News: POLITICO California Playbook: 41 RECALL candidates — ELDER omission — JENNER to AUSTRALIA

Monday, July 19, 2021

POLITICO California Playbook: 41 RECALL candidates — ELDER omission — JENNER to AUSTRALIA — GAETZ, GREENE in RIVERSIDE

Jul 19, 2021

By Mackenzie Mays, Jeremy B. White and Camryn Dadey

Presented by USA-IT

THE BUZZ — RECALL LINEUP: Dorothy, we're not in 2003 anymore.

Then, George W. Bush was president, people were listening to Evanescence on their iPods and the recall election of California's governor generated enormous, national interest. Now Joe Biden is in the White House, an iPod is an artifact and the California recall is looking considerably lower-key.

Only 41 candidates appeared on the list of "replacement candidates" who faced a Friday deadline to complete paperwork to officially throw their hats in the ring to take on Gov. Gavin Newsom in September. That's a fraction of the 135 contenders who leaped into the recall that saw Arnold Schwarzenegger beat former Gov. Gray Davis nearly 20 years ago, and it's a smaller total than many political observers were anticipating for 2021. It amounts to only about half the number of hopefuls who filed statements of intention to run, shrinkage that likely reflects both Newsom's stabilized political standing and a requirement that candidates share their tax returns.

THE LIST: The list of Newsom replacement hopefuls includes 21 Republicans and is notably bereft of prominent Democratic politicians after Newsom's campaign — and his solid poll numbers — successfully deterred big names in his party from giving their voters another Democratic option, although Newsom himself won't be designated a Democrat on ballots. Of the eight Democratic candidates, the one with the largest following is Kevin Paffrath, a YouTuber known as "Meet Kevin."

We know some of the candidates more than others. There's Olympian turned reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner whose recent trip to Australia to tape Big Brother has cast doubt on her ability to successfully pitch her candidacy in a critical two-month stretch. There's former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who has faced criticism for his leadership in his hometown but seems to be playing the establishment GOP card that could help him fly above the fray. There's John Cox, who is jumping up and down to grab your attention, and your vote, bringing everything from a grizzly bear to a giant ball of trash on the campaign trail.There's Assemblymember Kevin Kiley ( R-Rocklin), whose platform seemed to be "anything but Newsom" long before the recall qualified. Even Board of Equalization member and former legislator Ted Gaines joined in.

On Saturday, there was one big surprise: Conservative talk show host Larry Elder did not appear on the list, which suggests his paperwork did not meet all of the qualifications, but he said later that "I fully expect to be on the final certified list of candidates" that will be released Wednesday. Elder has drawn some buzz and money since becoming one of the last Republicans to jump in. Former Trump administration official Richard Grenell had already revealed before last week's deadline that he wouldn't be running.

SHOW US THE MONEY: The Secretary of State's office on Sunday posted a batch of tax returns — which candidates are required to share if they want to be on the ballot — offering snapshots of candidates' respective financial situations. Some tidbits: Jenner's adjusted gross income in 2019 was about $550,000, a sharp drop from about $2.5 million in 2016; also in 2019, Cox collected about $750,000 in rent from his properties and Faulconer gave about $6,600 to charity; and Kiley does his own taxes. We'll keep digging through the hundreds of pages for newsworthy items. Some more details here from POLITICO California editor Kevin Yamamura , who reports more than half of the gubernatorial entrants earned less than $100,000 in adjusted gross income in 2019.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. About half of Californians live in counties that are now recommending vaccinated people mask up indoors — or, in LA's case, require it — after Bay Area officials overseeing seven counties strengthened their guidance.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit cmarinucci@politico.com or jwhite@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @cmarinucci and @jeremybwhite.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Calm down, that list was not certified. I fully expect to be on the ballot when the certified list comes out." Republican recall contender Larry Elder reassures his followers after he was absent from the list of candidates the secretary of state put out.

BONUS QOTD: "I would say that it's not punishment, it's prevention…I'm not pleased that we have to go back to using the masks in this manner, but, nonetheless, it's going to save lives." LA Supervisor Hilda Solis on a renewed mask mandate.

TWEET OF THE DAY: GOP recall candidate @Caitlyn_Jenner on heading to Australia to film "Big Brother" two months before the vote: "I am honoring a work commitment that I had made prior to even deciding to run for governor. There is no pause at all on this race to save CA!"

WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

A message from USA-IT:

With 840 miles of coastline and the nation's largest cargo gateway to Asia, California faces record amounts of illegal trade, which helps fund the criminal organizations transporting drugs, apparel, wildlife, weapons, counterfeit medicines, and even human beings into the state. Our partners are proud to be working on the ground in the Golden State, bringing our shared expertise into California's battle against illegal trade. Learn more.

TOP TALKERS

— "Caitlyn Jenner heads to Australia as recall campaign intensifies in California," by POLITICO's Mackenzie Mays: Jenner's spokesperson said Friday that she will be back in time to campaign across California on a "bus tour" ahead of the Sept. 14 contest. But it's unclear exactly how long Jenner will be in Australia, which has imposed much tighter restrictions than California and the U.S. as the country tries to contain outbreaks due to the Delta variant.

COVER UP — Back to 2020? Health officials in California face masking dilemma, by POLITICO's Victoria Colliver: Public health directors in California once again find themselves at a difficult juncture in pandemic policymaking. Do they underscore the effectiveness of vaccines with guidance allowing vaccinated residents to go maskless, or do they take the more cautious approach of asking everyone to mask up amid an alarming rise in Covid-19 cases driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant?

— " Baseball team suspended. Marching band dissolved. Does UC Davis have a culture problem?" by SacBee's Ryan Sabalow, Margo Rosenbaum, Dale Kasler and Joe Davidson: "The university suspended its baseball program, and placed its coaches on administrative leave, pending an investigation into 'credible allegations of misconduct primarily related to hazing,' according to an online letter to the UC Davis community by Chancellor Gary May."

— " Diamonds, gold, luxury homes: Inside one L.A. family's $18-million COVID-19 fraud," by LATimes' Michael Finnegan: "The FBI had been investigating 'Zhadko' and 'Kauichko' for months — tailing suspects, rummaging through trash, poring over bank records. Agents suspected the names were aliases used to secure emergency pandemic relief loans for fake small businesses in the San Fernando Valley. Ayvazyan and Terabelian looked to be part of a family fraud ring not well skilled at covering its tracks."

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CAMPAIGN MODE

CRIMINAL JUSTICE POWER PLAYERS — "4 wealthy donors fuel overhaul of California's criminal justice system," by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: In California, social justice advocates are preparing to defend the state's top prosecutor, Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is closely aligned with the reform movement and one of the nation's most liberal AGs…

The four donors — Patty Quillin, Quinn Delaney, Elizabeth Simons and Kaitlyn Krieger — channeled $22 million toward criminal justice ballot measures and allied candidates the previous two years, and their campaign contributions have steadily increased each election cycle. They spent $3.7 million alone to elect George Gascón, who rode the social justice wave that swept over America last summer to unseat incumbent Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey in November.

KATIE CASH — "O.C. Rep. Katie Porter is No. 5 in fundraising among all House members," by the LATimes' Seema Mehta: "Rep. Katie Porter isn't a member of congressional leadership, nor is she a firebrand who is constantly in the news. But the Orange County congresswoman is among the most powerful fundraisers in the U.S. House of Representatives."

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

FOURTH TIME'S THE CHARM — "After third venue cancels, Gaetz, Greene take 'protest against communism' to Riverside," by the LATimes' Hannah Fry : "After three Southern California venues canceled Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene's America First rally amid significant public outcry, the lawmakers hosted a protest in Riverside on Saturday evening instead."

— "Cities Try to Phase Out Gas Stoves—but Cooks Are Pushing Back," by the WSJ's Elena Shao: "Several cities, including San Francisco and Seattle, have given ground on the issue by exempting stoves from natural-gas bans, or providing pathways for restaurants to secure waivers in an attempt to minimize blowback."

ON DECK — "Howard Terminal or bust' could play out in Oakland's review of A's waterfront ballpark plan Tuesday," by the East Bay Times' Annie Sciacca, Fiona Kelliher and Shayna Rubin: " The city is still insisting the A's must provide a healthy dose of affordable homes — the equivalent of 900 in all — and pay millions of dollars out of their own pocket for community benefits that range from relocation assistance to local hiring. And it's only willing to form one of the two tax assessment districts the A's say are needed to cover their development's infrastructure costs."

— " Flexing new authority, California attorney general to review LAPD shooting in Hollywood," by LATimes' Kevin Rector: "'We will take every step necessary to ensure a thorough, impartial investigation and review is completed,' Bonta said in a statement. 'Now, more than ever, we must work together in the spirit of this new law to build and maintain trust in our criminal justice system for all of our communities.'"

