CALIFORNIA POLITICS
State Legislative Races
With one month left until the primary election, ballots have already been mailed out across the state and California Donor Table and Voices for Progress’ endorsed candidates continue to make their case to the voters.
The oil industry has poured money into independent expenditures against Asm. Susan Talamantes Eggman (Senate District 5 – San Joaquín, Central Valley) and Dave Cortese (Senate District 15 – San Jose, Silicon Valley). State legislative races + CLCV legislative environmental scorecard + regional and statewide spotlights
The oil company-funded Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class has spent more than $1 million combined on behalf of candidate Modesto City Councilmember Mani Grewal (Senate District 5) and former Assemblymember Nora Campos (Senate District 15). With big oil spending against Susan and Dave, they need funds to continue running effective races.
In Los Angeles County, Johnathon Ervin’s (Assembly District 36 – Palmdale) race into the top two has grown tighter, as former Democratic Assemblymember Steve Fox benefits from name recognition, despite being accused of sexual harassment and retaliation in his time in the assembly. If Johnathon makes it to the general, he has a fantastic chance of flipping this seat, as the district has been trending Democratic.
In the Inland Empire, California National Organization for Women (CA NOW) called out Abigail Medina’s (Senate District 23 – Redlands) opponent, moderate Democrat Kris Goodfellow, for responses on her questionnaire that demonstrated “her ‘reactive mindset,’ which revealed a mind filled with racist and classist tropes and attitudes layed upon a foundation of anti-LGBTQ sentiments and false accusations.” Abigail needs funds to defeat Kris in the primary and face a Republican in the general. DeniAntionette Mazingo (Assembly District 42 – Yucaipa) now faces No Party Preference incumbent Chad Mayes and a Republican as she attempts to flip this seat and become the first woman, person of color and Democrat to represent the district.
Donate to Susan Eggman for Senate 2020, Cortese for Senate 2020, Ervin for Assembly 2020, Medina for State Senate 2020, and/or Mazingto for Assembly 2020 via these Act Blue links, or send a check payable to their respective campaign committees with your name, address, occupation and employer to Voices for Progress, 1701 K Street, NW, Suite #1025, Washington, DC 20006. $4,700 is the maximum allowable contribution per person/entity for the primary. It is highly recommended that you also include your preferred contact information to share with the candidate so they can thank you and you can build an ongoing relationship continuing once they’re in office. If you would not like your contact information shared with the candidates, please let us know.
In the sprint to primary day, all CDT/V4P endorsed candidates are counting on your contributions to make the difference. Read the bios of our full slate of endorsed candidates here.
CDT partners Lift Up Contra Costa Action and the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) have endorsed Marisol Rubio in her challenge of Senator Glazer in Senate District 7. Senator Glazer was recently designated a member of the CLCV’s “Polluter Caucus” of five corporate-backed, moderate Democrats who “hinder[ed] bold climate policy, author[ed] anti-environmental bills, or otherwise roll[ed] back our commitment as a state to be a global leader on climate action.” Similarly, Equality California pulled their endorsement of Senator Glazer because he let legislative die in his committee that would have protected intersex children. Further, per Scott Lay’s the Nooner, “The California Alliance for Progress and Education, an alliance of business organizations, reports spending $49,013 on phone banking to prop up Republican Julie Mobley in hopes of squeezing out labor-backed Marisol Rubio (D) in her challenge from the left of Senator Steve Glazer (D). Mobley has a minimal campaign, raising $2,630 between January 1 and January 18 and ending the period with $1,497 on hand.”
