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"content": "\u003cp>After months of campaigning, millions of dollars’ worth of advertisements and a 61-candidate ballot for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085541/california-governor-race-becerra-hilton-lead-early-with-millions-of-votes-to-be-counted\">governor\u003c/a> that included names such as LivingForGod AndCountry DeMott and Barack D. Obama Shaw, California voters have arrived at the next phase of the election:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After counting late into election night, just 54% of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/governor\">vote for governor\u003c/a> has been tallied as of Wednesday afternoon, according to an estimate from the\u003cem> Associated Press\u003c/em>. Many of the state’s largest counties won’t issue another update until Thursday — or even Friday — meaning longer waits for hundreds of thousands of votes that could have an impact on the race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once again, the crawling pace could draw false accusations, largely from national Republicans, that something nefarious is happening with the count in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged that concern when he recently urged election officials to speed up their work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those registrars and experts argue that without more resources, California will continue to endure \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081363/california-election-officials-face-false-choice-count-votes-quickly-or-count-them-right\">days or weeks of uncertainty\u003c/a> in the closest contests on the ballot as long as it relies so heavily on voting by mail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The two biggest variables of how long it takes a state actually to count ballots aren’t so much the policies. It is, one, the margin of victory, and two, the number of mail ballots that are cast at the last minute,” said David Becker, executive director and founder of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research, which works to ensure elections are trustworthy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said there’s an important distinction between how long it takes for election watchers like the \u003cem>AP\u003c/em> to call winners in a race and how long it takes for local officials to count all the ballots. Many races are called days or weeks before the votes are finished being tabulated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085889\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Voters cast their ballots at UC Davis in Davis on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The quicker the call is, the wider the margins are,” he said. “Californians know that on election night in a presidential election at 8:01 Pacific time, the media is going to call California already, right? That’s not because they’re counting ballots that fast. It’s because the margins were big. In different statewide races, particularly in primaries and in district races, margins can often be very, very narrow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s true this year in the top-two primaries for several \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085513/california-primary-2026-key-congressional-races-to-watch-today\">congressional races\u003c/a> around the state, as well as the much-watched contests for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086040/race-too-close-to-call-for-california-governor\">governor\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086090/los-angeles-mayor-karen-bass-advances-to-november-runoff-as-she-seeks-second-term\">Los Angeles mayor\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who votes when also matters in those races, Political Data Inc. Vice President Paul Mitchell, whose firm crunches voter data, said. This election cycle, Republicans seemed more eager to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084978/california-democrats-anxious-about-wasted-votes-are-clinging-to-their-ballots\">turn in their ballots early\u003c/a>, he said, while Democrats waited — meaning the early returns may overrepresent more conservative voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to providing more funding for county election offices, Becker said one thing California could do to speed up its count is “encourage those who are willing and able to go vote in person, to vote in person, particularly early.”[aside label=\"Live 2026 Election Results\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/governor,Learn about the results of the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]California began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11890023/california-adopts-vote-by-mail-system-for-all-future-elections\">sending every registered voter a mail ballot\u003c/a> by default during the pandemic, in an effort to make voting as easy as possible. In California’s 2024 general election, more than 80% of voters cast a vote-by-mail ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trade-off: processing time. With traditional in-person voting, voters’ signatures are reviewed \u003cem>before \u003c/em>they cast a ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With vote-by-mail, the verification and processing happens after election officials receive a ballot. Every signature on every envelope is reviewed to match the voter’s signature on file, a check meant to prevent voter fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody wants efficient and fast counting, but let’s be clear, efficient and accurate is way more important than fast,” said Darius Kemp, executive director of California Common Cause, a nonpartisan political watchdog organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When voters wait until close to Election Day to return their ballots, as many Democrats did in this race, those ballots can pile up in election offices — only to be processed and added to the count days later, especially in large counties with millions of votes to tally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, claimed earlier this year that Republican leads in California have “magically whittled away” during the vote-counting process. But that’s false, Kemp said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no mystery there; it’s simple to understand, and it’s simple to digest,” Kemp said. “It just takes someone who cares about honesty and truth to actually do the proper research and understand what’s going on, instead of — excuse me for this colloquialism, I’m originally from Alabama — just talking out the side of their necks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084670\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, even some Democrats acknowledge the slow count has frustrated members of the public and opened the door to disinformation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter last month calling on county election officials to speed up their counts, Newsom pointed to legislation he signed last year that requires counties to report results by the 13th day after the election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We must acknowledge that the longer the voting count takes, the more mis- and disinformation spreads,” Newsom wrote. “That means we must do all that we can to tabulate votes quickly and accurately. Time is of the essence in preventing election lies from taking hold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the new policies have not been paired with new money for counting the ballots.[aside postID=news_12085541 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2279541285-KQED.jpg']“If I had more space, if I had more staff and had more equipment to scan, I could pick up some of the speed,” said Jesse Salinas, registrar of voters in Yolo County and president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salinas said only about 30% of ballots received by his office can be signature-verified by a machine; the rest require an election worker to visually validate the signatures. After verification, election workers open the envelopes and prepare the ballots to be scanned and read by the machine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that process slowly plays out, Salinas acknowledged that he prefers to release the returns in large batches. As a result, Yolo County — like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda\">Alameda\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta\">Contra Costa\u003c/a> counties in the Bay Area — will not have its next update until Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I do 1,000 a day or 2,000 a day, that’s not going to move as much of a needle as if I used a little longer window of two and a half days … almost three,” Salinas said. “Then I can have a 3,000 or 4,000, or maybe even a 5,000 [vote] needle swing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker, the elections expert, said he’s not sure why county officials would wait that long, noting that some states, such as Florida, have laws dictating regular updates — whether or not there’s anything new to report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Becker said election officials are doing their best under difficult circumstances — and cautioned that no changes to the process will satisfy election conspiracy theorists, who he said, “very conveniently try to latch onto anything to delegitimize results that aren’t in their favor.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that we’ve seen those same conspiracy theorists who say it takes too long to count ballots in California say ballot counting was too fast when they didn’t like the results if those results were early on against them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those registrars and experts argue that without more resources, California will continue to endure \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081363/california-election-officials-face-false-choice-count-votes-quickly-or-count-them-right\">days or weeks of uncertainty\u003c/a> in the closest contests on the ballot as long as it relies so heavily on voting by mail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The two biggest variables of how long it takes a state actually to count ballots aren’t so much the policies. It is, one, the margin of victory, and two, the number of mail ballots that are cast at the last minute,” said David Becker, executive director and founder of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research, which works to ensure elections are trustworthy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said there’s an important distinction between how long it takes for election watchers like the \u003cem>AP\u003c/em> to call winners in a race and how long it takes for local officials to count all the ballots. Many races are called days or weeks before the votes are finished being tabulated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085889\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Voters cast their ballots at UC Davis in Davis on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The quicker the call is, the wider the margins are,” he said. “Californians know that on election night in a presidential election at 8:01 Pacific time, the media is going to call California already, right? That’s not because they’re counting ballots that fast. It’s because the margins were big. In different statewide races, particularly in primaries and in district races, margins can often be very, very narrow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s true this year in the top-two primaries for several \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085513/california-primary-2026-key-congressional-races-to-watch-today\">congressional races\u003c/a> around the state, as well as the much-watched contests for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086040/race-too-close-to-call-for-california-governor\">governor\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086090/los-angeles-mayor-karen-bass-advances-to-november-runoff-as-she-seeks-second-term\">Los Angeles mayor\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who votes when also matters in those races, Political Data Inc. Vice President Paul Mitchell, whose firm crunches voter data, said. This election cycle, Republicans seemed more eager to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084978/california-democrats-anxious-about-wasted-votes-are-clinging-to-their-ballots\">turn in their ballots early\u003c/a>, he said, while Democrats waited — meaning the early returns may overrepresent more conservative voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to providing more funding for county election offices, Becker said one thing California could do to speed up its count is “encourage those who are willing and able to go vote in person, to vote in person, particularly early.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>California began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11890023/california-adopts-vote-by-mail-system-for-all-future-elections\">sending every registered voter a mail ballot\u003c/a> by default during the pandemic, in an effort to make voting as easy as possible. In California’s 2024 general election, more than 80% of voters cast a vote-by-mail ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trade-off: processing time. With traditional in-person voting, voters’ signatures are reviewed \u003cem>before \u003c/em>they cast a ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With vote-by-mail, the verification and processing happens after election officials receive a ballot. Every signature on every envelope is reviewed to match the voter’s signature on file, a check meant to prevent voter fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody wants efficient and fast counting, but let’s be clear, efficient and accurate is way more important than fast,” said Darius Kemp, executive director of California Common Cause, a nonpartisan political watchdog organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When voters wait until close to Election Day to return their ballots, as many Democrats did in this race, those ballots can pile up in election offices — only to be processed and added to the count days later, especially in large counties with millions of votes to tally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, claimed earlier this year that Republican leads in California have “magically whittled away” during the vote-counting process. But that’s false, Kemp said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no mystery there; it’s simple to understand, and it’s simple to digest,” Kemp said. “It just takes someone who cares about honesty and truth to actually do the proper research and understand what’s going on, instead of — excuse me for this colloquialism, I’m originally from Alabama — just talking out the side of their necks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084670\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, even some Democrats acknowledge the slow count has frustrated members of the public and opened the door to disinformation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter last month calling on county election officials to speed up their counts, Newsom pointed to legislation he signed last year that requires counties to report results by the 13th day after the election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We must acknowledge that the longer the voting count takes, the more mis- and disinformation spreads,” Newsom wrote. “That means we must do all that we can to tabulate votes quickly and accurately. Time is of the essence in preventing election lies from taking hold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the new policies have not been paired with new money for counting the ballots.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“If I had more space, if I had more staff and had more equipment to scan, I could pick up some of the speed,” said Jesse Salinas, registrar of voters in Yolo County and president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salinas said only about 30% of ballots received by his office can be signature-verified by a machine; the rest require an election worker to visually validate the signatures. After verification, election workers open the envelopes and prepare the ballots to be scanned and read by the machine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that process slowly plays out, Salinas acknowledged that he prefers to release the returns in large batches. As a result, Yolo County — like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda\">Alameda\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta\">Contra Costa\u003c/a> counties in the Bay Area — will not have its next update until Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I do 1,000 a day or 2,000 a day, that’s not going to move as much of a needle as if I used a little longer window of two and a half days … almost three,” Salinas said. “Then I can have a 3,000 or 4,000, or maybe even a 5,000 [vote] needle swing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker, the elections expert, said he’s not sure why county officials would wait that long, noting that some states, such as Florida, have laws dictating regular updates — whether or not there’s anything new to report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Becker said election officials are doing their best under difficult circumstances — and cautioned that no changes to the process will satisfy election conspiracy theorists, who he said, “very conveniently try to latch onto anything to delegitimize results that aren’t in their favor.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that we’ve seen those same conspiracy theorists who say it takes too long to count ballots in California say ballot counting was too fast when they didn’t like the results if those results were early on against them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Hilton, Becerra Tout Early Leads in California Governor Race, as Steyer Urges Patience",
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"headTitle": "Hilton, Becerra Tout Early Leads in California Governor Race, as Steyer Urges Patience | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/governor\">primary election for California governor\u003c/a> is too close to call in early returns, with Republican businessman Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra neck-and-neck atop the field and Democrat Tom Steyer in third place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after midnight, Hilton, a former Fox News commentator and businessman, led with 27% of the vote, followed closely by Becerra, former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, at 25%. Both were enjoying a comfortable early advantage over billionaire Democratic activist Steyer, who sat at 20%, with just over half of the expected votes counted, according to an Associated Press estimate. The race will decide which two candidates move on to a November runoff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his remarks at his watch party in Los Angeles, Becerra noted his underdog status: Polls showed him stuck in single digits until the final six weeks of the campaign, when he surprised nearly everyone by surging into the top spot among a crowded field of Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here in Hollywood’s hometown, we love a good underdog success story,” he said, drawing parallels between his campaign and the life his immigrant parents built in California. “Guess what? The underdog stayed in the fight. Like my parents, I never gave up. Never stopped putting one foot in front of the other. Never stopped believing in the beacon-like goodness of California. And, thankfully, neither did you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was trailing the three frontrunners late Tuesday, with 11% of the vote. And the other better known Democratic candidates — former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, San José Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — were all hovering in single digits. Villaraigosa and Mahan conceded the race within the hour after polls closed, followed by Porter shortly after 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At his watch party in Huntington Beach, the British-born Hilton — who became a U.S. citizen just five years ago — said it was the “honor of his lifetime” to receive over 1 million votes so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People watch Tom Steyer speak at his election watch party on election day during the California gubernatorial primary at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. Candidates for California governor are Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer, Chad Bianco, Katie Porter, Matt Mahan, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Change is coming to California and it’s long overdue,” Hilton said. “We’re not there yet, but it’s looking good. It looks very much as if Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November and take our state in a new direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But nothing is guaranteed for Becerra or Hilton yet. The early results could shift in part because of unusual voting patterns in this primary election: Ballot tracking data heading into Tuesday evening showed that Republicans were more likely to vote early by mail, while Democratic voters in this deep blue state \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084978/california-democrats-anxious-about-wasted-votes-are-clinging-to-their-ballots\">hung onto their mail-in ballots\u003c/a> or chose to vote in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the reverse of recent elections, which saw more Democrats voting by mail and Republicans tending to vote in person on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer urged his supporters to be patient Tuesday evening. Speaking at his watch party at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, he railed against the big companies, including PG&E and Chevron, that opposed his candidacy. “Together, we’ve scared the hell out of the corporate interests used to getting their way,” Steyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Live 2026 Election Results\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/governor,Learn about the results of the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]“It might take some time to figure out where this is going. We’re going to wait until every ballot is counted. We’re going to give democracy time to work. And we know we finished really strong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The race remained crowded and unsettled to the end, and it was defined to some extent by who wasn’t running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the state’s most high-profile Democrats — former Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and California Attorney General Rob Bonta — all passed on a potential bid. Then, in April, the campaign of East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell imploded following \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">allegations of sexual assault and harassment\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swalwell had been gaining in polls and racking up high-profile endorsements, and his exit seemed to primarily benefit Becerra, who had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-education-april-2026/\">stuck in single digits\u003c/a> in many polls. And it quieted fears among Democrats who worried that the messy Democratic field could result in Bianco and Hilton winning the top spots in the June primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That would have resulted in a nightmare scenario for Democrats — a guaranteed Republican governor — in a state where they outnumber GOP voters 2-to-1. But it was possible because of California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">“jungle primary” system\u003c/a>, which allows the top two vote-getters to advance, regardless of party affiliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, though, Becerra surged, and Hilton pulled ahead of Bianco after earning the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement\u003c/a> of President Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086026\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086026\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supporters of Democrat California Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra are seen silhouetted on early election results during an election night event in downtown Los Angeles, on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Steyer spent more than $213 million of his own money to push a progressive, populist message, but also seemed to hit a ceiling, remaining in the mid-teens in most public polls up until the election, despite his aggressive ad campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Anthony York, an adviser to Steyer, said he believes that Steyer will do well among those people who voted late.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The longer this goes on beyond tonight as ballots get counted, we expect Tom to gain vote share,” he said Tuesday night at Steyer’s watch party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/abandlamudi\">Adhiti Bandlamudi\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/governor\">primary election for California governor\u003c/a> is too close to call in early returns, with Republican businessman Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra neck-and-neck atop the field and Democrat Tom Steyer in third place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after midnight, Hilton, a former Fox News commentator and businessman, led with 27% of the vote, followed closely by Becerra, former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, at 25%. Both were enjoying a comfortable early advantage over billionaire Democratic activist Steyer, who sat at 20%, with just over half of the expected votes counted, according to an Associated Press estimate. The race will decide which two candidates move on to a November runoff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his remarks at his watch party in Los Angeles, Becerra noted his underdog status: Polls showed him stuck in single digits until the final six weeks of the campaign, when he surprised nearly everyone by surging into the top spot among a crowded field of Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here in Hollywood’s hometown, we love a good underdog success story,” he said, drawing parallels between his campaign and the life his immigrant parents built in California. “Guess what? The underdog stayed in the fight. Like my parents, I never gave up. Never stopped putting one foot in front of the other. Never stopped believing in the beacon-like goodness of California. And, thankfully, neither did you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was trailing the three frontrunners late Tuesday, with 11% of the vote. And the other better known Democratic candidates — former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, San José Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — were all hovering in single digits. Villaraigosa and Mahan conceded the race within the hour after polls closed, followed by Porter shortly after 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At his watch party in Huntington Beach, the British-born Hilton — who became a U.S. citizen just five years ago — said it was the “honor of his lifetime” to receive over 1 million votes so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-TOMSTEYERELECTION00443_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People watch Tom Steyer speak at his election watch party on election day during the California gubernatorial primary at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. Candidates for California governor are Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer, Chad Bianco, Katie Porter, Matt Mahan, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Change is coming to California and it’s long overdue,” Hilton said. “We’re not there yet, but it’s looking good. It looks very much as if Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November and take our state in a new direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But nothing is guaranteed for Becerra or Hilton yet. The early results could shift in part because of unusual voting patterns in this primary election: Ballot tracking data heading into Tuesday evening showed that Republicans were more likely to vote early by mail, while Democratic voters in this deep blue state \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084978/california-democrats-anxious-about-wasted-votes-are-clinging-to-their-ballots\">hung onto their mail-in ballots\u003c/a> or chose to vote in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the reverse of recent elections, which saw more Democrats voting by mail and Republicans tending to vote in person on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer urged his supporters to be patient Tuesday evening. Speaking at his watch party at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, he railed against the big companies, including PG&E and Chevron, that opposed his candidacy. “Together, we’ve scared the hell out of the corporate interests used to getting their way,” Steyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It might take some time to figure out where this is going. We’re going to wait until every ballot is counted. We’re going to give democracy time to work. And we know we finished really strong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The race remained crowded and unsettled to the end, and it was defined to some extent by who wasn’t running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the state’s most high-profile Democrats — former Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and California Attorney General Rob Bonta — all passed on a potential bid. Then, in April, the campaign of East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell imploded following \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">allegations of sexual assault and harassment\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swalwell had been gaining in polls and racking up high-profile endorsements, and his exit seemed to primarily benefit Becerra, who had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-education-april-2026/\">stuck in single digits\u003c/a> in many polls. And it quieted fears among Democrats who worried that the messy Democratic field could result in Bianco and Hilton winning the top spots in the June primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That would have resulted in a nightmare scenario for Democrats — a guaranteed Republican governor — in a state where they outnumber GOP voters 2-to-1. But it was possible because of California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">“jungle primary” system\u003c/a>, which allows the top two vote-getters to advance, regardless of party affiliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, though, Becerra surged, and Hilton pulled ahead of Bianco after earning the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement\u003c/a> of President Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086026\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086026\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2278829413-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supporters of Democrat California Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra are seen silhouetted on early election results during an election night event in downtown Los Angeles, on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Steyer spent more than $213 million of his own money to push a progressive, populist message, but also seemed to hit a ceiling, remaining in the mid-teens in most public polls up until the election, despite his aggressive ad campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Anthony York, an adviser to Steyer, said he believes that Steyer will do well among those people who voted late.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The longer this goes on beyond tonight as ballots get counted, we expect Tom to gain vote share,” he said Tuesday night at Steyer’s watch party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/abandlamudi\">Adhiti Bandlamudi\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What’s the Election Vibe at Bay Area Polling Places on California Primary Day?",
