California Policy and Politics Monday

It’s a fight to the finish in L.A.’s wild mayoral primary -- Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman and reality TV personality Spencer Pratt are fighting for the chance to face off in the Nov. 3 runoff election. The latest voter survey shows no clear front-runner in the contest. ‘Anyone has a shot,’ says one longtime political strategist. David Zahniser and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

The mystery behind Becerra leapfrogging over his rivals in California’s governor’s race -- Xavier Becerra’s campaign for California governor appeared doomed just two months ago. Dakota Smith and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

Skelton: Easygoing, safe-bet governor may be what California voters want -- Regardless of the final vote count, Xavier Becerra’s pre-primary sprint to the front in the race for governor was remarkable and historic. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

‘When you break the huddle, you go’: Xavier Becerra’s polarizing playbook -- The mild-mannered Democratic frontrunner has built a career on painstaking deliberation — and a stubborn refusal to back down once he has made up his mind. Melanie Mason, Daniel Lippman, Jeremy B. White and Riley Rogerson Politico -- 6/1/26

Ballots burned, vote center vandalized in L.A. County just before election day -- Election workers collecting ballots from a drop box in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday found multiple mail-in ballots that had been burned, officials say. A second incident of election-related vandalism was reported at a voting center in Long Beach. The incident occurred at the center at Cesar E. Chavez Park. No other details were provided. Jasmine Mendez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

California is drowning in internet campaign ‘slop.’ 2028 is next -- AI ads and influencer payments flooding California’s spring primaries are a likely glimpse into the next presidential race. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 6/1/26

More candidates are using their personal wealth to campaign than ever before. Should voters care? -- When a candidate invests their personal fortune in running for public office, does it represent a rich person trying to buy a seat or does it grant them independence from powerful special interests? Jeremia Kimelman and Kate Li Calmatters -- 6/1/26

These are the wealthy people trying to reshape S.F. politics -- A Chronicle analysis of the top ten individuals or couples who gave the most to elections in the city this decade shows that most of their money has gone to boost moderate candidates. Christian Leonard and J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/1/26

Your last-minute guide for California insurance commissioner, controller and other statewide offices -- The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

Despite Trump’s recent insistence, in-person voting does exist in Los Angeles -- Yes, voting centers will be open across Los Angeles this week. And no, you don’t have to cast your ballot by mail. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

California election chief threatened to ‘throat-punch’ staff. Now he’s on the ballot — and running the vote -- The Shasta County Board of Supervisors allowed Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis to stay on the job despite back-to-back personnel investigations finding that he routinely mistreats staff, casually threatens physical violence, has asked them to do things they consider illegal and has campaigned on his own behalf while on the job — in violation of election law — according to hundreds of pages of personnel records obtained by the Chronicle. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/1/26

Why a yearslong fight over gambling is good news for California politicians -- A judge’s temporary ruling in a costly battle between gambling halls and casino-owning tribes is likely not the end of the dispute. California politicians are likely the biggest winners of a prolonged gambling stalemate. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 6/1/26

California will play a big role in the fight for power in Congress. Tuesday’s primary sets the stage -- California Democrats redrew the state’s congressional map to gain as many as five seats in November, but those gains aren’t guaranteed. Tuesday’s primaries are an important factor, determining which candidates will face off in November’s head-to-head runoffs. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

In a high-stakes race for Congress, Democrats vie to take on a well-known Republican in North County -- Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, the most money (the only other Republican has raised none) and a longtime record in local elected office, and he is widely expected to head to a November runoff. On the Democratic side, there’s not nearly so much clarity. Of the nine candidates on the ballot, three have locked up the lion’s share of the campaign money and big-name support. Lucas Robinson in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 6/1/26

ICE

ICE detention facility near Gilroy: Can local or state governments stop it? -- Local and state authorities seeking to halt plans for a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility near Gilroy face an uncertain battle, and in one of two possible scenarios, experts say the Trump administration holds all the cards. Key to the fight will be whether the facility is run by the federal government or a private contractor. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/1/26

Housing

This downtown S.F. neighborhood was built for office workers. Now families are moving in -- Togafau’s family is one of 184 households who will be moving over the next few months into Lark Landing, a 17-story affordable housing complex overlooking The Crossing, the East Cut social hub with its basketball and pickleball courts, playground, food and cocktail kiosks, the massive screen where residents gather to watch movies and sporting events. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/1/26

Exodus

They fled L.A. for cheaper living in Austin, Nashville and beyond. Did the math work out? -- Some were almost evangelistic about how the move to places such as Austin, Dallas and Nashville would improve their lives and benefited their pocketbooks. But it turns out it’s harder than many thought to truly escape the affordability crisis that has long bedeviled the Golden State. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

Homeless

California reports one of largest drops in homelessness in past year, Hud reports -- The Golden state recorded a total unhoused population of 181,934 in 2025 – an almost 3% decrease since the year prior, placing it among the five states with the largest decreases from 2024. However, more significant drops were recorded in Illinois (44%), Hawaii (41%), Florida (11%) and New York (8%). Sara Braun in The Guardian -- 6/1/26

Earthquake

Where a major Hayward fault quake could shake the Bay Area hardest -- The Bay Area’s diverse topography means that the ‘big one’ will be very different depending on where you live. Chase Hunter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/1/26

Education

What It’s Like to Be a Student at the First A.I.-Powered University -- California’s public university system spent $16.9 million on A.I. The result has been chaos. Linda Kinstler in the New York Times$ -- 6/1/26

Also

Hundreds join ongoing, expanding search for missing Lake Tahoe hiker -- Authorities and volunteers continued searching Sunday for a man who vanished on May 25 while hiking through a wooded expanse west of Lake Tahoe. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

Judge denies Bill Cosby’s request for a new trial in Los Angeles County -- A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has denied Bill Cosby’s request for a new trial after a civil jury recently found he was liable for $19 million in damages in a sexual assault case. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

The robot puppeteers of Silicon Valley teaching humanoids how to make your morning coffee -- As Californian companies race to manufacture and deploy thousands of humanoid robots in the coming year, another new class of worker has been born. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

Shielded by love, transgender athlete AB Hernandez defeated vitriol stoked by Trump -- Jurupa Valley senior AB Hernandez didn’t set out to be a transgender athlete pioneer, but she couldn’t let national protests force her to quit. Marisa Ingemi in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/1/26

POTUS 47

Iran and U.S. trade strikes as deal to end war remains elusive -- U.S. Central Command said it targeted Iranian sites overlooking the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and Kuwait's military on Monday said it was responding to retaliatory airstrikes. Steve Hendrix in the Washington Post$ -- 6/1/26

U.S. Military Is Quietly Guiding Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz -- U.S. Central Command has helped around 70 commercial ships pass through the strait in the last three weeks, an official said. Peter Eavis and Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 6/1/26

In Trump’s Physical Report, Doctors See Gaps in Details -- What’s absent from the readouts of presidential checkups has gained attention since Biden was diagnosed with cancer after leaving office. Annie Linskey in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/1/26

Trump Hits the Stalemate Phase of His International Interventions, and It Stings -- In Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, President Trump’s early declarations of easy wins have given way to harsh reality. David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 6/1/26

Lead prosecutor withdraws from criminal case against James Comey -- The justice department filed notice with the court on Friday evening that Matthew Petracca, a prosecutor from the US attorney’s office for the eastern district of North Carolina, had been replaced by assistant US attorney Timothy Severo. Sara Braun in The Guardian -- 6/1/26

Who’s leading the wide-open 2028 Democratic presidential field? -- No candidate has jumped in, but governors, senators and former contenders are already shaping the race. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 6/1/26