California Politics: Generational changes coming

SACRAMENTO —  A generational changing of the guard is under way in California politics.

Much of the focus in recent weeks has been on U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who, at 89 years old, is facing pressure to resign due to complications from a case of shingles that has kept her home in San Francisco and unable to cast votes in Washington. Even if she does not resign, her retirement at the end of next year means the race to fill her seat is poised to be the most lively and consequential contest on California’s 2024 ballot. Voters will put a new senator in power, potentially for the next generation.

But Feinstein is not the only octogenarian lion of California politics who may be calling it quits next year. If former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also decides not to run for reelection after 36 years representing San Francisco in Washington, D.C., California will experience another political change that could endure for decades.

One person hoping to grab the torch from Pelosi is state Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat who is a regular target for scathing Fox News diatribes, as Times political writer Melanie Mason reports.

“Consciously or not, Wiener is most comfortable seeking out the path of most resistance. His 13-year career in elected office can be viewed as a one-man experiment: How far can a politician go when he pushes all the boundaries at once?” Mason writes.

“The typical politician starting his career in local government would probably not take on reforming the city’s nudity law, particularly if his last name lends itself to cringeworthy puns. Or decide hours after barely winning a state Senate seat to take on a sacrosanct tenet of California housing policy in his very first bill. Or, in the face of an onslaught of death threats, continue to spar online with right-wing combatants such as Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr.”

If Wiener is elected, he would become the first out gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress. Mason’s profile is fun to read and full of insights about Wiener and, more broadly, about San Francisco’s unique brand of Democratic politics. Be sure to check it out: Loved or hated, Scott Wiener is a lightning rod who could make history.

I’m Laurel Rosenhall, The Times’ Sacramento bureau chief, here with your guide to the week in California politics.

The race to become California’s next governor

Speaking of political changes, Gov. Gavin Newsom is just four months into his second (and final) term, but the 2026 race to succeed him has already begun. Democratic Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis announced this week that she is running for governor, laying down an early marker for what is likely to be a vigorous campaign, reports Times political writer Seema Mehta.

Opening a gubernatorial campaign committee allows Kounalakis to start raising money and could help her become more familiar to voters. It also mirrors Newsom’s decision to enter the 2018 governor’s race three years early — probably not a coincidence since the pair enjoy a good relationship and are advised by the same political consultants.

The race to lead the world’s fifth-largest economy is expected to draw many contenders. Democrat Betty Yee, the former state controller, also said she intends to run, though she has not yet formally launched a campaign. If successful, either would become the first woman elected to lead the state.

Currently in her second term as lieutenant governor, Kounalakis previously was the U.S. ambassador to Hungary during the Obama administration. Before that, she led a Sacramento housing development company founded by her father.

Kounalakis enters the gubernatorial race with three substantial assets, writes Times columnist George Skelton:

• An impressive sounding title that includes the key word “governor” and implies a position more important than it really is.
• A boatload of family money and access to a potent donor list that ensures she won’t run short in a campaign that will probably cost more than $100 million.
• Expert knowledge and experience in home building, qualities that the state government very much needs to tackle the curse of unaffordable housing in urban California.

But, Skelton says, Kounalakis has been relatively quiet as lieutenant governor, which is a surprise “given her energy, tenacity and feisty nature.”

The highest-ranking Latino in Congress

Rep. Pete Aguilar of Redlands was already a rising star in the Democratic Party and climbing up the leadership ranks when the U.S. Capitol was attacked on Jan. 6, 2021.

That infamous day supercharged his ascent, writes Times reporter Benjamin Oreskes, first with an appointment to the House committee formed to investigate the attack on the Capitol and then with his election as chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Aguilar is now the third-highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives.

In this deeply reported profile, Oreskes reveals how the former Redlands mayor became Congress’ highest-ranking Latino. It stems from why then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi chose him for the Jan. 6 committee, which led one of the highest-profile inquiries since the Watergate scandal took down President Nixon. Friends and foes alike note his tranquil demeanor, openness to differing viewpoints, and reputation for offering counsel to colleagues expressing complaints, concerns and compliments.

Read the full article here: How the mayor of a small Inland Empire town became one of Congress’ most powerful Democrats

What the Legislature is up to

Spring is busy season in the California Capitol, with lawmakers churning through hundreds of bills. Here’s this week’s coverage of some of the most interesting proposals that could become law:

Keeping up with California politics

A California lawyer cashed in on criminal justice reform by fanning the hopes of inmates’ families
When California enacted landmark criminal justice reforms several years ago, inmates and their families saw a chance at freedom. Attorney Aaron Spolin saw a business opportunity. A Times investigation found that Spolin built a booming enterprise by fanning false hopes in some families desperate to get their loved ones home from prison.

Twitter star Yashar Ali still owes $230,000 to Getty heir. A debt collector now wants his income
The long-standing efforts of a Getty heir to recover thousands of dollars she loaned to journalist and Twitter influencer Yashar Ali have intensified, with a debt collector now seeking to seize his future income and money he gets through online payment platforms like Venmo. Ali worked in Democratic politics, including for Gov. Gavin Newsom, before rising to prominence on social media.

Wendy Carrillo explains why she’s running against her former ally, Kevin de León
Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo’s candidacy for the Los Angeles City Council makes her one of five people who have already declared their intentions to run against Kevin de León. The list includes former Councilmember Nick Pacheco and current Assemblymember Miguel Santiago and is expected to grow because opponents sense a vulnerable incumbent, writes Times columnist Gustavo Arellano.

Column: Newsom could face tough task replacing Feinstein in U.S. Senate
You’d think that filling a U.S. Senate seat would be easy, even fun. But if Gov. Gavin Newsom has to find a replacement for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, it could be agonizing, writes Times columnist George Skelton.

A race against time in California town: Floodwaters rising, snow melting, worst still to come
On a visit to the Central Valley to survey flood damage from winter storms, Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that the problem is only going to get worse in the days and weeks to come as temperatures rise and the Sierra Nevada’s record-deep snowpack begins to melt and make its way downhill.

Newsom enlists CHP, National Guard to help San Francisco tackle fentanyl crisis
Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling on the California National Guard and the California Highway Patrol to help San Francisco police and prosecutors fight the fentanyl crisis facing the city.

He threatened to kill his son. He was still able to purchase a gun. Now, a bereaved mother asks how
California has the strictest gun laws in the country. But somewhere, Christy Camara believes, the system broke down.

‘A perfect storm’: Patients trying to hang on to Medi-Cal face long waits for help
Millions of people are expected to lose their Medicaid coverage — including many who still qualify — as California and other states go back to checking that people meet the requirements.

Can public officials block online foes? Supreme Court to say
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from two San Diego-area school board members and decide whether public officials who take to social media are free to block their critics.

California Supreme Court rejects lawsuit challenging Newsom’s plan to treat mental illness
The California Supreme Court declined to block the rollout of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping new plan to compel people with severe mental illness into treatment, meaning the controversial CARE Court program remains on track to begin this fall in several counties.

Opinion: California takes on a new responsibility in U.S. politics: Enlightening the rest of the country
Ever since California became a state, residents have viewed their land and their politics as a world apart from the rest of the nation. But three recent announcements signal a shift in California’s approach, writes Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at UC San Diego.