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"content": "\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085513/california-primary-2026-key-congressional-races-to-watch-today\">primary\u003c/a> is coming to a close — with voters casting their final ballots to decide on the state’s future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their long list of choices included an unusually \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085576/governors-race-enters-the-final-stretch-and-down-ballot-races-to-watch\">close\u003c/a> governor’s race and consequential local races, including the fight to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday morning, polling places across the Bay Area were quiet, reflecting some of the uneasiness of constituents. At North and West Oakland satellite locations, poll workers said turnout was lower than expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is probably the least hopeful I felt in an election, to be completely frank,” said Oakland resident Josh Adams, 35, who said he’s most concerned about the governor’s race. Adams, whose partner is an educator, said he researched the candidates’ policies to see who would support funding public education and infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know if there is a right answer — someone who scratches all of the itches of the state,” Adams said, after voting at the Oakland Main Branch Library. “I hope I made the right decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085812\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085812\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Josh Adams stands outside the Oakland Main Library after casting his ballot in Oakland, California, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED spoke with voters at multiple Bay Area polling places to hear from them about the Election Day vibes. Those who did turn out said they were invested in the results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over in San Francisco, Chiraag Hebbar, 26, cast his ballot at City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With both Gavin Newsom and Pelosi leaving, I think it’s a critical election,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085818\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085818\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Voters fill out their ballots at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Big money has poured into campaigns, with major financial backing from tech and oil for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085483/whos-backing-californias-next-governor-and-why\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, the Democratic frontrunner, and for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084959/after-pelosi-young-sf-voters-want-change-two-progressives-are-competing-to-offer-it\">Saikat Chakrabarti\u003c/a>, who is vying against state Sen. Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan for Pelosi’s seat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of money getting thrown around,” said Gwynn Beasley, a Lower Haight resident, who said she votes at City Hall to feel more “civic.” Beasley said she saw a lot of major donors “putting money behind candidates they don’t necessarily support to [get others] out of the race.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Widya Batin, a 27-year-old Fillmore resident, said the political moment can feel discouraging, so she wanted to vote in the primary to exercise her civil right as a citizen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085822\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085822\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A polling place at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We don’t really get educated on how our vote works or how the political system works. That’s why I get discouraged. If you don’t really go into the measures or candidates yourself, you can easily be caught up in the ads they run before the election.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Batin said she will vote for candidates that she’s seen in action, but “for the propositions, I kind of rely on the homies and what we are sharing around in our groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democracy was in full swing down in East San José, where the Dr. Robert Cruz Alum Rock Library had a steady stream of voters. Every few minutes, someone walked through the double doors to drop off a ballot or vote in person, though most came to drop off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Shireman Ichikawa family leaves the Bernal Heights Library polling place in San Francisco after casting their ballots on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>No two voters looked alike — old, young, Hispanic, Black, Asian, white — pushing strollers, holding a partner’s hand, or pulling their dog’s leash. Staff who have worked at the location for years say this is the busiest voting site in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melissa Martinez came to drop off both her and her sister’s ballots. Martinez, born and raised in the South Bay, started voting as soon as she turned 18. A child of immigrants, she said she’s been politically active since high school.[aside postID=news_12085513 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/voter.jpg']“I just always knew that if I wanted to keep them safe, in some ways, it depends on how I voted and who I voted for,” Martinez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San José resident Pam Payton, whose dad was planning commissioner for the city, and who was part of the campaign to elect Norman Mineta as mayor, said voting has been ingrained in her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you want to make a change, it’s not going to happen if you don’t vote.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Payton, the economy was top of mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is a hot mess right now,” she said, laughing. “I don’t know that there’s anything the potential governors will do to lower the price of gas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She described going to the store and buying one bag of groceries without meat, and spending $80. “That’s crazy,” Payton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Payton did her patriotic duty. For those who didn’t vote Tuesday, Payton had simple advice: “Don’t complain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, Desmond Meagley, \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/psibulo\">\u003cem>Paula Sibulo\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/emanoukian\">\u003cem>Elize Manoukian\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085513/california-primary-2026-key-congressional-races-to-watch-today\">primary\u003c/a> is coming to a close — with voters casting their final ballots to decide on the state’s future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their long list of choices included an unusually \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085576/governors-race-enters-the-final-stretch-and-down-ballot-races-to-watch\">close\u003c/a> governor’s race and consequential local races, including the fight to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday morning, polling places across the Bay Area were quiet, reflecting some of the uneasiness of constituents. At North and West Oakland satellite locations, poll workers said turnout was lower than expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is probably the least hopeful I felt in an election, to be completely frank,” said Oakland resident Josh Adams, 35, who said he’s most concerned about the governor’s race. Adams, whose partner is an educator, said he researched the candidates’ policies to see who would support funding public education and infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know if there is a right answer — someone who scratches all of the itches of the state,” Adams said, after voting at the Oakland Main Branch Library. “I hope I made the right decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085812\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085812\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-JY-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Josh Adams stands outside the Oakland Main Library after casting his ballot in Oakland, California, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED spoke with voters at multiple Bay Area polling places to hear from them about the Election Day vibes. Those who did turn out said they were invested in the results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over in San Francisco, Chiraag Hebbar, 26, cast his ballot at City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With both Gavin Newsom and Pelosi leaving, I think it’s a critical election,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085818\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085818\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Voters fill out their ballots at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Big money has poured into campaigns, with major financial backing from tech and oil for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085483/whos-backing-californias-next-governor-and-why\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, the Democratic frontrunner, and for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084959/after-pelosi-young-sf-voters-want-change-two-progressives-are-competing-to-offer-it\">Saikat Chakrabarti\u003c/a>, who is vying against state Sen. Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan for Pelosi’s seat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of money getting thrown around,” said Gwynn Beasley, a Lower Haight resident, who said she votes at City Hall to feel more “civic.” Beasley said she saw a lot of major donors “putting money behind candidates they don’t necessarily support to [get others] out of the race.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Widya Batin, a 27-year-old Fillmore resident, said the political moment can feel discouraging, so she wanted to vote in the primary to exercise her civil right as a citizen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085822\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085822\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A polling place at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We don’t really get educated on how our vote works or how the political system works. That’s why I get discouraged. If you don’t really go into the measures or candidates yourself, you can easily be caught up in the ads they run before the election.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Batin said she will vote for candidates that she’s seen in action, but “for the propositions, I kind of rely on the homies and what we are sharing around in our groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democracy was in full swing down in East San José, where the Dr. Robert Cruz Alum Rock Library had a steady stream of voters. Every few minutes, someone walked through the double doors to drop off a ballot or vote in person, though most came to drop off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-PRIMARYVOTERVOX-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Shireman Ichikawa family leaves the Bernal Heights Library polling place in San Francisco after casting their ballots on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>No two voters looked alike — old, young, Hispanic, Black, Asian, white — pushing strollers, holding a partner’s hand, or pulling their dog’s leash. Staff who have worked at the location for years say this is the busiest voting site in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Melissa Martinez came to drop off both her and her sister’s ballots. Martinez, born and raised in the South Bay, started voting as soon as she turned 18. A child of immigrants, she said she’s been politically active since high school.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I just always knew that if I wanted to keep them safe, in some ways, it depends on how I voted and who I voted for,” Martinez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San José resident Pam Payton, whose dad was planning commissioner for the city, and who was part of the campaign to elect Norman Mineta as mayor, said voting has been ingrained in her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you want to make a change, it’s not going to happen if you don’t vote.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Payton, the economy was top of mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is a hot mess right now,” she said, laughing. “I don’t know that there’s anything the potential governors will do to lower the price of gas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She described going to the store and buying one bag of groceries without meat, and spending $80. “That’s crazy,” Payton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Payton did her patriotic duty. For those who didn’t vote Tuesday, Payton had simple advice: “Don’t complain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, Desmond Meagley, \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/psibulo\">\u003cem>Paula Sibulo\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/emanoukian\">\u003cem>Elize Manoukian\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "election-day-is-here-from-governor-to-la-mayor-these-are-the-races-to-watch",
"title": "Polls Are Closed in California. From Governor to LA Mayor, These Are the Races to Watch",
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"headTitle": "Polls Are Closed in California. From Governor to LA Mayor, These Are the Races to Watch | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Polls are now closed in California’s primary election, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results\">the first tallies\u003c/a> are starting to trickle in from some counties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has loomed large in media coverage and political advertisements, but there’s a lot more on the ballot. Here’s what we will be watching closely on election night and in the days to come as votes continue to be counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, one reminder: California has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">top-two primary system\u003c/a>, meaning the top two vote-getters in statewide races and congressional races move on to the November runoff — regardless of party affiliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A messy, confusing race for California governor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s first truly open governor’s race in more than two decades has remained unsettled to the end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Polls now show three candidates likely competing for the two spots in the November general election: Democratic former Health and Human Services Secretary \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, Republican businessman and former Fox News host \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/steve-hilton\">Steve Hilton\u003c/a> and billionaire Democratic activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tom-steyer\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Becerra secures one of the top spots, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085276/becerra-hilton-lead-in-california-governors-race-poll-ahead-of-june-primary\">as the latest polling suggests\u003c/a>, it would cap one of the most surprising and dramatic comebacks in recent state political history. As recently as April, polls were showing Becerra — also a former member of Congress and California attorney general — languishing in single digits in a crowded field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082916\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2274719112-scaled-e1778887506369.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California gubernatorial candidates former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer, businessman Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, San José Mayor Matt Mahan look on during a CNN California Governor Primary Debate at East Los Angeles College on May 5, 2026, in Monterey Park, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Becerra’s campaign was boosted after former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress following multiple accusations of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">sexual assault and harassment\u003c/a>. Shortly after Swalwell’s exit, Becerra began rising in the polls, outpacing most of his Democratic rivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsed Hilton\u003c/a> in April, propelling him to the top of the field alongside Becerra. But neither has cracked more than 25% support in most public polls — and Steyer, who’s spent more than $213 million of his own fortune in the race, remains within striking distance of the top two in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085443/new-california-governor-poll-shows-a-slim-but-growing-chance-of-2-democrats-advancing\">recent surveys\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That state of play helped quell fears among Democrats that a crowded field without a superstar candidate could result in two Republicans moving on to the general election, locking out Democrats entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An open congressional seat in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retirement\u003c/a> of Democratic powerhouse Nancy Pelosi, most San Francisco voters are facing an open congressional seat for the first time since 1987.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pelosi’s exit has spurred a tight and spirited contest among three leading Democrats to replace her: state Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/scott-wiener\">Scott Wiener\u003c/a>, San Francisco Supervisor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/connie-chan\">Connie Chan\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/saikat-chakrabarti\">Saikat Chakrabarti\u003c/a>, a former tech engineer who previously worked as chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078159\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078159 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Candidates running for California’s 11th Congressional District (from left) Saikat Chakrabarti, state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan take part in a forum at UC Law San Francisco on Jan. 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Polls show the race boiling down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084959/after-pelosi-young-sf-voters-want-change-two-progressives-are-competing-to-offer-it\">a fight for the No. 2 spot\u003c/a>, with Wiener leading and expected to make the November runoff. He’s made a name for himself as a staunch champion of increasing housing development and funding public transit, and defending gay rights. Wiener is seen as the more business-friendly moderate in the race — though on the national stage, he’d be considered incredibly liberal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan has racked up the endorsements of labor groups and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084132/nancy-pelosi-endorses-san-francisco-supervisor-connie-chan-for-congress\">Pelosi\u003c/a>, as well as some other big-name Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. She’s running as a tried-and-true San Francisco progressive and has leaned on her personal story as an immigrant and mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chakrabarti, who’s used his own personal wealth to help fund his upstart campaign, is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084959/after-pelosi-young-sf-voters-want-change-two-progressives-are-competing-to-offer-it\">running as an outsider\u003c/a> who will shake things up. He’s had to introduce himself to an electorate unfamiliar with him and is banking on frustration with the Democratic Party establishment to help fuel his run.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Other congressional races\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The real action in California’s congressional swing seats won’t start until the fall, when Democrats are hoping to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085418/two-democrats-are-fighting-for-the-chance-to-flip-californias-only-toss-up-house-race\">flip multiple Republican-held districts\u003c/a> in their push to retake the House of Representatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a pair of primaries Tuesday will set the stage for those battles. In the Bakersfield-area 22nd District, Democrats Jasmeet Bains, a moderate state Assembly member and Randy Villegas, a progressive school board member, are competing to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085466/two-democrats-battling-to-unseat-longtime-central-valley-congressman\">challenge incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071887\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071887\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rep. David Valadao of California speaks at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 2021. \u003ccite>(Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And in the newly drawn 48th District, San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and Navy Reserve officer Ammar Campa-Najjar are among the Democrats vying to make the general election, where they will likely face Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In safe Democratic seats, a handful of primaries are dividing along generational lines. Longtime incumbents Mike Thompson, Doris Matsui and Brad Sherman are all facing youthful challengers arguing for a changing of the guard.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An important race for insurance commissioner\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/insurance-commissioner\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Compare insurance commissioner candidates in the KQED Voter Guide \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of governor, the primary for California’s insurance commissioner is the statewide election with the highest stakes. The next commissioner will assume \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000611/california-insurance-commissioner-candidates-debate-solutions-to-wildfire-driven-crisis\">oversight of an insurance market in crisis\u003c/a> — with insurers issuing nonrenewals and limiting new policies in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000990/california-must-move-faster-on-wildfire-risk-experts-warn\">massive wildfire threats and liabilities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The field of Democrats running includes state Sen. Ben Allen and former state Sen. Steven Bradford, along with former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim and financial analyst Patrick Wolff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five Republicans are also on the ballot, though unlikely to win statewide election. Insurance agent Stacy Korsgaden has won the party’s official endorsement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Local taxes as cities face budget crunches\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Voters in the Bay Area’s three largest cities will decide whether to approve new taxes to help bolster struggling local budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco and Oakland, the tax votes could provide a key measure of the political clout of Mayors Daniel Lurie and Barbara Lee a year into their terms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078516\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078516\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Barbara Lee speaks during a press conference announcing new affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District teachers and school employees at a recently purchased residential building in Oakland on April 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lee is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084482/oakland-mayor-barbara-lee-signals-shell-run-for-full-term-in-november\">pushing for the passage of Measure E\u003c/a>, a parcel tax of $192 a year for single-family properties that is expected to raise $34 million annually. Across the bay, Lurie is asking voters to reject \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/proposition-d\">Proposition D\u003c/a>, a union-backed measure that would increase business taxes on corporations whose CEOs make 100 times more than their median San Francisco employee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San José, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/santaclara/measure-a\">Measure A\u003c/a> has been met with less debate: The city’s entire political establishment is behind the idea of increasing the hotel tax from 10% to 12% to bring in $10 million a year for the general fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Los Angeles mayor’s race takes statewide spotlight\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The L.A. mayor’s race has emerged after the governor’s race as one of the most surprising contests in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Karen Bass, a longtime fixture in L.A. Democratic politics, is facing challenges from both the left and the right: City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a former Bass ally, is running as a more progressive alternative; and former reality TV star and Republican Spencer Pratt is running on an anti-establishment platform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the race has been fueled by lingering anger over Bass’ response to the 2025 L.A. wildfires; Pratt lost his Pacific Palisades home in one of the blazes. Polls show a \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/28/la-mayor-poll-bass-vulnerable-close-race-raman-pratt-00941128\">close race among all three candidates\u003c/a>, a remarkable turn for Bass, who has represented L.A. in Congress and the state Legislature for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much will we know on election night?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As always, Californians’ reliance on vote-by-mail will mean a longer wait for definitive results. That’s especially true if many voters wait until Tuesday to return their ballot.