| | | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Ramon Castanos and Matthew Brown | Presented by Californians Resources Corporation | THE BUZZ: 2026 is not as far off as you may think. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is launching her bid for California governor today, aiming to get out ahead of what is expected to be a crowded field of Democrats vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom and mounting an effort that would give the nation’s most populous state its first woman governor. POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago got the excloo on the news and talked with the current LG over the weekend. She plans to open a campaign committee and start fundraising ASAP while she builds her statewide profile. Kounalakis has $4.4 million in her campaign account, which she plans to use for her gubernatorial bid. She told Chris she wants to tackle a long list of problems plaguing the state — from homelessness, income inequality and the soaring cost of living to the housing crisis, issues around mental health and rising deaths linked to fentanyl. “The challenges that California has require leaders who are decisive, who have experience and who have a track record of getting things done,” Kounalakis said in the interview. The lieutenant governor position has frequently been a stepping stone for California politicians, and Kounalakis is hoping her two terms in office will give her the boost to the governor’s chair. It works for the other guys — both Newsom and former Gov. Gray Davis ascended immediately after serving as lieutenant governor. Kounalakis is taking another page out of the Newsom playbook by launching her campaign an election cycle ahead of schedule, just like the governor did in 2015, when he entered the 2018 race just a few months after former Gov. Jerry Brown was sworn in for another term. As Chris writes, “Kounalakis’ rise inside California political circles is owed not just to her prolific networking but also to her lineage. She is the daughter of builder and philanthropist Angelo Tsakopoulos, a Greek immigrant whose story is part of Sacramento lore. Tsakopoulos, a mega-donor even by modern standards, established himself as a benefactor for Greek candidates like Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas and Paul Sarbanes. Former California Treasurer Phil Angelides, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006, was an investment partner for Tsakopoulos, who donated millions to his political campaigns.” Kounalakis’ jumpstart into the 2026 race puts pressure on other candidates to enter the race and could also give Kounalakis a fundraising edge — a critical factor in a state where TV time costs millions and in a race where she’ll need to raise her name ID across the state. She has no overt competition yet, but in a state like California, which is rife with ambitious Democrats, don’t expect her to be lonely on the campaign trail. BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. For the time being, doctors and patients will have access to the commonly-used abortion pill mifepristone after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday staved off a ruling by a lower court. But legal battles over the pill could drag on for months or years. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.
| | | | A message from Californians Resources Corporation: California Resources Corporation (CRC) is committed to the energy transition and advancing our Net Zero future. To help meet California’s ambitious emissions reduction goals, CRC’s Carbon TerraVault provides a real solution that enables the capture, transport and permanent storage of carbon dioxide deep underground. These services help mitigate climate change by offering both immediate decarbonization benefits and a long-term solution to reach and maintain carbon neutrality. CRC's CarbonTerraVault | | | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The U.S. Supreme Court is right to take this action to protect access to medication abortion and put a hold on the extreme decisions of the Texas judge and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.” Newsom giving the Supreme Court some rare praise after the ruling Friday. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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Twitter | WE’RE HIRING — POLITICO is embarking on an exciting expansion in the Golden State and looking for another journalist to join our growing team as a California Playbook author. More in the job description here.
| | | | PLAYBOOK MEET & GREET! We did it before and we're doing it again! Join California Playbook and POLITICO’s growing team in Sacramento at Smic’s Sip & Quip on Thursday, May 11, 2023, for an evening of cocktails and conversation. As POLITICO expands in California, we're convening our most influential readers in Sacramento and beyond. Swing by and have a cocktail on us—you never know who you might run into! Register here. | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | — Need power in California? Get in line., by POLITICO’s Wes Venteicher: “The delays — blamed on a troubled utility, a tight labor market and aging infrastructure — could get worse as the state rushes to reduce emissions in a transition that’s expected to require a third more electricity over the next decade.” — “California Supreme Court rejects lawsuit challenging Newsom's plan to treat mental illness,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Hannah Wiley: “In a statement, Newsom said the ruling ensures that CARE Court’s implementation won’t be delayed and that the state remains on track to launch the program this fall.”