Legislative Environmental Scorecard
CLCV released their 2019 legislative environmental scorecard. Below are the scores of our endorsed elected officials (asterisks indicate officials who were endorsed jointly with Voices for Progress). Luz Rivas was awarded Freshman of the Year, and is part of their “Climate Action Caucus.”
| Legislator | Year Endorsed | 2019 CLCV Score | Lifetime Score |
| Senator Holly Mitchell (SD30 – Los Angeles) | 2016 | 94% | 94% |
| Senator Ash Kalra (SD27 – San Jose)* | 2016 | 94% | 98% |
| Assemblymember Eloise Reyes (AD47 – Inland Empire)* | 2016 | 99% | 98% |
| Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (AD65 – Orange County) | 2016 | 67% | 72% |
| Assemblymember Shirley Weber (AD79 – San Diego) | 2016 | 89% | 93% |
| Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (AD80 – San Diego) | 2016 | 100% | 97% |
| Wendy Carrillo (AD51 – Los Angeles)* | 2017 | 89% | 95% |
| Assemblymember Luz Rivas (AD39 – Los Angeles)* | 2018 | 94% | 94% |
| Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (AD45 – Los Angeles)* | 2018 | 99% | 100% |
| Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove (AD54 – Los Angeles)* | 2018 | 99% | 94% |
| Senator Melissa Hurtado (SD14 – Central Valley)* | 2018 | 69% | — |
| Senator Maria Elena Durazo (SD24 – Los Angeles)* | 2018 | 90% | — |
| Assemblymember Robert Rivas (AD30 – Hollister)* | 2018 | 94% | — |
| Senator Lena Gonzalez (SD33 – Long Beach)* | 2018 | 99% | — |
Congressional Updates
The Central Labor Council and CLCV have endorsed Esmeralda Soria in her challenge of moderate Democrat Jim Costa in Congressional District 16. Esmeralda is a priority for CDT partner Communities for a New California.
Ammar Campa-Najjar is polling ahead of the other candidates in Congressional District 50 as he seeks to win Duncan Hunter’s vacated seat. The linked article cites how another Democratic candidate has cut into his lead, but that candidate has since dropped out of the race, and he is now facing all Republicans. Ammar and two of the most competitive Republican candidates, Carl DeMaio and former Congressmember Darrell Issa, each have about $1 million on hand.
LA Races
The LA County police officers association spent $185,000 on an independent expenditure to support conservative LA District Attorney incumbent Jackie Lacey. Support an IE led by our LA partners (community groups and labor) on behalf of CDT-endorsed reformer George Gascón for LA DA.
The police officers association also spent $165,000 on an independent expenditure to support LA City Councilmember Herb Wesson for his county supervisor campaign. Support an IE led by our LA partners on behalf of CDT-endorsed Senator Holly Mitchell for LA County Board of Supervisors, District 2.
San Diego
CDT partners Engage San Diego Action Fund and Alliance San Diego Mobilization Fund are prioritizing San Diego Board of Supervisor races to flip this body from being majority Republican to majority progressive. The San Diego Tribune runs down the races and how money is flowing to each with the flip at stake.
Orange County
CDT partner Orange County Civic Engagement Table Action is prioritizing flipping the OC Board of Supervisors District 1 seat from Republican to progressive with the longer-term goal of flipping the whole body to being majority progressive.
Statewide
CDT ally State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Equality California and members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have endorsed the Schools and Communities First ballot measure.
The California Democratic Party is opening 14 regional offices — in Bakersfield, Brea, Camarillo, Fresno, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Modesto, Oakland, Oceanside, Palmdale, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Stockton and Walnut Creek — for its 2020 Coordinated Campaign to secure wins up and down the ballot.
Immigrant Rights
California is expanding public benefits to immigrants, including Medi-Cal, while a recent federal Supreme Court ruling that allowed the federal administration to move forward on a rule that could jeopardize permanent residency status for immigrants who use food stamps, Medicaid and housing vouchers.
RESEARCH
The Public Policy Institute of California released new research that documents how the income gap in the Bay Area is higher than anywhere else in the state; the top income earners make 12.2 times more than those at the bottom. “Bay Area residents in the 90th percentile of incomes earned $384,000 a year, compared to just $32,000 for those in the bottom 10th percentile.”