[aside label=\"2026 California Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide,Learn everything you need to cast an informed ballot for the 2026 primary election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Voter-Guide-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]If the leading candidates in the race for governor remain separated by just a handful of percentage points, the top two finishers may not become clear for days or even weeks as ballots are counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the results could shift — data suggests the early vote has been more heavily Republican than in previous primaries, meaning the ballots that remain to be counted could be more heavily Democratic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, the second- and third-place finishers in the statewide race for insurance commissioner were separated by less than a percentage point. The race was not decided \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-07-06/marc-levine-concedes-in-primary-race-for-state-insurance-commissioner\">until a month\u003c/a> after Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For state and federal races, KQED relies on the Associated Press to “call” the winner, which is determined through an analysis of surveys, results and remaining ballots to declare when a trailing candidate or measure cannot catch the leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California’s primary election includes a number of races worth following on election night and in the days to come as ballots continue to be counted.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Polls are now closed in California’s primary election, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results\">the first tallies\u003c/a> are starting to trickle in from some counties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has loomed large in media coverage and political advertisements, but there’s a lot more on the ballot. Here’s what we will be watching closely on election night and in the days to come as votes continue to be counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, one reminder: California has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">top-two primary system\u003c/a>, meaning the top two vote-getters in statewide races and congressional races move on to the November runoff — regardless of party affiliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A messy, confusing race for California governor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California’s first truly open governor’s race in more than two decades has remained unsettled to the end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Polls now show three candidates likely competing for the two spots in the November general election: Democratic former Health and Human Services Secretary \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, Republican businessman and former Fox News host \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/steve-hilton\">Steve Hilton\u003c/a> and billionaire Democratic activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tom-steyer\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Becerra secures one of the top spots, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085276/becerra-hilton-lead-in-california-governors-race-poll-ahead-of-june-primary\">as the latest polling suggests\u003c/a>, it would cap one of the most surprising and dramatic comebacks in recent state political history. As recently as April, polls were showing Becerra — also a former member of Congress and California attorney general — languishing in single digits in a crowded field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082916\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2274719112-scaled-e1778887506369.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California gubernatorial candidates former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer, businessman Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, San José Mayor Matt Mahan look on during a CNN California Governor Primary Debate at East Los Angeles College on May 5, 2026, in Monterey Park, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Becerra’s campaign was boosted after former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress following multiple accusations of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">sexual assault and harassment\u003c/a>. Shortly after Swalwell’s exit, Becerra began rising in the polls, outpacing most of his Democratic rivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsed Hilton\u003c/a> in April, propelling him to the top of the field alongside Becerra. But neither has cracked more than 25% support in most public polls — and Steyer, who’s spent more than $213 million of his own fortune in the race, remains within striking distance of the top two in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085443/new-california-governor-poll-shows-a-slim-but-growing-chance-of-2-democrats-advancing\">recent surveys\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That state of play helped quell fears among Democrats that a crowded field without a superstar candidate could result in two Republicans moving on to the general election, locking out Democrats entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An open congressional seat in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retirement\u003c/a> of Democratic powerhouse Nancy Pelosi, most San Francisco voters are facing an open congressional seat for the first time since 1987.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pelosi’s exit has spurred a tight and spirited contest among three leading Democrats to replace her: state Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/scott-wiener\">Scott Wiener\u003c/a>, San Francisco Supervisor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/connie-chan\">Connie Chan\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/saikat-chakrabarti\">Saikat Chakrabarti\u003c/a>, a former tech engineer who previously worked as chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078159\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078159 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-19-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Candidates running for California’s 11th Congressional District (from left) Saikat Chakrabarti, state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan take part in a forum at UC Law San Francisco on Jan. 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Polls show the race boiling down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084959/after-pelosi-young-sf-voters-want-change-two-progressives-are-competing-to-offer-it\">a fight for the No. 2 spot\u003c/a>, with Wiener leading and expected to make the November runoff. He’s made a name for himself as a staunch champion of increasing housing development and funding public transit, and defending gay rights. Wiener is seen as the more business-friendly moderate in the race — though on the national stage, he’d be considered incredibly liberal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan has racked up the endorsements of labor groups and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084132/nancy-pelosi-endorses-san-francisco-supervisor-connie-chan-for-congress\">Pelosi\u003c/a>, as well as some other big-name Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. She’s running as a tried-and-true San Francisco progressive and has leaned on her personal story as an immigrant and mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chakrabarti, who’s used his own personal wealth to help fund his upstart campaign, is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084959/after-pelosi-young-sf-voters-want-change-two-progressives-are-competing-to-offer-it\">running as an outsider\u003c/a> who will shake things up. He’s had to introduce himself to an electorate unfamiliar with him and is banking on frustration with the Democratic Party establishment to help fuel his run.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Other congressional races\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The real action in California’s congressional swing seats won’t start until the fall, when Democrats are hoping to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085418/two-democrats-are-fighting-for-the-chance-to-flip-californias-only-toss-up-house-race\">flip multiple Republican-held districts\u003c/a> in their push to retake the House of Representatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a pair of primaries Tuesday will set the stage for those battles. In the Bakersfield-area 22nd District, Democrats Jasmeet Bains, a moderate state Assembly member and Randy Villegas, a progressive school board member, are competing to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085466/two-democrats-battling-to-unseat-longtime-central-valley-congressman\">challenge incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071887\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071887\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/092222-DAVID-VALADAO-REUTERS-GS-CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rep. David Valadao of California speaks at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 2021. \u003ccite>(Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And in the newly drawn 48th District, San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and Navy Reserve officer Ammar Campa-Najjar are among the Democrats vying to make the general election, where they will likely face Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In safe Democratic seats, a handful of primaries are dividing along generational lines. Longtime incumbents Mike Thompson, Doris Matsui and Brad Sherman are all facing youthful challengers arguing for a changing of the guard.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An important race for insurance commissioner\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/insurance-commissioner\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Compare insurance commissioner candidates in the KQED Voter Guide \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of governor, the primary for California’s insurance commissioner is the statewide election with the highest stakes. The next commissioner will assume \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000611/california-insurance-commissioner-candidates-debate-solutions-to-wildfire-driven-crisis\">oversight of an insurance market in crisis\u003c/a> — with insurers issuing nonrenewals and limiting new policies in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000990/california-must-move-faster-on-wildfire-risk-experts-warn\">massive wildfire threats and liabilities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The field of Democrats running includes state Sen. Ben Allen and former state Sen. Steven Bradford, along with former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim and financial analyst Patrick Wolff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five Republicans are also on the ballot, though unlikely to win statewide election. Insurance agent Stacy Korsgaden has won the party’s official endorsement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Local taxes as cities face budget crunches\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Voters in the Bay Area’s three largest cities will decide whether to approve new taxes to help bolster struggling local budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco and Oakland, the tax votes could provide a key measure of the political clout of Mayors Daniel Lurie and Barbara Lee a year into their terms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078516\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078516\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-12-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Barbara Lee speaks during a press conference announcing new affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District teachers and school employees at a recently purchased residential building in Oakland on April 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lee is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084482/oakland-mayor-barbara-lee-signals-shell-run-for-full-term-in-november\">pushing for the passage of Measure E\u003c/a>, a parcel tax of $192 a year for single-family properties that is expected to raise $34 million annually. Across the bay, Lurie is asking voters to reject \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/proposition-d\">Proposition D\u003c/a>, a union-backed measure that would increase business taxes on corporations whose CEOs make 100 times more than their median San Francisco employee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San José, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/santaclara/measure-a\">Measure A\u003c/a> has been met with less debate: The city’s entire political establishment is behind the idea of increasing the hotel tax from 10% to 12% to bring in $10 million a year for the general fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Los Angeles mayor’s race takes statewide spotlight\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The L.A. mayor’s race has emerged after the governor’s race as one of the most surprising contests in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Karen Bass, a longtime fixture in L.A. Democratic politics, is facing challenges from both the left and the right: City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a former Bass ally, is running as a more progressive alternative; and former reality TV star and Republican Spencer Pratt is running on an anti-establishment platform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the race has been fueled by lingering anger over Bass’ response to the 2025 L.A. wildfires; Pratt lost his Pacific Palisades home in one of the blazes. Polls show a \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/28/la-mayor-poll-bass-vulnerable-close-race-raman-pratt-00941128\">close race among all three candidates\u003c/a>, a remarkable turn for Bass, who has represented L.A. in Congress and the state Legislature for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much will we know on election night?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As always, Californians’ reliance on vote-by-mail will mean a longer wait for definitive results. That’s especially true if many voters wait until Tuesday to return their ballot.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>If the leading candidates in the race for governor remain separated by just a handful of percentage points, the top two finishers may not become clear for days or even weeks as ballots are counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the results could shift — data suggests the early vote has been more heavily Republican than in previous primaries, meaning the ballots that remain to be counted could be more heavily Democratic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, the second- and third-place finishers in the statewide race for insurance commissioner were separated by less than a percentage point. The race was not decided \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-07-06/marc-levine-concedes-in-primary-race-for-state-insurance-commissioner\">until a month\u003c/a> after Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For state and federal races, KQED relies on the Associated Press to “call” the winner, which is determined through an analysis of surveys, results and remaining ballots to declare when a trailing candidate or measure cannot catch the leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Primary 2026: Still Need to Vote on Election Day? Here’s Where to Do It (and Why You Shouldn’t Mail Your Ballot)",
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"headTitle": "Primary 2026: Still Need to Vote on Election Day? Here’s Where to Do It (and Why You Shouldn’t Mail Your Ballot) | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tuesday is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/electionsnews\">Election Day\u003c/a> in California, so it’s your last chance to vote in the state primary election — and to cast your vote for who should be the next governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you still need to vote before 8 p.m., you’re not alone. As of Sunday, less than\u003ca href=\"https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-primary/bsr-statistics.pdf\"> 17%\u003c/a> of registered voters in California returned their ballots, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/primary-election-june-2-2026\">data\u003c/a> from the Secretary of State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, you have lots of options for how to cast your vote on Election Day itself. One big thing to know: At this stage, officials say \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">you should definitely \u003cem>not \u003c/em>mail your ballot\u003c/a> using a United States Postal Service mail collection box, since it now runs the risk of being postmarked too late to be counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for all the ways you can vote on Tuesday. If you still want to learn more about the candidates and measures on your ballot, including the candidates vying for state governor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">take a look at our comprehensive KQED voter guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’ve already filled out your ballot but you’re worried you’ve made a mistake, read \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">our guide on addressing common ballot errors\u003c/a> before you submit it. The good news: If you’re \u003cem>really \u003c/em>concerned, you still have options to get a fresh ballot or vote in person, even on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I’ve filled out my ballot. Where can I submit it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">make sure you’ve signed the back\u003c/a> of your ballot and included the right date and your address. (It can be easy to forget when you’re rushing.) Then:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find a secure election drop box near you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Visit the\u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\"> state of California lookup tool\u003c/a>, where you can:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Enter your county (adding your city or ZIP code will give more localized results, but it’s optional).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Check the “Drop Off Location” box.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Hit “Search” to see all the drop-off locations in that area.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11847168\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11847168\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Voters drop off their mail-in ballots at the Chase Center official ballot drop-off location on Oct. 31, 2020.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Voters drop off their mail-in ballots at the Chase Center official ballot drop-off location on Oct. 31, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Submit it at a voting location near you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Use the\u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\"> state of California lookup tool\u003c/a> and check the “Early Voting” box to see all the Election Day voting locations near you. You can then take your ballot to one of these locations and hand-deliver it there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another perk of dropping off your ballot at a voting location during operating hours: If you have a few lingering questions about your ballot or the process, chances are good that you’ll find someone there to help answer them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don’t mail your ballot using USPS on Tuesday\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember: State officials — and USPS — stress that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">you shouldn’t \u003cem>mail \u003c/em>your ballot on Election Day\u003c/a>, because there’s a real risk it might be postmarked too late for it to be counted at this stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, find a secure official election drop box or take it to an open voting location and submit it there. You can also take it to the counter at an open post office on Tuesday and ask them to postmark it today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of how you deliver it, you can\u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\"> sign up to track your ballot’s progress with the “Where’s My Ballot?” online tool\u003c/a>, for reassurance that it’s on its way to being counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I vote in person on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Until 8 p.m. on Election Day, in-person voting is still available at every county registrar’s office (also known as your county’s elections office) in the Bay Area. If you’re a San Francisco voter, this location will be City Hall.\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\"> Find your county registrar’s office and opening hours.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check your mail-in ballot to see where you can vote and whether you’ve been assigned a specific polling place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11846400\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11846400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Columbarium and Funeral Home polling place on Nov. 3, 2020 \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in San Francisco, Contra Costa or Solano counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You are assigned a specific polling place, though Contra Costa County election officials say they can process your ballot no matter where you show up to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even if you live in a county that assigns you a particular polling place, you can still vote at\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\"> your county registrar’s office\u003c/a>.[aside label=\"2026 California Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide,Learn everything you need to cast an informed ballot for the 2026 primary election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Voter-Guide-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Sonoma counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can vote at any voting location — known as Vote Centers — including your county registrar’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can\u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\"> find your voting location through the state’s lookup tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do I need to bring my ballot with me?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’d like to cast a ballot in person, it’s a good idea to bring the blank ballot you were mailed, as some counties may require you to vote provisionally if you don’t bring it. If you’re issued a new ballot when you vote in person, any ballot you left at home will be canceled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Provisional votes are subject to extra checks — confirming that you’re actually registered to vote in California, or that you didn’t already complete and mail your ballot — and this extra layer of confirmation takes time. That means that although your vote will eventually be counted, it might not be tallied on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I still need to register to vote. Can I do this on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’ve changed your name or the political party choice that you previously registered to vote with, or you’ve moved addresses, you’ll need to\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\"> reregister\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can’t do this online on Election Day, but you can still complete the\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\"> same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. This system enables you to fill out and submit your ballot then and there, up until polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to voter registration, many voting locations also offer replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I contact my county directly about voting?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\"> send a form email\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tuesday is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/electionsnews\">Election Day\u003c/a> in California, so it’s your last chance to vote in the state primary election — and to cast your vote for who should be the next governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you still need to vote before 8 p.m., you’re not alone. As of Sunday, less than\u003ca href=\"https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-primary/bsr-statistics.pdf\"> 17%\u003c/a> of registered voters in California returned their ballots, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/primary-election-june-2-2026\">data\u003c/a> from the Secretary of State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, you have lots of options for how to cast your vote on Election Day itself. One big thing to know: At this stage, officials say \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">you should definitely \u003cem>not \u003c/em>mail your ballot\u003c/a> using a United States Postal Service mail collection box, since it now runs the risk of being postmarked too late to be counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for all the ways you can vote on Tuesday. If you still want to learn more about the candidates and measures on your ballot, including the candidates vying for state governor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">take a look at our comprehensive KQED voter guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’ve already filled out your ballot but you’re worried you’ve made a mistake, read \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">our guide on addressing common ballot errors\u003c/a> before you submit it. The good news: If you’re \u003cem>really \u003c/em>concerned, you still have options to get a fresh ballot or vote in person, even on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I’ve filled out my ballot. Where can I submit it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">make sure you’ve signed the back\u003c/a> of your ballot and included the right date and your address. (It can be easy to forget when you’re rushing.) Then:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find a secure election drop box near you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Visit the\u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\"> state of California lookup tool\u003c/a>, where you can:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Enter your county (adding your city or ZIP code will give more localized results, but it’s optional).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Check the “Drop Off Location” box.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Hit “Search” to see all the drop-off locations in that area.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11847168\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11847168\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Voters drop off their mail-in ballots at the Chase Center official ballot drop-off location on Oct. 31, 2020.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/RS45623_026_KQED_SanFrancisco_BallotDropOff_10312020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Voters drop off their mail-in ballots at the Chase Center official ballot drop-off location on Oct. 31, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Submit it at a voting location near you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Use the\u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\"> state of California lookup tool\u003c/a> and check the “Early Voting” box to see all the Election Day voting locations near you. You can then take your ballot to one of these locations and hand-deliver it there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another perk of dropping off your ballot at a voting location during operating hours: If you have a few lingering questions about your ballot or the process, chances are good that you’ll find someone there to help answer them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don’t mail your ballot using USPS on Tuesday\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember: State officials — and USPS — stress that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">you shouldn’t \u003cem>mail \u003c/em>your ballot on Election Day\u003c/a>, because there’s a real risk it might be postmarked too late for it to be counted at this stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, find a secure official election drop box or take it to an open voting location and submit it there. You can also take it to the counter at an open post office on Tuesday and ask them to postmark it today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of how you deliver it, you can\u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\"> sign up to track your ballot’s progress with the “Where’s My Ballot?” online tool\u003c/a>, for reassurance that it’s on its way to being counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I vote in person on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Until 8 p.m. on Election Day, in-person voting is still available at every county registrar’s office (also known as your county’s elections office) in the Bay Area. If you’re a San Francisco voter, this location will be City Hall.\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\"> Find your county registrar’s office and opening hours.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check your mail-in ballot to see where you can vote and whether you’ve been assigned a specific polling place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11846400\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11846400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/11/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_PollingPlaces_Columbarium_11032020-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Columbarium and Funeral Home polling place on Nov. 3, 2020 \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in San Francisco, Contra Costa or Solano counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You are assigned a specific polling place, though Contra Costa County election officials say they can process your ballot no matter where you show up to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even if you live in a county that assigns you a particular polling place, you can still vote at\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\"> your county registrar’s office\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Sonoma counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can vote at any voting location — known as Vote Centers — including your county registrar’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can\u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\"> find your voting location through the state’s lookup tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do I need to bring my ballot with me?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’d like to cast a ballot in person, it’s a good idea to bring the blank ballot you were mailed, as some counties may require you to vote provisionally if you don’t bring it. If you’re issued a new ballot when you vote in person, any ballot you left at home will be canceled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Provisional votes are subject to extra checks — confirming that you’re actually registered to vote in California, or that you didn’t already complete and mail your ballot — and this extra layer of confirmation takes time. That means that although your vote will eventually be counted, it might not be tallied on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I still need to register to vote. Can I do this on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’ve changed your name or the political party choice that you previously registered to vote with, or you’ve moved addresses, you’ll need to\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\"> reregister\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can’t do this online on Election Day, but you can still complete the\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\"> same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. This system enables you to fill out and submit your ballot then and there, up until polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to voter registration, many voting locations also offer replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I contact my county directly about voting?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\"> send a form email\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "polymarket-kalshi-prediction-markets-elections-california-primary-governor-vote",
