidates raise is one way to gauge their support — and prospects. That picture remains a little fuzzy, though, since gubernatorial candidates have until July 31 to report their fundraising hauls from the first half of the year. The only candidate to release numbers so far is Becerra, who said he raised $2.4 million since entering the race in early April, including a $1.1-million transfer from his congressional campaign account. Becerra's campaign has $2 million on hand, including the largest contributions allowed by law — $39,200 — from the politically connected Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and Pechanga Band of Indians. Campaigns are required to report contributions of $5,000 or more shortly after they receive them. Those figures don't represent total fundraising, but can still show a campaign's trajectory. Three of the eight candidates have raised less than $100,000 this year in chunks of more than $5,000 at a time, state data show. Yee reported $71,900 and Thurmond, $32,500. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis reported raising $70,000, including $5,000 from Google. Her campaign said Kounalakis, who has been raising money since entering the race in April 2023, has $9 million on hand. "I want to be clear that I'm in this race to win," Kounalakis said. Villaraigosa, who entered the race last summer, has raised almost $1 million this year through large donations, data show. Atkins reported about $381,000 this year, and Cloobeck, about $132,000. Porter, who entered the race in March, reported almost $475,000 in larger contributions, according to state data. She also transferred $942,000 from her U.S. Senate account to her gubernatorial account, according to federal filings made public Tuesday. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Vice President Kamala Harris a favorite in governor's race if she runs, according to new poll
Former Vice President Kamala hasn't decided whether she will run for California governor next year, but a new poll released Wednesday shows that she would be a favorite of voters if she does. Though many voters were undecided, Harris was the choice of 41% of survey respondents, compared to 29% who opted for an unnamed Republican candidate, according to a poll by the University of California Irvine. She also had the greatest favorability ratings and is most well known compared to all of the candidates who have announced. 'The path to governor seems well-paved for Vice President Harris if she decides to run,' said Jon Gould, dean of UCI's School of Social Ecology, in a statement. "Although she lacks majority support at the moment, people know her better than the other candidates and generally view her favorably." Harris, who served as the state's attorney general and U.S. senator, unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, became former President Joe Biden's vice president and then ran for president in 2024 in a whirlwind and unsuccessful campaign after Biden decided not to run for reelection. She has kept a relatively low profile since losing the November presidential election, moving back to the Brentwood home she shares with husband Doug Emhoff. She has made some public appearances, most recently attending the Saturday funeral for Democratic former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was killed along with her husband in what a federal prosecutor has described as an assassination. Harris also recently delivered her most pointed remarks about President Trump and attended a high school graduation in Compton. Read more: Kamala Harris blasts Trump's policies in first major speech since leaving office Only 5% of Californians had never heard of Harris, while every other announced candidate was unknown by a far larger number of respondents, including those who had run for statewide office previously. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who ran for governor in 2018, was unknown by 47% of survey respondents; 48% were unfamiliar with former Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2024. When tested against candidates who have announced, Harris was the choice of 24% of voters, the only candidate to crack double digits, according to the poll. However, 40% of respondents were undecided, according to the poll. Read more: Who is running for California governor in 2026? Meet the candidates Among Democrats, who account for 47% of the state's voters as of February, Harris had the support of nearly half, while every announced candidate had single-digit support. Harris led among Californians in every region and in every racial group, according to the poll. Billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2022 and is reportedly debating whether to run for mayor again or governor, was the favored choice of GOP voters, with the backing of 27% of survey respondents. Harris, whose representatives did not respond to a request for comment, is expected to decide whether she enters the race by the end of the summer, a delay that has prompted criticism from several candidates in the crowded field of candidates who have already announced their bids. Read more: Democrats running for California governor take digs at Kamala Harris' delayed decision on the race The statewide poll of 4,143 Californians was conducted online in two separate polls, one between May 27 and June 2, and another between May 29 and June 4. The margin of error in either direction varies between 2.9% and 3.6%, according to UCI. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Bloomberg
30-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily: Fixing the Golden State
Stephen J. Cloobeck, a self-proclaimed 'fiscally conservative and socially responsible Democrat,' is running as a Democratic candidate for Governor of California in 2026. Touted by the likes of former President Bill Clinton, Robert Shapiro and Senator Cory Booker, Cloobeck says he is eager to be the navigator of change for what he refers to as the 'broken' state. Cloobeck is also the founder and former CEO of Diamond Resorts International, and believes his significant business experience well help him guide California's economy, which on its own would stand as the fifth largest in the world.
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kamala's comeback bid sparks Democrat donor meltdown amid fears she'll sink party in California
' potential comeback bid for California 's gubernatorial race is falling flat as the state's liberal donors say they are still 'traumatized' from her loss to Donald Trump. The former Democratic nominee for president has been considering a run for California Governor, with several declared candidates promising to drop out of the race if she enters. Harris would instantly become the frontrunner in the race, but Democratic donors say they are less than enthusiastic about the former vice president's resurgence. Insiders told Politico that donors are still suffering a hangover from Harris' landslide loss to Donald Trump in November, after she burned through hundreds of millions of dollars only to ultimately lose every swing state. 'Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete s*** storm,' one donor told the outlet. 'With Biden, we got bamboozled… I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too. 'I've written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we're living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I'm furious at them, truly.' Harris has not publicly said she will enter the race, but sources told The Hill this week that she is 'leaning toward' entering the Democratic primary, saying the chance to get back in the spotlight has given her 'a glimmer in her eyes.' But while Harris is said to be excited by the prospect of re-entering public office, many of the donors who supported her last run for the White House say they are less enthused. 'There was more enthusiasm at first,' Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser who has worked for past Harris campaigns, told Politico. 'I think it waned a bit.' One California donor who contributed six-figures to Harris' run against Donald Trump said they fear a comeback campaign would only remind Democrats of how 'traumatizing' her loss to Trump was. Harris reportedly held several meetings in the Bay Area this month to feel out a possible run for governor, and believes she would have an advantage in the field as she remains a big name in a Democratic Party that has not found a new leader following Trump's landslide in November. She was reportedly considering another run for the presidency in 2028, but is leaning toward California Governor. One insider told The Hill: 'She has a lot of people in her ear telling her that it makes the most sense and she can do the most good.' One key sticking point looming over any potential run appears to be the reported cognitive decline of former President Joe Biden, raising questions over whether Harris was privy to his struggles in office. One of Harris' would-be opponents in the race, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, used this as ammunition in a recent X post last month. 'Voters deserve to know the truth, what did Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra know, when did they know it, and most importantly, why didn't either of them speak out?' he wrote - also referencing former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who was also a member of the Biden administration as secretary of Health and Human Services. 'This cover up directly led to a second Donald Trump term.' As one Democrat donor put it to Politico, fundraisers 'realize it's just going to bring up the whole pathetic last presidential, which no one wants to hear about again. And then it's the whole 'Did you know Joe Biden?' thing.' They concluded: 'She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped.'
