| | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Dustin Gardiner and Lara Korte | Presented by Californians for Energy Independence |
|  State Sen. Josh Newman in 2018. | (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) | THE BUZZ: State Sen. Josh Newman is the most vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection, so it’s not surprising the Southern California district is being flooded with money from a union with an ambitious policy agenda. Except none of it is going to Newman. Instead, AFSCME 3299 has launched and funded a collection of neophyte Democratic challengers — an audacious gambit that is illuminating fissures within the Democratic coalition and roiling a marquee Senate race. It appears calculated to send a message to Newman after he declined to support one of the union’s priority bills — a constitutional amendment bolstering the rights of the union’s University of California worker members — and the proposal stalled. “That, to my knowledge, is the source of their grievance with me,” Newman said. The field in the battleground Orange County district had already coalesced late last year when AFSCME 3299 pulled a quartet of candidates out of political obscurity to enter the race. On a single day in early December, the union paid the filing fees for four health care workers with no previous experience holding, or even seeking, elected office. Then an AFSCME 3299 independent expenditure committee opened its vault, spending more than $500,000 so far on those four and on a fifth Democrat, organizer Alex Mohajer. The four new candidates haven’t reported raising any money from other sources and got in too late to solicit the California Democratic Party’s endorsement. Neither the union, its lobbyist Richie Ross, nor any of the four AFSCME-recruited candidates responded to requests for comment. (The candidates also did not respond to the Orange County Register’s candidate survey.) On a union website with candidate statements, two of the four Senate candidates talk about running for “state Assembly.” Newman has enjoyed ample union support in the past. When he was facing a recall threat after voting in 2017 to raise the gas tax, his friends in labor spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep him in office. He was ousted but returned in 2020, and now he’s battling to stay in office by winning a redrawn Senate district. In a sign of the race’s importance, the California Democratic Party has furnished Newman with more than $500,000. Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire said in a statement the caucus was “all in” and predicted a “great” Election Night. Indeed, it’s unlikely any of AFSCME’s little-known candidates will keep Newman from advancing to the general election. But having a union spend directly against a caucus priority, Newman said, “does create an interesting situation between our leadership and their leadership going forward.” One other potential wrinkle: AFSCME 3299 official Kathryn Lybarger is now running in an enormously expensive race for a deep-blue East Bay Senate district (with heavy AFSCME 3299 backing). That means she and Newman could be colleagues next year — if they survive their races. Lybarger did not respond to requests for comment. GOOD MORNING. Happy Wednesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Now you can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
| | | | A message from Californians for Energy Independence: As California transitions to a lower carbon economy, we should continue to produce the oil and gas we still need in-state, where it meets world-class environmental standards and our communities can benefit from the revenues. But instead, California energy policies are shutting down in-state oil production faster than we can build adequate replacement energy - increasing our dependence on more costly imported oil. Get the facts on California Energy Policies | | | |  | CAMPAIGN YEAR | | | 
FILE- Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. . In California, Porter's decision to enter a crowded Democratic primary seeking to replace retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein has opened the state's competitive 47th Congressional District. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File) | Andrew Harnik/AP | ‘WARRIOR’ — It’s crunchtime for Rep. Katie Porter, who on Tuesday dropped another ad in her final push for the California Senate seat. The ad slams other ads, deployed by cryptocurrency billionaires, that paint her as a hypocritical corporate crusader who has accepted campaign contributions from powerful industry executives. Porter called the ads false when they aired earlier this month, but her new ad goes even harder — accusing the group, Fairshake, of lying to Californians. “They’re afraid,” the ad says. “Because Katie Porter is unrelenting in her grilling of chief executives.” Porter has so far spent $17.7 million on advertising as she hustles to keep up with Rep. Adam Schiff, who has dropped a whopping $28.6 million on ads. Watch the ad for yourself.
| | | | CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So, we have something cool for you: our California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | CITY BY THE BAY | | RETAIL POLITICS — San Franciscans have shrugged off many of the big-box retailers who’ve fled the city. But the news that Macy’s will close its flagship store at Union Square hit differently — dealing a psychological blow to a city that’s struggled to regain its mojo after the pandemic. The announcement also sent panicked ripples through political circles. Mayor London Breed, who faces a tough reelection fight in November, was quick to downplay the news, noting that move is part of Macy’s plan to close underperforming stores nationwide. She vowed the city will find a meaningful new use for the retailer’s iconic downtown building. State Sen. Scott Wiener, an ally of the mayor, was also quick to try to diffuse the negative publicity, tweeting that the closure is “not for any SF-specific reason” and instead due to Macy’s shift away from large urban stores. He also used the moment to tout his bill that would exempt projects in the city’s downtown core from environmental reviews to jump-start redevelopment. But Breed’s challengers in the election were quick to jump on the department store’s closure as yet another example of how San Francisco has lost its world-class status under her leadership. Daniel Lurie held an impromptu press conference with reporters in front of Macy’s. He said the store has long held a special place in his family’s holiday shopping traditions — then he dinged Breed for not doing more to combat theft in the area. “People need to feel safe,” said Lurie, a nonprofit executive and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune. “They need to feel safe coming down here to Union Square. And right now, they don’t.” Breed’s office has noted a dip in retail theft and other types of property crime in the last handful of months. But her opponents say it’s too little, too late after dozens of retailers have left the city. Her other major challenger in the race, former interim Mayor Mark Farrell, called the loss of the iconic retailer a “gut punch.” He added, “There is no mayor in our city’s history that has overseen a steeper decline in public safety and the conditions of our streets.” But for all the hoopla over Macy’s closure, many San Franciscans chimed in to say that the sleepy retail giant was long past its heyday. “Without a brick-and-mortar Macy's to shop at, I guess it's time for me to pack up and leave the city once and for all,” joked Catie Stewart, a Democratic consultant, in an X post.
| | | | A message from Californians for Energy Independence:   | | | | | Top Talkers | | — Fatal police pursuits are killing nearly two people per day, but the federal government is significantly undercounting them, an investigation found. (San Francisco Chronicle) — A screenwriter alleges that Amazon Studios used AI to replicate actors’ voices during the SAG-AFTRA strike. (Los Angeles Times) — Apple canceled its decade-long effort to build an electric car. The fate of the project’s 2,000 workers teeters between layoffs and department transfers. (The Orange County Register)
| | | | On the ground in Albany. Get critical policy news and analysis inside New York State. Track how power brokers are driving change across legislation and budget and impacting lobbying efforts. Learn more. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | TRANSITIONS — AJ Manandic is now press secretary for Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.). She previously was an account executive at Rokk Solutions. — Teresa Michaud will join the law firm Cooley LLP as a partner in its downtown Los Angeles office. She works with major companies in the tech, media and telecom sectors and most recently was at the firm Baker McKenzie, where she co-chaired the North American class action team. BIRTHDAYS — Adam Sieff … Amazon’s Cara Hewitt ... (was Tuesday): Eleanor Antin
| | | | A message from Californians for Energy Independence: California faces a $68 billion deficit, a rising cost of living, and has some of the highest gas prices in the country. Now, California energy policies could make matters worse.
That’s because California is shutting down in-state oil and gas production before we have adequate replacement power. That forces our state to spend $25 billion a year importing more costly oil to meet our needs - sending billions that could be supporting California’s economy out of state instead. These energy policies threaten California’s access to reliable energy, while increasing our gas and utility prices.
As California transitions to a lower carbon economy, we should continue to produce the oil and gas we still need in-state, where it meets world-class environmental standards and our communities can benefit from the revenues - rather than increase our dependence on more costly imported oil.
Get the facts on California Energy Policies | | | 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.
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