"title": "What Can Prediction Markets Tell Us About the California Governor’s Race?",
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"headTitle": "What Can Prediction Markets Tell Us About the California Governor’s Race? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor%5C\">top-two primary for governor\u003c/a> is coming down to the final turn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last few polls before Election Day, Democrat Xavier Becerra has kept a steady — but small — lead. One survey \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085443/new-california-governor-poll-shows-a-slim-but-growing-chance-of-2-democrats-advancing\">showed\u003c/a> Becerra leading with 25% support among likely voters, followed closely by Republican Steve Hilton with 21%. Another poll \u003ca href=\"https://emersoncollegepolling.com/california-2026-poll-becerra-leads-steyer-and-hilton-toss-up-for-second-spot/\">published\u003c/a> last Saturday also had Becerra ahead, but with Democrat Tom Steyer in second position instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Polls ask likely voters who they think they will vote for. But what if instead you ask voters who they think \u003cem>will win\u003c/em> the race? Two different questions, two different kinds of information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Californians follow this year’s governor’s race, they have access not only to polls but also to data from prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. Major media outlets like \u003ca href=\"https://news.kalshi.com/p/kalshi-cnn-prediction-market-partnership\">CNN\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://news.kalshi.com/p/fox-kalshi-partnership-prediction-market-data-integration\">Fox News\u003c/a> now include the probabilities listed on Kalshi as part of their election coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And earlier this year, Polymarket \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Polymarket/status/2024217326065783058\">announced\u003c/a> an exclusive partnership with the newsletter platform Substack, claiming that “journalism is better when it’s backed by live markets.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of this story’s publishing, Becerra’s odds are listed at 74% on Polymarket and 72% on Kalshi. Steyer comes in second position on both sites, just shy of 20%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071100\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071100\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra speaks during a gubernatorial candidate forum at the UCSF Mission Bay campus in San Francisco on Jan. 26, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becerra’s odds on both prediction markets have steadily increased as more traders put money down on him becoming the next governor. The more people believe something will happen, the more valuable those “shares” become — unlike traditional betting, in which oddsmakers set odds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But just how good are prediction markets and what can they tell us that polls can’t?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While prediction markets have advertised themselves as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA5bY4K9XPs\">powerful tools\u003c/a> to predict what will happen in the future, the experts KQED spoke with recommended looking at predictions on the governor’s race with a critical eye, as these markets can be informative but remain vulnerable to inefficiencies and manipulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What markets know (and don’t)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Kalshi and Polymarket let people become “traders” and make predictions about future events by putting money down on a specific outcome. There are wagers for almost anything that involves some uncertainty: whether the United States and Iran will \u003ca href=\"https://kalshi.com/markets/kxusairanagreement/us-iran-nuclear-deal/kxusairanagreement-27\">sign a new nuclear deal\u003c/a>, which nation will win the \u003ca href=\"https://kalshi.com/markets/kxmenworldcup/mens-world-cup-winner/kxmenworldcup-26\">FIFA Men’s World Cup\u003c/a> and even whether Jesus Christ \u003ca href=\"https://polymarket.com/event/will-jesus-christ-return-before-2027\">will return\u003c/a> — before 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(But just don’t call it “betting” — both sites avoid that terminology as \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/u-s-sports-betting-where-all-50-states-stand-on-legalizing-online-sports-betting-sites-proposed-legislation/\">most states\u003c/a> prohibit online sports gambling, which makes up the bulk of the billions of dollars traded.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prediction markets listing Becerra’s odds at 70% does not mean he will end up with 70% of the vote on Tuesday. Rather, this number lets traders know how much each share costs and the expected payout if he’s elected governor. If you were to buy the “yes” position on Becerra becoming the next governor, you would essentially be entering into a contract that pays $1 if he wins and $0 if he doesn’t. With 70% odds, each contract for a Becerra win will cost $.70.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082916\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2274719112-scaled-e1778887506369.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California gubernatorial candidates former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer, businessman Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, San José Mayor Matt Mahan look on during a CNN California Governor Primary Debate at East Los Angeles College on May 5, 2026, in Monterey Park, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As more users — and their money — join Polymarket and Kalshi to trade on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/12/23/nx-s1-5647749/rise-of-prediction-markets\">outcomes of elections\u003c/a>, both sites have sought to brand themselves as more effective alternatives to polls. A spokesperson for Polymarket told KQED that the platform “has proved to be an accurate tool for political forecasting, oftentimes even more so than traditional polling data.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Kalshi did not respond to KQED’s questions, CEO Tarek Mansour said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztDWEjW8xNg&t=21s\">recent interview\u003c/a> that people tend to be more truthful when they have money on the line. “I think there’s a little bit of elegance in the idea that markets don’t lie,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prediction markets can aggregate a lot of different information at once, as traders are usually keeping up with the news and different polls, said Neil Malhotra, professor of political economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. The assumption, he said, “is that people are incentivized to make good predictions because if they don’t, they’ll lose money.”[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor,Learn about the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]Traders can sell and buy shares of a race at any given time before election officials announce results. So the odds for a candidate can reflect changes on the campaign trail a lot faster than what it would take pollsters to conduct a survey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in March, for example, then-Congressman Eric Swalwell saw his odds on Kalshi reach 75% but then quickly sink as more women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079505/sexual-assault-allegations-against-rep-eric-swalwell-could-upend-california-governors-race\">spoke up\u003c/a> to accuse him of sexual harassment. The day before he announced his exit from the race, Swalwell’s odds were almost at zero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Malhotra also cautioned that it’s still unclear how much the actions of a single trader could influence the probabilities listed on the platform. A single person could pump tens of thousands of dollars into the market for a specific outcome and potentially make one candidate look like they have a much stronger chance of victory. Earlier this year, major Democratic donor Stephen Cloobeck \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/24/swalwell-ally-blocked-from-prediction-market-in-california-governors-race-00796988\">was blocked\u003c/a> from Kalshi after trying to place approximately $1,000 on ally and close friend Swalwell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if traders are looking at different polls to make their predictions, any problems in polling, Malhotra said, “might be reflected in the prediction markets as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why other researchers believe that prediction markets are flawed tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that the movements that we see day to day in these markets oftentimes should be purely ignored,” said Eben Lazarus, assistant professor of finance at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Markets move so much in response to small trades and small pieces of news,” he said. “That adds to the uncertainty that you should attach to the numbers that you see in them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11989914\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11989914 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/AP24164510666254-scaled-e1780339017880.jpg\" alt=\"A logo of a blue, white and red silhouette with a man dribbling a basketball.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The NBA logo is shown on a basketball court in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Aug. 28, 2020. \u003ccite>(Ashley Landis/The Associated Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s run that back — on the basketball court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By studying how basketball fans bet over NBA games, Lazarus \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu/sports-betting-and-financial-market-data-show-how-people-misinterpret-new-information-in-predictable-ways/\">found\u003c/a> that individuals can be heavily influenced by small, insignificant news and actually underestimate much more important pieces of information. Participants in his study would place a lot of importance on things that would happen during the first quarter and underreact during the last few minutes of the game — when the game’s actual outcome is decided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Traders might get really excited that Stephen Curry hits a three-pointer for the Golden State Warriors early in the first quarter, but, Lazarus said, “that means very little for the eventual outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar behavior comes up in other types of markets that wager on predictions, he said. “People tend to treat pieces of information as sort of too similar to one another,” he said. “Then you’re going to overreact to basically useless stuff and often underreact to stuff that matters a lot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means that the odds listed in prediction markets are dependent not just on \u003cem>who’s\u003c/em> betting on what outcome, but \u003cem>how\u003c/em> traders process the information they’re being exposed to throughout the race. A flashy debate performance or big policy announcement may not actually move voters as much as it could influence traders who may be constantly consuming a lot more election coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s the price of knowing?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s important to remember that prediction markets have also been wrong many times, said Julian Vogel, assistant professor of finance at San José State University and \u003ca href=\"https://career.rady.ucsd.edu/blog/2023/01/24/what-is-a-chartered-financial-analyst-cfa/\">chartered financial analyst\u003c/a>. “This doesn’t show you what will actually happen; it shows you what most people — who invest in this platform in particular — think might happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These platforms \u003ca href=\"https://news.kalshi.com/p/fox-kalshi-partnership-prediction-market-data-integration\">may insist\u003c/a> that they offer data that’s accurate and unbiased, but for markets to be a “truth machine”, Vogel said, “there have to be insiders who know the truth [also] trading.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He pointed to the case of the U.S. soldier \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-soldier-charged-using-classified-information-profit-prediction-market-bets\">charged\u003c/a> with using classified information about the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to make more than $400,000 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5797957/maduro-raid-charges-polymarket-insider\">on Polymarket\u003c/a>. Having someone with access to real, classified information “tipped the scales in favor of what turned out to be the correct outcome,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068661\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1485\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty-1536x1140.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026, in New York City. \u003ccite>(XNY/Star Max via GC Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If that person would not have traded, then it would have been anybody’s best guess,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But having people with access to delicate information trade — and profit — from this knowledge raises both ethical and legal questions. The Senate \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/g-s1-121820/house-holds-off-on-prediction-market-ban-despite-bipartisan-calls-for-prohibition\">banned\u003c/a> earlier this year staff and Senators from using prediction markets, including buying shares related to federal policy. And in April, Kalshi \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/kalshi-fines-and-suspends-3-congressional-candidates-for-betting-on-their-own-elections\">suspended\u003c/a> the accounts of three users who were also congressional candidates and wagered on the outcome of their own elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As more money flows into these sites, individual states have stepped up regulation. Last month, Minnesota became the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/nx-s1-5821265/minnesota-ban-prediction-markets\">first state\u003c/a> to specifically ban prediction markets — including wagers over the outcome of “a federal, state, or local election.” However, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal agency tasked with regulating prediction markets, almost immediately filed \u003ca href=\"https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9233-26\">a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Minnesota over the new law, claiming the legislation undermines federal authority.[aside label=\"2026 California Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide,Learn everything you need to cast an informed ballot for the 2026 primary election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Voter-Guide-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]President Donald Trump, in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116642964849373081\">Truth Social post\u003c/a>, sided with the CFTC, insisting that the agency maintains “exclusive authority” over prediction markets and that it’s “critically important” that these companies “thrive.” Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr., is an advisor for both Kalshi and Polymarket — a relationship that independent experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/us/how-prediction-markets-and-crypto-firms-steamrolled-a-watchdog-agency.html\">have questioned\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even in California, prediction market companies are flexing their own muscles. As first \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/kalshi-becerra-prediction-governor/\">reported\u003c/a> by CalMatters on Monday, Kalshi donated $39,200 to Becerra’s campaign, one of the company’s largest political contributions to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for individual voters looking at prediction markets now, they should consider if the people making wagers are actually “learning from other people’s wisdom,” Malhotra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this strategy comes with its own risks, he said. The wisdom of crowds doesn’t work when the judgment of each individual is correlated, meaning that the same outside factor influences us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we’re judging a candidate by how handsome they are or something like that, rather than their quality or their policy issues … then you might actually not have the wisdom of crowds because our mistakes might be correlated with each other,” Malhotra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Financial markets help us understand the price of almost anything — something economists call “price discovery.” How much you pay to fill up your car’s gas tank is \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/prices-and-outlook.php\">directly correlated\u003c/a> with the actions of investors in petroleum markets worldwide. But with prediction data now available alongside polls, voters have the power to decide how much markets will influence \u003cem>their \u003c/em>individual decisions when filling out a ballot, Malhotra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A big social question we have to ask: Is the price discovery about things that are important to us as a society — like who’s going to win an election — should that be put in the same category as what’s the price of an apple?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s something we have to struggle with,” he said. “What are the pros and cons of these prediction markets on our democracy?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Kalshi and Polymarket have promoted themselves as more accurate alternatives to opinion polls. But just how good are prediction markets — and what can they tell us that opinion polls can’t?",
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"title": "What Can Prediction Markets Tell Us About the California Governor’s Race? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor%5C\">top-two primary for governor\u003c/a> is coming down to the final turn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last few polls before Election Day, Democrat Xavier Becerra has kept a steady — but small — lead. One survey \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085443/new-california-governor-poll-shows-a-slim-but-growing-chance-of-2-democrats-advancing\">showed\u003c/a> Becerra leading with 25% support among likely voters, followed closely by Republican Steve Hilton with 21%. Another poll \u003ca href=\"https://emersoncollegepolling.com/california-2026-poll-becerra-leads-steyer-and-hilton-toss-up-for-second-spot/\">published\u003c/a> last Saturday also had Becerra ahead, but with Democrat Tom Steyer in second position instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Polls ask likely voters who they think they will vote for. But what if instead you ask voters who they think \u003cem>will win\u003c/em> the race? Two different questions, two different kinds of information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Californians follow this year’s governor’s race, they have access not only to polls but also to data from prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. Major media outlets like \u003ca href=\"https://news.kalshi.com/p/kalshi-cnn-prediction-market-partnership\">CNN\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://news.kalshi.com/p/fox-kalshi-partnership-prediction-market-data-integration\">Fox News\u003c/a> now include the probabilities listed on Kalshi as part of their election coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And earlier this year, Polymarket \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Polymarket/status/2024217326065783058\">announced\u003c/a> an exclusive partnership with the newsletter platform Substack, claiming that “journalism is better when it’s backed by live markets.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of this story’s publishing, Becerra’s odds are listed at 74% on Polymarket and 72% on Kalshi. Steyer comes in second position on both sites, just shy of 20%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071100\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071100\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260226-GOVRACEFORUM-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra speaks during a gubernatorial candidate forum at the UCSF Mission Bay campus in San Francisco on Jan. 26, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becerra’s odds on both prediction markets have steadily increased as more traders put money down on him becoming the next governor. The more people believe something will happen, the more valuable those “shares” become — unlike traditional betting, in which oddsmakers set odds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But just how good are prediction markets and what can they tell us that polls can’t?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While prediction markets have advertised themselves as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA5bY4K9XPs\">powerful tools\u003c/a> to predict what will happen in the future, the experts KQED spoke with recommended looking at predictions on the governor’s race with a critical eye, as these markets can be informative but remain vulnerable to inefficiencies and manipulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What markets know (and don’t)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Kalshi and Polymarket let people become “traders” and make predictions about future events by putting money down on a specific outcome. There are wagers for almost anything that involves some uncertainty: whether the United States and Iran will \u003ca href=\"https://kalshi.com/markets/kxusairanagreement/us-iran-nuclear-deal/kxusairanagreement-27\">sign a new nuclear deal\u003c/a>, which nation will win the \u003ca href=\"https://kalshi.com/markets/kxmenworldcup/mens-world-cup-winner/kxmenworldcup-26\">FIFA Men’s World Cup\u003c/a> and even whether Jesus Christ \u003ca href=\"https://polymarket.com/event/will-jesus-christ-return-before-2027\">will return\u003c/a> — before 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(But just don’t call it “betting” — both sites avoid that terminology as \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/u-s-sports-betting-where-all-50-states-stand-on-legalizing-online-sports-betting-sites-proposed-legislation/\">most states\u003c/a> prohibit online sports gambling, which makes up the bulk of the billions of dollars traded.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prediction markets listing Becerra’s odds at 70% does not mean he will end up with 70% of the vote on Tuesday. Rather, this number lets traders know how much each share costs and the expected payout if he’s elected governor. If you were to buy the “yes” position on Becerra becoming the next governor, you would essentially be entering into a contract that pays $1 if he wins and $0 if he doesn’t. With 70% odds, each contract for a Becerra win will cost $.70.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082916\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2274719112-scaled-e1778887506369.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California gubernatorial candidates former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer, businessman Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, San José Mayor Matt Mahan look on during a CNN California Governor Primary Debate at East Los Angeles College on May 5, 2026, in Monterey Park, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As more users — and their money — join Polymarket and Kalshi to trade on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/12/23/nx-s1-5647749/rise-of-prediction-markets\">outcomes of elections\u003c/a>, both sites have sought to brand themselves as more effective alternatives to polls. A spokesperson for Polymarket told KQED that the platform “has proved to be an accurate tool for political forecasting, oftentimes even more so than traditional polling data.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Kalshi did not respond to KQED’s questions, CEO Tarek Mansour said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztDWEjW8xNg&t=21s\">recent interview\u003c/a> that people tend to be more truthful when they have money on the line. “I think there’s a little bit of elegance in the idea that markets don’t lie,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prediction markets can aggregate a lot of different information at once, as traders are usually keeping up with the news and different polls, said Neil Malhotra, professor of political economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. The assumption, he said, “is that people are incentivized to make good predictions because if they don’t, they’ll lose money.