TERROIR TERROR — " Scorched, Parched and Now Uninsurable: Climate Change Hits Wine Country," by the NYTimes' Christopher Flavelle: "In Napa Valley, the lush heartland of America's high-end wine industry, climate change is spelling calamity."

— "Critics say physicians 'cartel' obstructing efforts to punish bad doctors," by LATimes' Melody Gutierrez, Jack Dolan and Kim Christensen: " As injured patients and consumer rights groups fight for tougher penalties on grossly negligent doctors, California's powerful physicians lobby is working hard behind the scenes to water down any proposed reforms. So far, the lobbyists seem to be winning."

— "Exploding 21,000-acre Tamarack Fire closes part of the Pacific Coast Trail as threats of dry lightning loom," by Mercury News' Maggie Angst: "The Tamarack Fire, which began nearly two weeks ago in Alpine County south of Lake Tahoe, exploded from 500 acres Friday night to 18,299 as of Sunday morning, threatening the county's government center in Markleeville, according to the latest incident report. U.S. Forest officials originally estimated that the fire had expanded to 21,000 acres but later decreased that estimate based on more refined mapping tools. It remains 0% contained."

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— "Federal judge finds DACA unlawful, blocks new applicants," by POLITICO's Sabrina Rodriguez and Josh Gerstein: In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen found that DACA is unlawful and that the Department of Homeland Security can no longer approve new applicants into the program, which has granted work permits and protection from deportation to more than 600,000 young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. He also ruled that DHS could continue to process DACA renewals for now as the issue continues to move through the courts.

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— "COVID boomtown: Silicon Valley company tech-fueled values soar," by Mercury News' George Avalos: "Starting in late March 2020, when the stock markets reached their low points during the COVID-19 outbreak, through the end of June 2021, the completion of the most recent quarter, the combined market value of Silicon Valley companies has more than doubled."

— "DoorDash, Grubhub sue San Francisco over permanent delivery fee cap," by SFChronicle's Elena Kadvany : "San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in June to permanently cap food delivery fee commissions charged by companies like DoorDash and Grubhub at 15% per order, 'to protect independent restaurants from the exploitative and predatory practices of third-party food delivery apps that seek to extract wealth from our local economy,' Supervisor Aaron Peskin said at the time."

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CANNABIS COUNTRY

— "California opens new marijuana agency 5 years after legalization, aiming to simplify rules," by SacBee's Isabella Bloom: "Five years after California legalized recreational marijuana, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law aimed at simplifying how the state regulates the growing industry. The new law creates a single Department of Cannabis Control, consolidating enforcement, licensing and environmental oversight that had fallen under three different departments."

HOLLYWOODLAND

SPEARS SPEAKS — "Britney Spears Calls Out People Closest to Her Who Failed to Show Up While She Was "Drowning" ," by Hollywood Reporter's Trilby Beresford: "The pop star took to Instagram on Friday to share a lengthy message beside the quote: 'Never forget who ignored you when you needed them and who helped you before you even had to ask.'"

MIXTAPE

— "Suspects arrested following Old Sacramento shooting that killed 2, wounded 4 at waterfront," by the Sac Bee's Vincent Moleski.

— " Oakland: Guns, drugs, gambling machines seized after breakup of alleged underground casino," by the East Bay Times' Robert Salonga.

— "San Francisco Chinatown bursts back to life with block party aimed at racial unity," by the SF Chronicle's Michael Cabanatuan.

— "Three dead after small plane crashes into Napa vineyard," by SFChronicle's Annie Vainshtein.

— "Sempra hires former US energy secretary under Trump," by San Diego Union-Tribune's Rob Nikolewski.

— "The number of controlled burns is rising in California. Is it enough?" by SFChronicle's Yoohyun Jung.

BIRTHDAYS

SUNDAY: Varun Anand ... Jonathan Taplin … former Rep. T.J. Cox

SATURDAY: Microsoft's John Frank … Steph Anderson

A message from USA-IT:

California boasts the largest, most robust economy in the United States. But with 840 miles in coastline and a port complex that also provides the nation's largest cargo gateway to Asia, California also faces record amounts of illegal trade. This robs revenues used to provide essential services to Californians. Instead of helping taxpayers, that money is used to fund those who traffic in drugs, apparel, weapons, counterfeit medicines, tobacco, wildlife, and even people. These groups exploit governments and citizens, manipulate financial systems, spur corruption, and cultivate instability and violence that threatens our communities.

That's why our supporting partners at USA-IT are proud to be working on the ground in the Golden State, bringing our shared expertise into California's battle against illegal trade. Learn more.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

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