| | | | A message from Californians Resources Corporation:   | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — South Pasadena doctor and YIMBY activist Josh Albrektson has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Justice for Renters, the committee funded by the powerful AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The complaint comes after POLITICO’s Chris Cadelago reported the group’s head, Michael Weinstein, was quietly paying for signatures on a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, urging him to support a rent control ballot measure. In the complaint, which was filed Friday, Albrektson alleges the group violated state campaign laws by failing to put a “paid for by” disclaimer on the letter. — “California is returning incarcerated juveniles to counties; San Diego County isn't ready,” by The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Teri Figueroa: “The focus of Juvenile Court is rehabilitation, not punishment. When a youth is convicted of a serious crime, a team of people — including probation officers, prosecution and defense attorneys, mental health and educational professionals — develop a plan to meet the rehabilitative needs of that specific youth.” — “S.F. fentanyl crisis: Newsom directs CHP and National Guard to combat drug dealing in city,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sophia Bollag and Mallory Moench: “California state police and the California National Guard will start a partnership with local law enforcement agencies to disrupt fentanyl trafficking in San Francisco in the wake of city officials asking for state and federal help cracking down on open-air drug dealing.” — “Housing developments could be delayed amid insurance struggles,” by The Orange County Register’s Destiny Torres: “Dunmoyer said because of the insurance crisis, construction in less developed areas has been slowed because homebuilders can’t figure out how to insure them at a price that an entry-level customer can afford.” — “SoCalGas backed case against Berkeley gas ban and asked customers to pay, advocates say,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Ari Plachta: “But legal researchers for Earthjustice, the environmental nonprofit that uncovered the payments, believe SoCalGas bankrolled legal research used in the lawsuit. Wednesday’s ruling is considered a setback to prospects for similar bans in dozens of cities across California, including Sacramento.” — “California's landmark firefighting law sparks new hope for ex-inmates,” by The Mercury News’ Will McCarthy: “Now a year out of prison, Fowler is graduating on Saturday from a first-of-its-kind Bay Area program that helps formerly incarcerated firefighters land jobs in the industry.” — California school choice funding bill defeated in Senate committee, by The Mercury News’ Elissa Miolene: “If passed, Senate Bill 292 would have established a fund for students who opt out of attending public schools that is equivalent to the amount the state spends on each student every year — around $17,000 per pupil during the 2022-23 academic year.”
| | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — “Biden opens a new back door on immigration,” by The New York Times’ Miriam Jordan: “The new parole programs are temporary — most expire after two years, unless they are renewed — but they already are changing the nature of immigrant arrivals. The migrants who were admitted to the country after flooding the border from many of the same conflict-ridden countries last year have not been allowed to work for at least six months, after opening an asylum case.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — “Twitter chaos goes beyond blue checks, hitting official Bay Area accounts at random,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rachel Swan: “A company seeking to shore up profits had offered extra perks, including heightened visibility and, ostensibly, some level of protection from imposters, for those willing to pay for it. But many rushed to criticize the buying and selling of a status badge that had always been free, and some saw the conferring of gray checks as arbitrary.”
| | | | A message from Californians Resources Corporation: California Resources Corporation (CRC) is committed to our Net Zero future and helping California meet its emissions reduction goals under the Paris Climate Accord. CRC’s 2045 Full-Scope Net Zero Goal for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions places us among a select few industry peers to include scope 3 emissions in their Net Zero goal.
CRC’s Carbon TerraVault offers a real solution for reaching and maintaining carbon neutrality through services that include the capture, transport and permanent storage of carbon dioxide deep underground - supporting California in its efforts to combat climate change. CRC is dedicated to developing innovative solutions like Carbon TerraVault to advance the energy transition, and helping decarbonize our local economies in alignment with the state’s ambitious climate goals.
Get The Facts on CRC's Carbon TerraVault | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — “A California lawyer cashed in on criminal justice reform by fanning the hopes of inmates' families,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Harriet Ryan — “America's Top Model, Koreatown-style — older immigrants strike a pose and fulfill a dream,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Jeong Park — “Tahoe’s historic winter leaves exploded homes, collapsed buildings,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Gregory Thomas and Claire Hao — “Commentary: Former L.A. Mayor Riordan battled, but ultimately honored, the media,” opined James Rainey for the Los Angeles Times’ James Rainey — “This S.F. court keeps people out of prison. meet its newest alumni,” by the San Francisco Standard’s David Sjostedt — Gun violence is actually worse in red states. It’s mot even close., POLITICO’s Colin Woodard
| | TRANSITIONS | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — J&Z Strategies has hired two new team members: Sarah Robinson joins as a senior strategist after working as the former communications director for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ campaign and a former research director for Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. And Hunter Jones Phillips joins as an associate. He was the former campaign manager for Chris Duncan for Assembly and former political director for Mike Levin for Congress.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) … Gideon Lett … Kal Penn … Tim Lim (Was Saturday): Ruth Porat ... Sam Altman (Was Friday): Joseph Beezy ... Michael Freedman 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. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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