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Traders can sell and buy shares of a race at any given time before election officials announce results. So the odds for a candidate can reflect changes on the campaign trail a lot faster than what it would take pollsters to conduct a survey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in March, for example, then-Congressman Eric Swalwell saw his odds on Kalshi reach 75% but then quickly sink as more women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079505/sexual-assault-allegations-against-rep-eric-swalwell-could-upend-california-governors-race\">spoke up\u003c/a> to accuse him of sexual harassment. The day before he announced his exit from the race, Swalwell’s odds were almost at zero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Malhotra also cautioned that it’s still unclear how much the actions of a single trader could influence the probabilities listed on the platform. A single person could pump tens of thousands of dollars into the market for a specific outcome and potentially make one candidate look like they have a much stronger chance of victory. Earlier this year, major Democratic donor Stephen Cloobeck \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/24/swalwell-ally-blocked-from-prediction-market-in-california-governors-race-00796988\">was blocked\u003c/a> from Kalshi after trying to place approximately $1,000 on ally and close friend Swalwell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if traders are looking at different polls to make their predictions, any problems in polling, Malhotra said, “might be reflected in the prediction markets as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why other researchers believe that prediction markets are flawed tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that the movements that we see day to day in these markets oftentimes should be purely ignored,” said Eben Lazarus, assistant professor of finance at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Markets move so much in response to small trades and small pieces of news,” he said. “That adds to the uncertainty that you should attach to the numbers that you see in them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11989914\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11989914 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/AP24164510666254-scaled-e1780339017880.jpg\" alt=\"A logo of a blue, white and red silhouette with a man dribbling a basketball.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The NBA logo is shown on a basketball court in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Aug. 28, 2020. \u003ccite>(Ashley Landis/The Associated Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s run that back — on the basketball court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By studying how basketball fans bet over NBA games, Lazarus \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu/sports-betting-and-financial-market-data-show-how-people-misinterpret-new-information-in-predictable-ways/\">found\u003c/a> that individuals can be heavily influenced by small, insignificant news and actually underestimate much more important pieces of information. Participants in his study would place a lot of importance on things that would happen during the first quarter and underreact during the last few minutes of the game — when the game’s actual outcome is decided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Traders might get really excited that Stephen Curry hits a three-pointer for the Golden State Warriors early in the first quarter, but, Lazarus said, “that means very little for the eventual outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar behavior comes up in other types of markets that wager on predictions, he said. “People tend to treat pieces of information as sort of too similar to one another,” he said. “Then you’re going to overreact to basically useless stuff and often underreact to stuff that matters a lot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means that the odds listed in prediction markets are dependent not just on \u003cem>who’s\u003c/em> betting on what outcome, but \u003cem>how\u003c/em> traders process the information they’re being exposed to throughout the race. A flashy debate performance or big policy announcement may not actually move voters as much as it could influence traders who may be constantly consuming a lot more election coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s the price of knowing?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s important to remember that prediction markets have also been wrong many times, said Julian Vogel, assistant professor of finance at San José State University and \u003ca href=\"https://career.rady.ucsd.edu/blog/2023/01/24/what-is-a-chartered-financial-analyst-cfa/\">chartered financial analyst\u003c/a>. “This doesn’t show you what will actually happen; it shows you what most people — who invest in this platform in particular — think might happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These platforms \u003ca href=\"https://news.kalshi.com/p/fox-kalshi-partnership-prediction-market-data-integration\">may insist\u003c/a> that they offer data that’s accurate and unbiased, but for markets to be a “truth machine”, Vogel said, “there have to be insiders who know the truth [also] trading.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He pointed to the case of the U.S. soldier \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-soldier-charged-using-classified-information-profit-prediction-market-bets\">charged\u003c/a> with using classified information about the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to make more than $400,000 \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5797957/maduro-raid-charges-polymarket-insider\">on Polymarket\u003c/a>. Having someone with access to real, classified information “tipped the scales in favor of what turned out to be the correct outcome,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068661\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1485\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/NicolasMaduroGetty-1536x1140.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026, in New York City. \u003ccite>(XNY/Star Max via GC Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If that person would not have traded, then it would have been anybody’s best guess,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But having people with access to delicate information trade — and profit — from this knowledge raises both ethical and legal questions. The Senate \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/g-s1-121820/house-holds-off-on-prediction-market-ban-despite-bipartisan-calls-for-prohibition\">banned\u003c/a> earlier this year staff and Senators from using prediction markets, including buying shares related to federal policy. And in April, Kalshi \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/kalshi-fines-and-suspends-3-congressional-candidates-for-betting-on-their-own-elections\">suspended\u003c/a> the accounts of three users who were also congressional candidates and wagered on the outcome of their own elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As more money flows into these sites, individual states have stepped up regulation. Last month, Minnesota became the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/nx-s1-5821265/minnesota-ban-prediction-markets\">first state\u003c/a> to specifically ban prediction markets — including wagers over the outcome of “a federal, state, or local election.” However, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal agency tasked with regulating prediction markets, almost immediately filed \u003ca href=\"https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9233-26\">a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Minnesota over the new law, claiming the legislation undermines federal authority.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>President Donald Trump, in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116642964849373081\">Truth Social post\u003c/a>, sided with the CFTC, insisting that the agency maintains “exclusive authority” over prediction markets and that it’s “critically important” that these companies “thrive.” Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr., is an advisor for both Kalshi and Polymarket — a relationship that independent experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/us/how-prediction-markets-and-crypto-firms-steamrolled-a-watchdog-agency.html\">have questioned\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even in California, prediction market companies are flexing their own muscles. As first \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/kalshi-becerra-prediction-governor/\">reported\u003c/a> by CalMatters on Monday, Kalshi donated $39,200 to Becerra’s campaign, one of the company’s largest political contributions to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for individual voters looking at prediction markets now, they should consider if the people making wagers are actually “learning from other people’s wisdom,” Malhotra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this strategy comes with its own risks, he said. The wisdom of crowds doesn’t work when the judgment of each individual is correlated, meaning that the same outside factor influences us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we’re judging a candidate by how handsome they are or something like that, rather than their quality or their policy issues … then you might actually not have the wisdom of crowds because our mistakes might be correlated with each other,” Malhotra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Financial markets help us understand the price of almost anything — something economists call “price discovery.” How much you pay to fill up your car’s gas tank is \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/prices-and-outlook.php\">directly correlated\u003c/a> with the actions of investors in petroleum markets worldwide. But with prediction data now available alongside polls, voters have the power to decide how much markets will influence \u003cem>their \u003c/em>individual decisions when filling out a ballot, Malhotra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A big social question we have to ask: Is the price discovery about things that are important to us as a society — like who’s going to win an election — should that be put in the same category as what’s the price of an apple?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s something we have to struggle with,” he said. “What are the pros and cons of these prediction markets on our democracy?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>With just days left to vote in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">California’s primary election\u003c/a>, more Democrats are hanging on to their ballots longer than usual as they stress over a governor’s race with no runaway leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of Thursday, 11% of registered Democrats had returned their ballots, down from 14% at the same time in the 2022 primary, according to \u003ca href=\"https://tracker.politicaldata.com/?type=statewide&tab=3\">a ballot tracker\u003c/a> from Political Data Inc.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican turnout, meanwhile, was up 2 percentage points, meaning that at this point in the race, the ballots that have been returned are skewing more Republican than they did four years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a governor’s race that has seen tidal shifts in momentum, from the scandalous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079800/eric-swalwell-allegations-resign-congress-california-governor-race-who-is-running-primary\">exit of former East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell\u003c/a> to President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement of Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton\u003c/a>, some Democratic voters have expressed concern that a last-minute revelation or incorrect polling could lead them to feel like their vote was wasted on a candidate who doesn’t advance out of the primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like a horse race where you see a horse at the back of the pack, and then it moves up to the front, and then back again,” said Neil Tsutsui, president of the El Cerrito Democratic Club.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even more concerning for some is the idea that the two Republican candidates could come out on top of the crowded field and lock out Democrats from the general election, despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085276/becerra-hilton-lead-in-california-governors-race-poll-ahead-of-june-primary\">polling \u003c/a>suggesting that’s highly unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081939\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081939\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter fills their ballot at a voting center at Powers-Ginsburg Elementary School in Fresno on March 5, 2024. Residents all over California are participating in the primary elections throughout the state. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters via CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Times now just feel so uncertain, and the stakes are so high that voters like me who normally would be early voting wait much later than we normally would,” Tsutsui said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a crowded Democratic field and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">California’s “jungle primary” system\u003c/a> that sends the top two finishers to the November runoff regardless of party affiliation, Democratic voters have been feeling the pressure to cast their ballot for a legitimate contender.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The overarching theme of this election has been strategic voting, according to Paul Mitchell, the vice president of Political Data Inc.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“More than ever, voting has really been focused on this question of ‘Who do I vote for in order to make sure my vote counts?’” Mitchell said. “Not only voting for somebody on policy, but that my vote contributes to my party being able to get a candidate into the runoff.”[aside label=\"2026 California Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide,Learn everything you need to cast an informed ballot for the 2026 primary election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Voter-Guide-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]But while Democrats wring their hands over their best choice in a crowded field, Republicans have just two leading candidates to choose from, which could partially explain the higher turnout so far among GOP voters, according to Mitchell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Two new polls released this week showed Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton leading the race, with Democrat Tom Steyer within striking distance in the latest surveys from the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085276/becerra-hilton-lead-in-california-governors-race-poll-ahead-of-june-primary\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085443/new-california-governor-poll-shows-a-slim-but-growing-chance-of-2-democrats-advancing\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The polls show Democratic support coalescing behind either Becerra or Steyer, and Hilton pulling away with the Republican vote, making a runoff between a Democrat and a Republican the most likely outcome, although an all-Democrat primary is still a possibility. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not wanting to “waste” her vote was the main reason Lauren Schwartz of San Francisco decided to hang on to her ballot longer than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think everyone has PTSD from Eric Swalwell,” Schwartz said, referring to the sexual assault allegations that tanked the onetime frontrunner’s campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>”The first concern was about having two Republicans, and now the concern is about wasted votes on Democrats who won’t make it to the top,” Schwartz said. She said confusion was high at a recent proposition party she hosted, where friends gathered to discuss candidates and measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone I know is holding on to their ballots until the bitter end,” Schwartz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although Democrats have lagged in early voting in this year’s primary, Mitchell said they can be relatively confident that turnout will improve in the coming days, as the voters who have not turned in their ballots so far are largely higher propensity, older voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085438\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Election workers sort ballots at Contra Costa County’s election operations facility on May 27, 2026, in Martinez, California. June 2 is the last day to vote in person or return a ballot ahead of California’s statewide primary election. \u003ccite>(Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But he cautioned that waiting too long to vote could backfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ballots postmarked by Election Day must be counted, but a 2025 rule \u003ca href=\"https://fairelectionscenter.org/postal-service-changes-and-mail-voting/\">change \u003c/a>by the United States Postal Service means that mail might not receive a postmark on the same day the Postal Service takes possession of it. That means that if a voter drops a ballot in a mailbox late on Election Day, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">there’s a chance it won’t be counted\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>Los Angeles Times\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-04/california-election-experts-sound-alarm-as-rejected-ballots-quadruple\">reported \u003c/a>in April that this rule change led to a fourfold increase in ballots not being counted in the November 2025 special election, with rural counties seeing the biggest increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If voters mail their ballot on Election Day, California’s secretary of state \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections\">recommends\u003c/a> getting a hand-stamped postmark from an employee inside the post office. Bay Area counties also operate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">official \u003c/a>drop boxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I always say the easiest way to vote is to vote the minute you get the ballot in your hands and to not wait,” Mitchell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With just days left to vote in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">California’s primary election\u003c/a>, more Democrats are hanging on to their ballots longer than usual as they stress over a governor’s race with no runaway leader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of Thursday, 11% of registered Democrats had returned their ballots, down from 14% at the same time in the 2022 primary, according to \u003ca href=\"https://tracker.politicaldata.com/?type=statewide&tab=3\">a ballot tracker\u003c/a> from Political Data Inc.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican turnout, meanwhile, was up 2 percentage points, meaning that at this point in the race, the ballots that have been returned are skewing more Republican than they did four years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a governor’s race that has seen tidal shifts in momentum, from the scandalous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079800/eric-swalwell-allegations-resign-congress-california-governor-race-who-is-running-primary\">exit of former East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell\u003c/a> to President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement of Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton\u003c/a>, some Democratic voters have expressed concern that a last-minute revelation or incorrect polling could lead them to feel like their vote was wasted on a candidate who doesn’t advance out of the primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like a horse race where you see a horse at the back of the pack, and then it moves up to the front, and then back again,” said Neil Tsutsui, president of the El Cerrito Democratic Club.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even more concerning for some is the idea that the two Republican candidates could come out on top of the crowded field and lock out Democrats from the general election, despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085276/becerra-hilton-lead-in-california-governors-race-poll-ahead-of-june-primary\">polling \u003c/a>suggesting that’s highly unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081939\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081939\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/VotingCM-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter fills their ballot at a voting center at Powers-Ginsburg Elementary School in Fresno on March 5, 2024. Residents all over California are participating in the primary elections throughout the state. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters via CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Times now just feel so uncertain, and the stakes are so high that voters like me who normally would be early voting wait much later than we normally would,” Tsutsui said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a crowded Democratic field and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">California’s “jungle primary” system\u003c/a> that sends the top two finishers to the November runoff regardless of party affiliation, Democratic voters have been feeling the pressure to cast their ballot for a legitimate contender.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The overarching theme of this election has been strategic voting, according to Paul Mitchell, the vice president of Political Data Inc.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“More than ever, voting has really been focused on this question of ‘Who do I vote for in order to make sure my vote counts?’” Mitchell said. “Not only voting for somebody on policy, but that my vote contributes to my party being able to get a candidate into the runoff.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But while Democrats wring their hands over their best choice in a crowded field, Republicans have just two leading candidates to choose from, which could partially explain the higher turnout so far among GOP voters, according to Mitchell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Two new polls released this week showed Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton leading the race, with Democrat Tom Steyer within striking distance in the latest surveys from the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085276/becerra-hilton-lead-in-california-governors-race-poll-ahead-of-june-primary\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085443/new-california-governor-poll-shows-a-slim-but-growing-chance-of-2-democrats-advancing\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The polls show Democratic support coalescing behind either Becerra or Steyer, and Hilton pulling away with the Republican vote, making a runoff between a Democrat and a Republican the most likely outcome, although an all-Democrat primary is still a possibility. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not wanting to “waste” her vote was the main reason Lauren Schwartz of San Francisco decided to hang on to her ballot longer than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think everyone has PTSD from Eric Swalwell,” Schwartz said, referring to the sexual assault allegations that tanked the onetime frontrunner’s campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>”The first concern was about having two Republicans, and now the concern is about wasted votes on Democrats who won’t make it to the top,” Schwartz said. She said confusion was high at a recent proposition party she hosted, where friends gathered to discuss candidates and measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone I know is holding on to their ballots until the bitter end,” Schwartz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although Democrats have lagged in early voting in this year’s primary, Mitchell said they can be relatively confident that turnout will improve in the coming days, as the voters who have not turned in their ballots so far are largely higher propensity, older voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085438\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Election workers sort ballots at Contra Costa County’s election operations facility on May 27, 2026, in Martinez, California. June 2 is the last day to vote in person or return a ballot ahead of California’s statewide primary election. \u003ccite>(Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But he cautioned that waiting too long to vote could backfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ballots postmarked by Election Day must be counted, but a 2025 rule \u003ca href=\"https://fairelectionscenter.org/postal-service-changes-and-mail-voting/\">change \u003c/a>by the United States Postal Service means that mail might not receive a postmark on the same day the Postal Service takes possession of it. That means that if a voter drops a ballot in a mailbox late on Election Day, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">there’s a chance it won’t be counted\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>Los Angeles Times\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-04/california-election-experts-sound-alarm-as-rejected-ballots-quadruple\">reported \u003c/a>in April that this rule change led to a fourfold increase in ballots not being counted in the November 2025 special election, with rural counties seeing the biggest increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If voters mail their ballot on Election Day, California’s secretary of state \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections\">recommends\u003c/a> getting a hand-stamped postmark from an employee inside the post office. Bay Area counties also operate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">official \u003c/a>drop boxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I always say the easiest way to vote is to vote the minute you get the ballot in your hands and to not wait,” Mitchell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>With one week until voting ends in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">California’s June primary\u003c/a>, Democratic candidate for governor Tom Steyer sold himself as a populist who will use his experience in finance to squeeze more out of corporations and help average Californians with rising costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer, one of the race’s three leading candidates, is a former hedge fund manager who has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his fortune in recent years pushing progressive causes, including fighting climate change, opposing President Trump and, now, running for governor. At a KQED town hall on Tuesday night, he returned to his campaign’s central theme of affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you want change in this state, if you believe this state is unaffordable for Californians, if you want to take on the corporate interests, there’s only one person,” Steyer told a live audience at KQED’s San Francisco headquarters. “I’m the change person. I’m the person who’s going to take on the corporate interests, and I’m the person that working people are behind. That is the choice in this election.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer fielded questions from both the audience and KQED’s Guy Marzorati. It was the third in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084065/chad-bianco-pitches-deregulation-and-a-focus-on-fraud-at-kqed-govern\">series\u003c/a> of town hall events KQED hosted with top-polling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082254/porter-focuses-on-california-housing-costs-ai-plans-at-kqed-town-hall\">candidates\u003c/a> for governor this election season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are three takeaways from the hourlong conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Steyer’s ‘enemies’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Part of Steyer’s closing pitch to voters: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYxnu_QSnFc/\">Judge me by those who oppose my candidacy\u003c/a>. He lists off big oil companies, investor-owned utilities and tech companies that have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083747/pge-spends-millions-against-tom-steyer-whats-behind-clash\">all spent big to defeat him\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj3WP7MknWk\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, how would he work with those companies to actually govern?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would start by not using the word ‘enemy,’” he said. “I don’t look at them as doing something evil. I look at them as following their interests rigorously against the interests of working people, and I’m on that side of working people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer, who made his fortune making bets on high-risk assets, said a company like PG&E is simply following the rules California has set up. But he said those rules have resulted in Californians paying double what residents in other states pay for their electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12083747 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_013-KQED.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I’m going to change the rules to the extent I can so we drive down prices,” he said. “ I don’t believe in monopolies…. When there’s competition in the world, that’s how we keep prices down and that’s how we take advantage of new innovation and the ability of people to do things cheaper.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer cast the company’s opposition to his campaign as a badge of honor — but one that’s not personal, just political. He said he just wants corporations to pay “their fair share.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“None of these corporations invest because they like someone, they spend money because they don’t like what I am going to do,” he said, adding that the companies backing his competitors in the governor’s race are doing so because they “believe for sure [those candidates] are going to do their bidding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Taxes and affordability\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer has promised that one of his first acts as governor would be to call a special election asking voters to increase taxes on commercially held properties in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hukSxP2tqgs\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s landmark property tax law, Proposition 13, was passed in 1978 and, since then, has severely limited annual increases to all property taxes, whether they are owned by individuals or corporations. Steyer wants to split off commercially owned properties from Proposition 13 protections, a change \u003ca href=\"https://www.tomsteyer.com/issues/tax-loopholes\">he said would bring up to $20 billion a year \u003c/a>into state coffers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-10/proposition-15-commercial-property-tax-defeated\">rejected a similar proposal in 2020\u003c/a>, but Steyer thinks the timing is right and has indicated \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/tom-steyer-wants-a-special-election-to-hike-corporate-taxes-in-2027-00786876\">he would help fund \u003c/a>a 2027 campaign on the matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked by audience member Bathsheba Turnage how he will balance keeping businesses in the state while raising their taxes to bring in more resources for housing and education, Steyer leaned on his experience in the private sector and as a political activist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he’s been on the other side of oil and tobacco companies in numerous ballot measure fights over the past 15 years, and said none of those initiatives have hurt California’s economy. He rejected the argument that increasing commercial property taxes would push businesses to move elsewhere, reframing it as a tax loophole that is allowing businesses to avoid paying their fair share.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody is moving Disneyland to Austin, Texas, or Miami, Florida, or Reno, Nevada,” he said. “I went to Stanford Business School, I built a business from zero to $38 billion. I think I know something about business. And so I’m going to be very intent on making sure that we do this in a way that works and works for business. … I’m for shared prosperity. And you know what? You can’t share prosperity if there’s no prosperity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Artificial intelligence\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer was also asked about another balancing act: which specific policies he would implement to protect workers while ensuring California remains a leader in the development of artificial intelligence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFpglgavFeA\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He started by noting what he called “one of the biggest policy failures of my lifetime”: The decimation of Midwest industrial jobs because of globalization and mechanization. Steyer said that era should offer lessons as AI rises.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s something we cannot let happen in the state of California,” he said. “We have to protect workers…. We want [AI] to be a tool for workers, not a replacement of workers. We have to have a huge government effort to make sure we have training for people to get good jobs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he would create a “gigantic” training program at community colleges in a collaboration between government and the private sector. It should be paid for, he said, by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tomsteyer.com/issues/ai-policy\">small fee imposed on every calculation done by an AI company\u003c/a> — an idea he joked that he “shamelessly” stole from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noting that Pope Leo XIV just issued an encyclical about artificial intelligence, Steyer associated himself with the religious leader’s approach to the profound moral and existential questions the technology poses. He dismissed an idea pushed by billionaire Elon Musk that the federal government should cut checks to counter unemployment caused by AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m going to come out on the side of the pope instead of on the side of Elon Musk. The pope is talking about the dignity of human beings, the dignity of work, the meaning of purpose, supporting people in having a meaningful life. And that’s what I’m in favor of,” he said. “Healthy societies have people participating, building things together … that’s what California’s always been about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With one week until voting ends in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">California’s June primary\u003c/a>, Democratic candidate for governor Tom Steyer sold himself as a populist who will use his experience in finance to squeeze more out of corporations and help average Californians with rising costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer, one of the race’s three leading candidates, is a former hedge fund manager who has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his fortune in recent years pushing progressive causes, including fighting climate change, opposing President Trump and, now, running for governor. At a KQED town hall on Tuesday night, he returned to his campaign’s central theme of affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you want change in this state, if you believe this state is unaffordable for Californians, if you want to take on the corporate interests, there’s only one person,” Steyer told a live audience at KQED’s San Francisco headquarters. “I’m the change person. I’m the person who’s going to take on the corporate interests, and I’m the person that working people are behind. That is the choice in this election.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer fielded questions from both the audience and KQED’s Guy Marzorati. It was the third in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084065/chad-bianco-pitches-deregulation-and-a-focus-on-fraud-at-kqed-govern\">series\u003c/a> of town hall events KQED hosted with top-polling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082254/porter-focuses-on-california-housing-costs-ai-plans-at-kqed-town-hall\">candidates\u003c/a> for governor this election season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are three takeaways from the hourlong conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Steyer’s ‘enemies’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Part of Steyer’s closing pitch to voters: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYxnu_QSnFc/\">Judge me by those who oppose my candidacy\u003c/a>. He lists off big oil companies, investor-owned utilities and tech companies that have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083747/pge-spends-millions-against-tom-steyer-whats-behind-clash\">all spent big to defeat him\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/gj3WP7MknWk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/gj3WP7MknWk'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>So, how would he work with those companies to actually govern?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would start by not using the word ‘enemy,’” he said. “I don’t look at them as doing something evil. I look at them as following their interests rigorously against the interests of working people, and I’m on that side of working people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer, who made his fortune making bets on high-risk assets, said a company like PG&E is simply following the rules California has set up. But he said those rules have resulted in Californians paying double what residents in other states pay for their electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I’m going to change the rules to the extent I can so we drive down prices,” he said. “ I don’t believe in monopolies…. When there’s competition in the world, that’s how we keep prices down and that’s how we take advantage of new innovation and the ability of people to do things cheaper.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer cast the company’s opposition to his campaign as a badge of honor — but one that’s not personal, just political. He said he just wants corporations to pay “their fair share.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“None of these corporations invest because they like someone, they spend money because they don’t like what I am going to do,” he said, adding that the companies backing his competitors in the governor’s race are doing so because they “believe for sure [those candidates] are going to do their bidding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Taxes and affordability\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer has promised that one of his first acts as governor would be to call a special election asking voters to increase taxes on commercially held properties in California.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/hukSxP2tqgs'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/hukSxP2tqgs'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>The state’s landmark property tax law, Proposition 13, was passed in 1978 and, since then, has severely limited annual increases to all property taxes, whether they are owned by individuals or corporations. Steyer wants to split off commercially owned properties from Proposition 13 protections, a change \u003ca href=\"https://www.tomsteyer.com/issues/tax-loopholes\">he said would bring up to $20 billion a year \u003c/a>into state coffers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-10/proposition-15-commercial-property-tax-defeated\">rejected a similar proposal in 2020\u003c/a>, but Steyer thinks the timing is right and has indicated \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/tom-steyer-wants-a-special-election-to-hike-corporate-taxes-in-2027-00786876\">he would help fund \u003c/a>a 2027 campaign on the matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked by audience member Bathsheba Turnage how he will balance keeping businesses in the state while raising their taxes to bring in more resources for housing and education, Steyer leaned on his experience in the private sector and as a political activist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he’s been on the other side of oil and tobacco companies in numerous ballot measure fights over the past 15 years, and said none of those initiatives have hurt California’s economy. He rejected the argument that increasing commercial property taxes would push businesses to move elsewhere, reframing it as a tax loophole that is allowing businesses to avoid paying their fair share.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody is moving Disneyland to Austin, Texas, or Miami, Florida, or Reno, Nevada,” he said. “I went to Stanford Business School, I built a business from zero to $38 billion. I think I know something about business. And so I’m going to be very intent on making sure that we do this in a way that works and works for business. … I’m for shared prosperity. And you know what? You can’t share prosperity if there’s no prosperity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Artificial intelligence\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer was also asked about another balancing act: which specific policies he would implement to protect workers while ensuring California remains a leader in the development of artificial intelligence.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/kFpglgavFeA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/kFpglgavFeA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>He started by noting what he called “one of the biggest policy failures of my lifetime”: The decimation of Midwest industrial jobs because of globalization and mechanization. Steyer said that era should offer lessons as AI rises.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s something we cannot let happen in the state of California,” he said. “We have to protect workers…. We want [AI] to be a tool for workers, not a replacement of workers. We have to have a huge government effort to make sure we have training for people to get good jobs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he would create a “gigantic” training program at community colleges in a collaboration between government and the private sector. It should be paid for, he said, by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tomsteyer.com/issues/ai-policy\">small fee imposed on every calculation done by an AI company\u003c/a> — an idea he joked that he “shamelessly” stole from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noting that Pope Leo XIV just issued an encyclical about artificial intelligence, Steyer associated himself with the religious leader’s approach to the profound moral and existential questions the technology poses. He dismissed an idea pushed by billionaire Elon Musk that the federal government should cut checks to counter unemployment caused by AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m going to come out on the side of the pope instead of on the side of Elon Musk. The pope is talking about the dignity of human beings, the dignity of work, the meaning of purpose, supporting people in having a meaningful life. And that’s what I’m in favor of,” he said. “Healthy societies have people participating, building things together … that’s what California’s always been about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "How California’s Next Governor Would Tackle Rent, Insurance and Housing Costs",
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"content": "\u003cp>When it comes to affording rent or a home mortgage in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, every candidate in the race for governor seems to have a personal stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Katie Porter wants her three teenage children to eventually move off her couch. Antonio Villaraigosa wants reliable home insurance. Matt Mahan doesn’t want to fight with his wife over their mortgage, as his parents did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the affordability crisis literally drives \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078787/grass-is-really-greener-for-many-californians-leaving-the-state\">residents out\u003c/a> of the state, the candidates have made housing a central point of their campaigns. That’s a sea change from previous elections, said Laura Foote, executive director for YIMBY Action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody up there was expected to have a plan and demonstrate how they were going to execute on delivering more affordable housing in California,” she said. “That’s a crazily different place than we were eight years ago, 10 years ago.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each candidate is trying to stand out in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082125/inside-californias-billionaire-tax-fight-and-the-wide-open-governors-race\">most competitive primary\u003c/a> for California governor in two decades. But many are hitting the same broad talking points: lower the cost of construction, make homeownership more accessible and reduce homelessness. Where they differ is in the details of how they’ll get there. Meanwhile, some voters feel discouraged by key issues they say are missing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Katherine Peoples-McGill drove to Oakland from Altadena earlier this month to attend a debate sponsored by the Housing Action Coalition and other housing nonprofits. She runs the Rebuild Center for Altadenans, which assists survivors of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/la-fires\">2025 Los Angeles wildfires\u003c/a>. She was disappointed none of the candidates had visited her center, much less mentioned wildfires in their comments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037128\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12037128 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The burnt remains of St. Mark’s Church in Altadena, California, on April 20, 2025. \u003ccite>(Mette Lampcov for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Altadena can happen anywhere in this country, anywhere in the state of California,” she said, “and for [the candidates] to really not be involved in that was a little shattering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have, however, been plenty of proposals about how to reform the state’s home insurance industry. As top insurance companies, including Allstate, State Farm and American International Group (AIG) have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985175/insurance-in-california-is-changing-heres-how-it-may-affect-you\">left the state\u003c/a> or pulled back from offering new policies, more Californians are seeking coverage through the state’s FAIR Plan, a self-proclaimed “insurer of last resort.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, more than 684,000 homes and businesses across the state have policies under the FAIR Plan, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/\">according to the insurer\u003c/a>. That’s a 152% increase in active policies compared to September 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But insurance experts say it’s a dangerous sign. Last year, private insurance companies gave the FAIR Plan\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026808/fair-plan-bailout-from-insurance-companies-policyholders-following-la-fires\"> $1 billion\u003c/a> to stay solvent and help pay customer claims from the Los Angeles fires. Industry observers told KQED that a large fire could wipe out the FAIR Plan’s reserves.[aside postID=news_12082915 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_039-KQED.jpg']“I’m on the un-FAIR plan,” former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a forum held by the California Association of Realtors in March. “If my house [burns] down, I won’t be able to get a fraction rebuilding that house.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If homeowners do need to rebuild — the need to do it faster and cheaper, as well as to create new housing — is one issue candidates across the aisle agree upon. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3743-1.html\">study published\u003c/a> last year by the research group RAND showed California is the most expensive state to construct apartments. Candidates repeatedly mentioned that finding as an argument to bring down the cost to build market-rate and subsidized homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also an issue that’s received interest from the California Legislature, as well as Congress. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076687/how-federal-housing-reform-could-impact-californians\">federal bill\u003c/a> with bipartisan support is slowly making its way to the White House, which would incentivize manufactured housing projects across the country. In California, lawmakers are working on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075043/its-expensive-to-build-housing-california-lawmakers-say-factory-built-is-the-future\">package of bills\u003c/a> that would support the industry locally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Assemblymember Buffy Wicks is spearheading California’s bill package, which focuses on making it easier to get factory-built housing off the ground. The Democrat said it’s an innovation that hasn’t been widely successful because there hasn’t been steady support from the building industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These fights are so hard politically,” she said. “I want someone, in terms of my next governor, who has the spine of steel to take those fights head on and to prioritize housing as where they are going to spend their political capital.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wick hasn’t endorsed any candidate in the race so far. But Democratic candidates Katie Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer and former state attorney general Xavier Becerra have all argued that modular and factory-built construction could hasten building timelines and streamline the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081061\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081061\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Steyer, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, left, and Katie Porter, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California, on April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar via Bloomberg)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other candidates are focusing on what the state can do now to incentivize and ease the path of traditional building methods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Superintendent Tony Thurmond has campaigned on building 2 million affordable homes on school district-owned surplus property. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco wants to end the “over-regulation of our building industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>British American political commentator Steve Hilton and Mahan, mayor of San Jose, have both talked about capping fees that cities often impose on developers to offset the impact of new development. A recent \u003ca href=\"https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LIHTCImpactFees2026.pdf\">study from UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation\u003c/a> found that these “impact” fees contribute to less than 5% of total development costs, but can nonetheless deter it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070650/these-fees-make-affordable-housing-more-expensive-developers-want-to-slash-them\">state legislature\u003c/a> has passed modest reforms, but Hilton has argued for a more straightforward fix: capping fees at 3% of a project’s construction costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had hundreds of bills on this in the past few years, and it’s barely moved the needle,” Hilton said at a March forum. “A secret exemption here and a little incentive there, and it just makes it more and more complicated, more and more bureaucratic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072284\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Hilton and Matt Mahan participate in the California gubernatorial candidate debate on Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Laure Andrillon/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bringing down the cost of construction may be critical in a state where it is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/comparing-rent-vs-owning-a-home-in-nations-largest-metros/\">more expensive\u003c/a> to own than rent in many cities. Several of the gubernatorial candidates shared support for a $25 billion bond headed to the November ballot that would support more middle-class homeownership. Thurmond has supported existing state-sponsored down-payment assistance programs, including the California Dream For All program and CalHome, and talked about expanding funding for those programs — something \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066291/this-program-helps-californians-buy-affordable-homes-advocates-want-more-funding\">advocates have been calling for\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when it comes to protecting the interests of renters, the candidates are divided on the best course. Steyer, Becerra, Villaraigosa and Thurmond have said they are in favor of some form of government-imposed rent caps, including extending and enforcing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069513/tenants-crushed-after-california-renter-protections-bill-stalls-in-the-legislature\">Tenant Protections Act\u003c/a>, a 2019 law that limits annual rent increases and restricts evictions. It’s set to expire in 2030, within the next governor’s term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Porter, a former state representative, has bucked that trend. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XO676pq-gg\">KQED Town Hall\u003c/a>, Porter said that she opposes rent control. And while she said she supports the Tenant Protection Act, she argued that it can slow down construction and force people to stay put, regardless of whether moving would benefit their family or lifestyle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have a rent-controlled unit, it works really, really well for you — now, you’re stuck there,” she said. “Decide to have a couple kids, better get bunk beds because you can’t leave it, right?”[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor,Learn about the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]Zach Murray, statewide campaign coordinator for the tenants rights group, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), said he was unsatisfied with the conversation around the expiring Tenant Protection Act and how renters could be affected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Democrats are not seriously addressing the concrete [affordability] needs, the needs for affordable housing, the needs for utilities, the needs for greater cost reductions across the board,” he said. “When we get legislators and a governor who takes those needs seriously, then I think we’ll begin to see change in our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tenant advocates have argued that measures that limit evictions can also help prevent homelessness — an area where the state has recently been making strides. Unsheltered homelessness \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/01/16/following-9-drop-in-unsheltered-homelessness-governor-newsom-announces-new-investments-to-create-more-shelter-and-services-with-stronger-accountability/\">fell 9% last year,\u003c/a> according to preliminary data from the governor’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A 2024 audit from the \u003ca href=\"https://information.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-102.1/index.html#section1\">Legislative Analyst’s Office\u003c/a> found that Gov. Gavin Newsom spent about $24 billion to address homelessness and housing during the previous five fiscal years. On \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KygOFVgDmPU&t=2s\">KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast\u003c/a>, Bianco said the current administration threw money at homelessness but didn’t show consistent results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Newsom thinks] he’s so great because he gave more money than any other person in history to the homeless,” the Republican candidate said. “The amount of money means absolutely nothing. I’m going to measure [solving homelessness] by fewer tents on our sidewalks. That’s how you judge whether or not you’re doing something right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco, Steyer, Mahan and Villaraigosa have advocated for emergency interim shelters as a more cost-effective way to get people off the streets. During the Housing Action Coalition’s forum in May, Mahan spoke about his experience as mayor, creating 23 interim housing sites with “no-encampment zones” surrounding the sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everybody loves the idea of a no-encampment zone, but that’s how we got community buy-in,” he said. “When we built interim housing and got people stabilized indoors and connected to case management, calls for service for crime — 911 — for blight — 311— plummeted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073370\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction is underway on an affordable housing apartment building at 2550 Irving St. in San Francisco’s Sunset District on May 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To get more permanently affordable homes built, several candidates have proposed streamlining applications for state funding, so developers aren’t piecing together financing from various sources and can cut down construction costs by getting homes built faster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That desire could come at an opportune time as the state prepares to consolidate its myriad agencies overseeing housing and homelessness programs into one department, called the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. It is set to open this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Housing Action Coalition’s May forum in Oakland, land use expert Alex Schafran said he was amazed to see a governor’s debate focused exclusively on housing. However, it also struck him that there was consensus onstage and among many attendees, “including people who used to not get along 10 years ago and are now starting to find ways to work together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will be critical, Shafran said, because the eventual governor will likely still need to work alongside his or her former rivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whoever wins still has a lot of work to do in a really difficult and expensive environment,” he said. “Now the hard part really begins.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When it comes to affording rent or a home mortgage in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, every candidate in the race for governor seems to have a personal stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Katie Porter wants her three teenage children to eventually move off her couch. Antonio Villaraigosa wants reliable home insurance. Matt Mahan doesn’t want to fight with his wife over their mortgage, as his parents did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the affordability crisis literally drives \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078787/grass-is-really-greener-for-many-californians-leaving-the-state\">residents out\u003c/a> of the state, the candidates have made housing a central point of their campaigns. That’s a sea change from previous elections, said Laura Foote, executive director for YIMBY Action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everybody up there was expected to have a plan and demonstrate how they were going to execute on delivering more affordable housing in California,” she said. “That’s a crazily different place than we were eight years ago, 10 years ago.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each candidate is trying to stand out in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082125/inside-californias-billionaire-tax-fight-and-the-wide-open-governors-race\">most competitive primary\u003c/a> for California governor in two decades. But many are hitting the same broad talking points: lower the cost of construction, make homeownership more accessible and reduce homelessness. Where they differ is in the details of how they’ll get there. Meanwhile, some voters feel discouraged by key issues they say are missing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Katherine Peoples-McGill drove to Oakland from Altadena earlier this month to attend a debate sponsored by the Housing Action Coalition and other housing nonprofits. She runs the Rebuild Center for Altadenans, which assists survivors of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/la-fires\">2025 Los Angeles wildfires\u003c/a>. She was disappointed none of the candidates had visited her center, much less mentioned wildfires in their comments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037128\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12037128 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/METTE.LAMPCOV.CHURCH.BELL-29-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The burnt remains of St. Mark’s Church in Altadena, California, on April 20, 2025. \u003ccite>(Mette Lampcov for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Altadena can happen anywhere in this country, anywhere in the state of California,” she said, “and for [the candidates] to really not be involved in that was a little shattering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have, however, been plenty of proposals about how to reform the state’s home insurance industry. As top insurance companies, including Allstate, State Farm and American International Group (AIG) have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985175/insurance-in-california-is-changing-heres-how-it-may-affect-you\">left the state\u003c/a> or pulled back from offering new policies, more Californians are seeking coverage through the state’s FAIR Plan, a self-proclaimed “insurer of last resort.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, more than 684,000 homes and businesses across the state have policies under the FAIR Plan, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/\">according to the insurer\u003c/a>. That’s a 152% increase in active policies compared to September 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But insurance experts say it’s a dangerous sign. Last year, private insurance companies gave the FAIR Plan\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026808/fair-plan-bailout-from-insurance-companies-policyholders-following-la-fires\"> $1 billion\u003c/a> to stay solvent and help pay customer claims from the Los Angeles fires. Industry observers told KQED that a large fire could wipe out the FAIR Plan’s reserves.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I’m on the un-FAIR plan,” former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a forum held by the California Association of Realtors in March. “If my house [burns] down, I won’t be able to get a fraction rebuilding that house.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If homeowners do need to rebuild — the need to do it faster and cheaper, as well as to create new housing — is one issue candidates across the aisle agree upon. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3743-1.html\">study published\u003c/a> last year by the research group RAND showed California is the most expensive state to construct apartments. Candidates repeatedly mentioned that finding as an argument to bring down the cost to build market-rate and subsidized homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also an issue that’s received interest from the California Legislature, as well as Congress. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076687/how-federal-housing-reform-could-impact-californians\">federal bill\u003c/a> with bipartisan support is slowly making its way to the White House, which would incentivize manufactured housing projects across the country. In California, lawmakers are working on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075043/its-expensive-to-build-housing-california-lawmakers-say-factory-built-is-the-future\">package of bills\u003c/a> that would support the industry locally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Assemblymember Buffy Wicks is spearheading California’s bill package, which focuses on making it easier to get factory-built housing off the ground. The Democrat said it’s an innovation that hasn’t been widely successful because there hasn’t been steady support from the building industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These fights are so hard politically,” she said. “I want someone, in terms of my next governor, who has the spine of steel to take those fights head on and to prioritize housing as where they are going to spend their political capital.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wick hasn’t endorsed any candidate in the race so far. But Democratic candidates Katie Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer and former state attorney general Xavier Becerra have all argued that modular and factory-built construction could hasten building timelines and streamline the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081061\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081061\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3948_1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Steyer, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, left, and Katie Porter, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California, on April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar via Bloomberg)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other candidates are focusing on what the state can do now to incentivize and ease the path of traditional building methods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Superintendent Tony Thurmond has campaigned on building 2 million affordable homes on school district-owned surplus property. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco wants to end the “over-regulation of our building industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>British American political commentator Steve Hilton and Mahan, mayor of San Jose, have both talked about capping fees that cities often impose on developers to offset the impact of new development. A recent \u003ca href=\"https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LIHTCImpactFees2026.pdf\">study from UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation\u003c/a> found that these “impact” fees contribute to less than 5% of total development costs, but can nonetheless deter it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070650/these-fees-make-affordable-housing-more-expensive-developers-want-to-slash-them\">state legislature\u003c/a> has passed modest reforms, but Hilton has argued for a more straightforward fix: capping fees at 3% of a project’s construction costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had hundreds of bills on this in the past few years, and it’s barely moved the needle,” Hilton said at a March forum. “A secret exemption here and a little incentive there, and it just makes it more and more complicated, more and more bureaucratic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072284\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/CAGovDebateAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Hilton and Matt Mahan participate in the California gubernatorial candidate debate on Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Laure Andrillon/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bringing down the cost of construction may be critical in a state where it is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/comparing-rent-vs-owning-a-home-in-nations-largest-metros/\">more expensive\u003c/a> to own than rent in many cities. Several of the gubernatorial candidates shared support for a $25 billion bond headed to the November ballot that would support more middle-class homeownership. Thurmond has supported existing state-sponsored down-payment assistance programs, including the California Dream For All program and CalHome, and talked about expanding funding for those programs — something \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066291/this-program-helps-californians-buy-affordable-homes-advocates-want-more-funding\">advocates have been calling for\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when it comes to protecting the interests of renters, the candidates are divided on the best course. Steyer, Becerra, Villaraigosa and Thurmond have said they are in favor of some form of government-imposed rent caps, including extending and enforcing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069513/tenants-crushed-after-california-renter-protections-bill-stalls-in-the-legislature\">Tenant Protections Act\u003c/a>, a 2019 law that limits annual rent increases and restricts evictions. It’s set to expire in 2030, within the next governor’s term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Porter, a former state representative, has bucked that trend. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XO676pq-gg\">KQED Town Hall\u003c/a>, Porter said that she opposes rent control. And while she said she supports the Tenant Protection Act, she argued that it can slow down construction and force people to stay put, regardless of whether moving would benefit their family or lifestyle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have a rent-controlled unit, it works really, really well for you — now, you’re stuck there,” she said. “Decide to have a couple kids, better get bunk beds because you can’t leave it, right?”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Zach Murray, statewide campaign coordinator for the tenants rights group, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), said he was unsatisfied with the conversation around the expiring Tenant Protection Act and how renters could be affected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Democrats are not seriously addressing the concrete [affordability] needs, the needs for affordable housing, the needs for utilities, the needs for greater cost reductions across the board,” he said. “When we get legislators and a governor who takes those needs seriously, then I think we’ll begin to see change in our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tenant advocates have argued that measures that limit evictions can also help prevent homelessness — an area where the state has recently been making strides. Unsheltered homelessness \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/01/16/following-9-drop-in-unsheltered-homelessness-governor-newsom-announces-new-investments-to-create-more-shelter-and-services-with-stronger-accountability/\">fell 9% last year,\u003c/a> according to preliminary data from the governor’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A 2024 audit from the \u003ca href=\"https://information.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-102.1/index.html#section1\">Legislative Analyst’s Office\u003c/a> found that Gov. Gavin Newsom spent about $24 billion to address homelessness and housing during the previous five fiscal years. On \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KygOFVgDmPU&t=2s\">KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast\u003c/a>, Bianco said the current administration threw money at homelessness but didn’t show consistent results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Newsom thinks] he’s so great because he gave more money than any other person in history to the homeless,” the Republican candidate said. “The amount of money means absolutely nothing. I’m going to measure [solving homelessness] by fewer tents on our sidewalks. That’s how you judge whether or not you’re doing something right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco, Steyer, Mahan and Villaraigosa have advocated for emergency interim shelters as a more cost-effective way to get people off the streets. During the Housing Action Coalition’s forum in May, Mahan spoke about his experience as mayor, creating 23 interim housing sites with “no-encampment zones” surrounding the sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everybody loves the idea of a no-encampment zone, but that’s how we got community buy-in,” he said. “When we built interim housing and got people stabilized indoors and connected to case management, calls for service for crime — 911 — for blight — 311— plummeted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073370\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction is underway on an affordable housing apartment building at 2550 Irving St. in San Francisco’s Sunset District on May 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To get more permanently affordable homes built, several candidates have proposed streamlining applications for state funding, so developers aren’t piecing together financing from various sources and can cut down construction costs by getting homes built faster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That desire could come at an opportune time as the state prepares to consolidate its myriad agencies overseeing housing and homelessness programs into one department, called the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. It is set to open this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Housing Action Coalition’s May forum in Oakland, land use expert Alex Schafran said he was amazed to see a governor’s debate focused exclusively on housing. However, it also struck him that there was consensus onstage and among many attendees, “including people who used to not get along 10 years ago and are now starting to find ways to work together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will be critical, Shafran said, because the eventual governor will likely still need to work alongside his or her former rivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whoever wins still has a lot of work to do in a really difficult and expensive environment,” he said. “Now the hard part really begins.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Democratic voters in the race for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California governor\u003c/a> appear to be consolidating behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tom-steyer\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a>, as Becerra holds an advantage despite candidates’ mounting attacks against him and Steyer’s massive infusions of cash, according to a new survey released Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll, commissioned by the state Democratic Party and conducted by the firm Evitarus, found Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/steve-hilton\">Steve Hilton\u003c/a>, a former Fox News commentator, leading the overall field with support from 22% of likely voters. He was followed by Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083992/xavier-becerra-says-he-will-fight-for-california-who-did-he-fight-for-as-ag\">California attorney general\u003c/a>, with 21%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer received 15%, while 10% of voters supported Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chad-bianco\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, the sheriff of Riverside County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chances of both Republicans advancing past the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">June 2 primary\u003c/a> to the general election appear increasingly slim as the gap between Hilton and Bianco has continued to grow following President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement\u003c/a> of Hilton in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In recent months, I have stated that California Democrats would do whatever was required to ensure that we elect a Democrat as our next governor,” said Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party. “These results show we are moving closer to doing exactly that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, the remaining drama over the final two weeks of the primary campaign could come down to whether Becerra, who has surged in the polls over the last month, can maintain his lead over Steyer, a billionaire who has donated a record $193 million to his own campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has gained support in each of the biweekly Evitarus polls since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079800/eric-swalwell-allegations-resign-congress-california-governor-race-who-is-running-primary\">former Rep. Eric Swalwell ended his campaign\u003c/a> in response to accusations of sexual assault. The latest survey, conducted May 14-16, suggests that Becerra has emerged largely unscathed after two weeks of attacks from fellow Democrats in debates and television advertisements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Steyer has remained within striking distance. Since May 2, Becerra has increased his support from 18% to 21%, while Steyer has grown his share from 12% to 15%.[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor,Learn about the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]The bump in support for the two frontrunners seems to have come at the expense of two other Democrats: former Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/katie-porter\">Katie Porter\u003c/a> and San José Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/matt-mahan\">Matt Mahan\u003c/a>, who both suffered a decline in support compared to the Evitarus poll in early May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There remains room for more movement, as the survey found 13% of likely voters — and 17% of Democrats — remain undecided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With his near-unlimited war chest, Steyer is expected to continue to blanket the state with advertisements in the stretch run of the campaign. The former hedge fund manager has already smashed the state’s self-funding record, held by former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who spent $140 million on her own campaign for governor in 2010.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has been aided by political groups operating independently of his campaign. An anti-Steyer super PAC \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083747/pge-spends-millions-against-tom-steyer-whats-behind-clash\">funded largely by PG&E\u003c/a> and the California Chamber of Commerce has begun including pro-Becerra messaging in its ads. And on Monday, Airbnb, the California Association of Realtors and a pair of Native American tribal governments poured over $3.4 million into a pro-Becerra committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey released Tuesday will be the final one commissioned by the state Democratic Party before Election Day. The polls began as an effort by Hicks to pressure lower-polling candidates to drop out of the race, in order to consolidate the Democratic vote and prevent the party from being locked out of the general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his efforts, two Democrats polling at 1%, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, remain in the race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Certainly if they honestly assess the viability of their campaign, my guess is that they would call a press conference, suspend their campaign and endorse another candidate,” Hicks said. “Do I expect that to happen? No, I don’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The survey shows Xavier Becerra holding his advantage over fellow Democrat Tom Steyer, even as candidates target Becerra and Steyer smashes self-funding records. ",
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"title": "Hilton, Becerra Lead Democrats’ Final Poll for California Governor | KQED",
"description": "The survey shows Xavier Becerra holding his advantage over fellow Democrat Tom Steyer, even as candidates target Becerra and Steyer smashes self-funding records. ",
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"headline": "Hilton, Becerra Lead Democrats’ Final Poll for California Governor",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Democratic voters in the race for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California governor\u003c/a> appear to be consolidating behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tom-steyer\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a>, as Becerra holds an advantage despite candidates’ mounting attacks against him and Steyer’s massive infusions of cash, according to a new survey released Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll, commissioned by the state Democratic Party and conducted by the firm Evitarus, found Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/steve-hilton\">Steve Hilton\u003c/a>, a former Fox News commentator, leading the overall field with support from 22% of likely voters. He was followed by Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083992/xavier-becerra-says-he-will-fight-for-california-who-did-he-fight-for-as-ag\">California attorney general\u003c/a>, with 21%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer received 15%, while 10% of voters supported Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chad-bianco\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, the sheriff of Riverside County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chances of both Republicans advancing past the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">June 2 primary\u003c/a> to the general election appear increasingly slim as the gap between Hilton and Bianco has continued to grow following President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement\u003c/a> of Hilton in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In recent months, I have stated that California Democrats would do whatever was required to ensure that we elect a Democrat as our next governor,” said Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party. “These results show we are moving closer to doing exactly that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, the remaining drama over the final two weeks of the primary campaign could come down to whether Becerra, who has surged in the polls over the last month, can maintain his lead over Steyer, a billionaire who has donated a record $193 million to his own campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has gained support in each of the biweekly Evitarus polls since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079800/eric-swalwell-allegations-resign-congress-california-governor-race-who-is-running-primary\">former Rep. Eric Swalwell ended his campaign\u003c/a> in response to accusations of sexual assault. The latest survey, conducted May 14-16, suggests that Becerra has emerged largely unscathed after two weeks of attacks from fellow Democrats in debates and television advertisements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Steyer has remained within striking distance. Since May 2, Becerra has increased his support from 18% to 21%, while Steyer has grown his share from 12% to 15%.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The bump in support for the two frontrunners seems to have come at the expense of two other Democrats: former Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/katie-porter\">Katie Porter\u003c/a> and San José Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/matt-mahan\">Matt Mahan\u003c/a>, who both suffered a decline in support compared to the Evitarus poll in early May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There remains room for more movement, as the survey found 13% of likely voters — and 17% of Democrats — remain undecided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With his near-unlimited war chest, Steyer is expected to continue to blanket the state with advertisements in the stretch run of the campaign. The former hedge fund manager has already smashed the state’s self-funding record, held by former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who spent $140 million on her own campaign for governor in 2010.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has been aided by political groups operating independently of his campaign. An anti-Steyer super PAC \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083747/pge-spends-millions-against-tom-steyer-whats-behind-clash\">funded largely by PG&E\u003c/a> and the California Chamber of Commerce has begun including pro-Becerra messaging in its ads. And on Monday, Airbnb, the California Association of Realtors and a pair of Native American tribal governments poured over $3.4 million into a pro-Becerra committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey released Tuesday will be the final one commissioned by the state Democratic Party before Election Day. The polls began as an effort by Hicks to pressure lower-polling candidates to drop out of the race, in order to consolidate the Democratic vote and prevent the party from being locked out of the general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his efforts, two Democrats polling at 1%, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, remain in the race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Certainly if they honestly assess the viability of their campaign, my guess is that they would call a press conference, suspend their campaign and endorse another candidate,” Hicks said. “Do I expect that to happen? No, I don’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "pge-spends-millions-against-tom-steyer-whats-behind-clash",
"title": "PG&E Spends Millions Against Tom Steyer. What’s Behind the Clash?",
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"headTitle": "PG&E Spends Millions Against Tom Steyer. What’s Behind the Clash? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a> is smashing self-funding records with an unprecedented $193 million poured into his own campaign as he tries to advance past California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">wide-open primary\u003c/a> for governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The race’s second-largest donor is trying to prevent that from happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E, the Oakland-based utility giant, has shelled out more than $12 million to oppose the Democratic investor, a historic level of spending for the utility in a governor’s race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campaign to sink Steyer’s chances (and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/2055295439365103930?s=20\">recently\u003c/a>, boost former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra), whose ads target Steyer’s career as a hedge-fund manager, reasons that an investor with no government experience is ill-suited to manage the difficult tradeoffs that come with the state’s top job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But central to the conflict between the progressive billionaire and the power behemoth, experts say, is Steyer’s ambitious plan to cut electricity bills. That platform is built on a pledge to wield the governor’s power over appointments to install regulators who will reduce the utilities’ guaranteed profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is a material threat to utility investors,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few areas offer as vexing a challenge for the governor as the oversight of investor-owned utilities in the midst of California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">energy transition\u003c/a> away from fossil fuels. Outside observers are divided over the impact that Steyer could have in a policy area that has thwarted the ambitions (and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-31-mn-6834-story.html\">careers\u003c/a>) of previous governors.[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/governor,Learn about the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]But Steyer is relishing the clash, arguing that the utility’s big-dollar effort to stop him is proof of the power it holds — and the change he vows to bring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has cast the state’s three investor-owned utilities — PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — as bogeymen standing in the way of a more affordable life in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve said that we are going to regulate them differently and introduce local competition,” Steyer told KQED. “And they clearly think it’s worth $10 million as a bet to try and defeat me because they want to preserve their monopoly. I think that’s corrupt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">second-highest\u003c/a> electricity rates in the country after Hawaii, and those rates have grown much faster than the national average this decade. At the heart of the price spike are wildfire-related costs that the utilities have passed along in part to customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, Steyer is proposing to appoint reform-minded regulators to oversee the utilities. He promises that those appointees will cut utility profits, more closely examine the cost-effectiveness of wildfire spending and promote small-scale power generation, such as rooftop solar and microgrids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Steyer’s supporters, the politics of a utility crusade are undeniably positive. Voter antipathy toward the state’s large power providers cuts across urban progressives wary of monopoly power, rural residents anxious about utility-sparked fires and suburban solar customers furious about utility efforts to claw back rooftop benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an issue that is felt by not just the progressives but the moderates who also try to fight utility costs,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee, a progressive Democrat from San José who has endorsed Steyer. “We are all lamenting together that utilities have way too much power.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>PG&E spends big\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer is leading with a bold promise: a 25% drop in electricity rates. He has paraded that vow in town halls, candidate debates and unceasing television advertisements. On Valentine’s Day, Steyer \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGv3mhkKRPQ\">released\u003c/a> a “break-up message” video outside a PG&E substation in San Francisco in which he called out the company’s CEO, Patti Poppe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s broadsides against the electric giants caught the eye of utility leadership — particularly after former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign imploded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">amid sexual assault allegations\u003c/a>, making the possibility of a Steyer victory more realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pedro Pizarro, the CEO of SoCal Edison’s parent company, said on an April earnings call that he did not see any “fact basis” to Steyer’s promise of a 25% rate cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943199\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Blue trucks with 'pg and e' logo on them sit parked in a lot with the white and black blurry pattern of a fence in the foreground\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E trucks sit inside a Mission District facility owned by the utility. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have been very pointed about taking on things that are not connected to fact like those, and being outspoken about them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E has gone further — emerging as the top anti-Steyer spender in the closing weeks ahead of the June 2 primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility has contributed $12.6 million to a committee named Californians for Resilient and Affordable Energy, No on Steyer for Governor 2026. That committee has sent $12.5 million to an anti-Steyer independent expenditure committee, called California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, JOBSPAC, sent over $7.7 million to California is Not for Sale — after receiving roughly $2 million from each of the state’s investor-owned utilities in April. A spokesperson for the Chamber said decisions on campaign spending are made by JOBSPAC leadership, not individual donors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11725572\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11725572 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1438\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks past a PG&E sign. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The anti-Steyer super PAC has also drawn contributions from groups representing realtors, homebuilders and correctional officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The television ads funded by California is Not for Sale make no mention of Steyer’s electricity plan. Instead, they take aim at investments made by Steyer’s former hedge fund in private prison companies and fossil fuel projects. Steyer left the firm, Farallon Capital Management, in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission earlier this month, arguing that PG&E is deliberately obscuring its role as the top funder of the ads by donating to the Resilient and Affordable Energy group instead of directly to California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E referred a request for an interview for this story to a spokesperson for the super PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Super PAC: Opposition ‘bigger than any one policy’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is Not for Sale spokesperson Amelia Matier said the group’s spending is not being driven by PG&E — or by opposition to any specific proposal from Steyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is bigger than any one policy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matier argued the connective thread between the businesses spending against Steyer is a shared lack of faith that someone without any government experience could govern the world’s fourth-largest economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075623\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12075623 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Steyer speaks with Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos on Political Breakdown at KQED in San Francisco on March 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The group of people behind the IE just don’t think he’d be a good governor,” she said. “He doesn’t have the experience and know-how, and he wants to make everybody else the big corporate bogeyman — but the reality is that’s him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $12.6 million PG&E has spent against Steyer is hardly a financial avalanche in the context of costly California campaigns. The utility spent over $46 million to support a single initiative, Proposition 16, a failed 2010 measure that would have made it harder for cities and counties to create local power providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the anti-Steyer spending marks PG&E’s largest such outlay in a governor’s race, according to \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1007836&view=contributions&session=1999\">online filings\u003c/a> with the California secretary of state’s office, which date back to 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In splashy television ads, Steyer has declared that he will “bust” the utilities and “break up” their power. But he is not proposing to end California’s current structure of electricity regulation, in which power companies are traded on Wall Street and entitled to a guaranteed rate of return on capital investments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m happy to have investor-owned,” Steyer said during \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">an interview\u003c/a> on KQED’s Political Breakdown. “My issue is we are not regulating them right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A plan to ‘stop their gravy trains’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Much of Steyer’s electricity agenda is built on appointments he is eyeing for the five-member California Public Utilities Commission. The next governor will appoint two commissioners in January and replace three others over the course of their first term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has been at the center of bitter fights between utilities and ratepayer advocates over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910175/california-rooftop-solar-is-at-a-crossroads\">rooftop solar\u003c/a> benefits, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1992639/california-regulators-approve-adding-24-fixed-fee-to-utility-bills\">structure of electricity bills\u003c/a> and wildfire-related spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former CPUC President Loretta Lynch, a frequent agency critic, said regulators have not properly scrutinized utility spending, which has resulted in higher bills for customers. Steyer could bring the first change to that dynamic in decades, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033400\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E utility poles in the Mission District on Jan. 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not surprising if you look at it that way that the utilities are going all out to fight the candidates who are going to stop their gravy trains,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he will appoint commissioners who push the utilities to more quickly connect new customers to the grid (spreading the system’s fixed costs more broadly) and incentivize the power providers to spend on solar and battery storage, instead of building expensive new transmission lines and substations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most threatening proposal for California power companies is Steyer’s call for a cut in utility profits, said Wara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The return on equity, set by the CPUC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/cost-of-capital\">currently sits\u003c/a> at roughly 10% for PG&E, SoCal Edison and SDG&E. The rate represents the profit that utilities are authorized to earn — and collect from ratepayers — on shareholder-funded infrastructure investments.[aside postID=news_12082915 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_039-KQED.jpg']Utilities argue that a healthy return on equity is necessary to attract capital and fairly compensate shareholders for the risk of owning power companies that could face massive liability and even bankruptcy if their equipment sparks a wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those guaranteed profit rates have remained steady even at times when borrowing costs across the economy have declined. Utility critics point to research showing that elevated rates \u003ca href=\"https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/archive/WP329.pdf\">create a perverse incentive\u003c/a> for electric companies to pursue costly investments in order to recoup the highest return — all at inflated cost to the customer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A former economist for the parent company of SDG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-18/state-regulators-vote-to-keep-utility-profits-high-angering-customers\">estimated\u003c/a> that reducing the return on equity to 6% would save customers $6.1 billion annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer has floated the idea of reducing the rate of return by 2 percentage points.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that could be accomplished, there is a significant potential savings for California electricity customers,” Wara said. “Of course [utilities] object to that — it would be crazy if they didn’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wara cautioned that a cut to utility profits is not without risk. If California lowers its rate of return and other states do not, shareholders could decide to invest in utilities in parts of the country offering higher profits without wildfire risk. With less cash on hand, California utilities could face higher borrowing costs that, in turn, would raise bills for ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question is how investors in that market respond,” Wara said. “Do they take their money elsewhere? Or do they think these three [California utility] stocks are too big not to have in their utility portfolio?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Difficult tradeoffs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Others see an imperiousness in Steyer’s broadsides against the utilities — a belief that complex reforms can be pushed through without compromise or tradeoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Dodd, a former state senator who worked extensively on utility legislation, has had a recurring question as he’s watched Steyer’s ads promising lower electricity rates: “How the hell is he going to do that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd argued that many of the cost pressures facing utilities and their ratepayers are a result of climate change, as hotter temperatures and shorter windows of precipitation have lengthened California’s fire season. No matter who is governor, power companies will need to spend money to trim trees and bury power lines, while setting aside billions of dollars to pay claims arising from future wildfires caused by their equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks during a town hall event on April 30, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And while governors typically enjoy great sway over state agencies, the commissioners Steyer appoints to the CPUC will still be bound by state law requiring utility rates to be “just and reasonable” — balancing affordability with the need to attract shareholder investment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bottom line is even when you appoint members of the CPUC, they are still taking an oath to the state of California,” Dodd said. “So I don’t think it’s as easy to get done as just [saying] ‘I’m going to replace everybody.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign said he will look for commissioners with a shared vision for regulating the state’s investor-owned utilities.[aside label=\"2026 Bay Area Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/bayarea,Learn about every single race and measure across the nine Bay Area counties' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-Bay-Area-Voter-Guide-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]Complicating matters, Californians’ desire for rate relief exists alongside their expectations of reliable service and wildfire safety. Steyer’s electricity plan promises to “strengthen safety, bolster reliability, and lower prices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard for me to imagine that we can achieve all of those three things at once,” said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ongoing utility investments to prevent wildfires are likely to keep electricity prices elevated: The CPUC is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/office-of-governmental-affairs-division/reports/2025/2025-sb-695-report_093025.pdf\">projecting\u003c/a> rate increases through 2028 of roughly 6% for PG&E and SDG&E and around 7% for SoCal Edison, compared with an assumed inflation rate of 2.6%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But lowering bills by reducing spending on wildfire mitigation could require the state to accept a higher tolerance for catastrophic blazes. And while strategies such as planned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891810/pge-power-shutoffs-are-affecting-thousands-again-heres-when-they-can-expect-to-get-it-back\">power outages\u003c/a> could help avoid those fires at a relatively low cost, they bring disruption to the daily lives of Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we decide to focus on reducing rates, I think we’re going to have to trade off reliability and tolerate more wildfire risk,” Fowlie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the Legislature have spent much of the last year weighing those tradeoffs. In some ways, Steyer would be showing up in the second act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislation moving through the Senate this year would \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB905\">reduce\u003c/a> utility profits and tap the state budget to pay for certain investments currently funded by ratepayers. And a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">state report\u003c/a> on resilience to natural catastrophes released last month could serve as the starting point for negotiations this summer around reforms to wildfire liability and California’s home insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I think if I was a utility, I would see [Steyer] as signaling that he will continue along this path,” Fowlie said. “And continuing along that path could have implications for how they’re able to conduct their business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Tom Steyer’s crusade against California’s electric utilities, including a plan to slash rates and lower profits, may explain why PG&E is spending a record amount in a governor’s race.",
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"title": "PG&E Spends Millions Against Tom Steyer. What’s Behind the Clash? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a> is smashing self-funding records with an unprecedented $193 million poured into his own campaign as he tries to advance past California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">wide-open primary\u003c/a> for governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The race’s second-largest donor is trying to prevent that from happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E, the Oakland-based utility giant, has shelled out more than $12 million to oppose the Democratic investor, a historic level of spending for the utility in a governor’s race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campaign to sink Steyer’s chances (and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/2055295439365103930?s=20\">recently\u003c/a>, boost former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra), whose ads target Steyer’s career as a hedge-fund manager, reasons that an investor with no government experience is ill-suited to manage the difficult tradeoffs that come with the state’s top job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But central to the conflict between the progressive billionaire and the power behemoth, experts say, is Steyer’s ambitious plan to cut electricity bills. That platform is built on a pledge to wield the governor’s power over appointments to install regulators who will reduce the utilities’ guaranteed profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is a material threat to utility investors,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few areas offer as vexing a challenge for the governor as the oversight of investor-owned utilities in the midst of California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">energy transition\u003c/a> away from fossil fuels. Outside observers are divided over the impact that Steyer could have in a policy area that has thwarted the ambitions (and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-31-mn-6834-story.html\">careers\u003c/a>) of previous governors.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But Steyer is relishing the clash, arguing that the utility’s big-dollar effort to stop him is proof of the power it holds — and the change he vows to bring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has cast the state’s three investor-owned utilities — PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — as bogeymen standing in the way of a more affordable life in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve said that we are going to regulate them differently and introduce local competition,” Steyer told KQED. “And they clearly think it’s worth $10 million as a bet to try and defeat me because they want to preserve their monopoly. I think that’s corrupt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">second-highest\u003c/a> electricity rates in the country after Hawaii, and those rates have grown much faster than the national average this decade. At the heart of the price spike are wildfire-related costs that the utilities have passed along in part to customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, Steyer is proposing to appoint reform-minded regulators to oversee the utilities. He promises that those appointees will cut utility profits, more closely examine the cost-effectiveness of wildfire spending and promote small-scale power generation, such as rooftop solar and microgrids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Steyer’s supporters, the politics of a utility crusade are undeniably positive. Voter antipathy toward the state’s large power providers cuts across urban progressives wary of monopoly power, rural residents anxious about utility-sparked fires and suburban solar customers furious about utility efforts to claw back rooftop benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an issue that is felt by not just the progressives but the moderates who also try to fight utility costs,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee, a progressive Democrat from San José who has endorsed Steyer. “We are all lamenting together that utilities have way too much power.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>PG&E spends big\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer is leading with a bold promise: a 25% drop in electricity rates. He has paraded that vow in town halls, candidate debates and unceasing television advertisements. On Valentine’s Day, Steyer \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGv3mhkKRPQ\">released\u003c/a> a “break-up message” video outside a PG&E substation in San Francisco in which he called out the company’s CEO, Patti Poppe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s broadsides against the electric giants caught the eye of utility leadership — particularly after former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign imploded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">amid sexual assault allegations\u003c/a>, making the possibility of a Steyer victory more realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pedro Pizarro, the CEO of SoCal Edison’s parent company, said on an April earnings call that he did not see any “fact basis” to Steyer’s promise of a 25% rate cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943199\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Blue trucks with 'pg and e' logo on them sit parked in a lot with the white and black blurry pattern of a fence in the foreground\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E trucks sit inside a Mission District facility owned by the utility. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have been very pointed about taking on things that are not connected to fact like those, and being outspoken about them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E has gone further — emerging as the top anti-Steyer spender in the closing weeks ahead of the June 2 primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility has contributed $12.6 million to a committee named Californians for Resilient and Affordable Energy, No on Steyer for Governor 2026. That committee has sent $12.5 million to an anti-Steyer independent expenditure committee, called California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, JOBSPAC, sent over $7.7 million to California is Not for Sale — after receiving roughly $2 million from each of the state’s investor-owned utilities in April. A spokesperson for the Chamber said decisions on campaign spending are made by JOBSPAC leadership, not individual donors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11725572\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11725572 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1438\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks past a PG&E sign. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The anti-Steyer super PAC has also drawn contributions from groups representing realtors, homebuilders and correctional officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The television ads funded by California is Not for Sale make no mention of Steyer’s electricity plan. Instead, they take aim at investments made by Steyer’s former hedge fund in private prison companies and fossil fuel projects. Steyer left the firm, Farallon Capital Management, in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission earlier this month, arguing that PG&E is deliberately obscuring its role as the top funder of the ads by donating to the Resilient and Affordable Energy group instead of directly to California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E referred a request for an interview for this story to a spokesperson for the super PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Super PAC: Opposition ‘bigger than any one policy’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is Not for Sale spokesperson Amelia Matier said the group’s spending is not being driven by PG&E — or by opposition to any specific proposal from Steyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is bigger than any one policy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matier argued the connective thread between the businesses spending against Steyer is a shared lack of faith that someone without any government experience could govern the world’s fourth-largest economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075623\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12075623 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Steyer speaks with Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos on Political Breakdown at KQED in San Francisco on March 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The group of people behind the IE just don’t think he’d be a good governor,” she said. “He doesn’t have the experience and know-how, and he wants to make everybody else the big corporate bogeyman — but the reality is that’s him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $12.6 million PG&E has spent against Steyer is hardly a financial avalanche in the context of costly California campaigns. The utility spent over $46 million to support a single initiative, Proposition 16, a failed 2010 measure that would have made it harder for cities and counties to create local power providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the anti-Steyer spending marks PG&E’s largest such outlay in a governor’s race, according to \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1007836&view=contributions&session=1999\">online filings\u003c/a> with the California secretary of state’s office, which date back to 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In splashy television ads, Steyer has declared that he will “bust” the utilities and “break up” their power. But he is not proposing to end California’s current structure of electricity regulation, in which power companies are traded on Wall Street and entitled to a guaranteed rate of return on capital investments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m happy to have investor-owned,” Steyer said during \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">an interview\u003c/a> on KQED’s Political Breakdown. “My issue is we are not regulating them right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A plan to ‘stop their gravy trains’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Much of Steyer’s electricity agenda is built on appointments he is eyeing for the five-member California Public Utilities Commission. The next governor will appoint two commissioners in January and replace three others over the course of their first term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has been at the center of bitter fights between utilities and ratepayer advocates over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910175/california-rooftop-solar-is-at-a-crossroads\">rooftop solar\u003c/a> benefits, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1992639/california-regulators-approve-adding-24-fixed-fee-to-utility-bills\">structure of electricity bills\u003c/a> and wildfire-related spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former CPUC President Loretta Lynch, a frequent agency critic, said regulators have not properly scrutinized utility spending, which has resulted in higher bills for customers. Steyer could bring the first change to that dynamic in decades, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033400\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E utility poles in the Mission District on Jan. 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not surprising if you look at it that way that the utilities are going all out to fight the candidates who are going to stop their gravy trains,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he will appoint commissioners who push the utilities to more quickly connect new customers to the grid (spreading the system’s fixed costs more broadly) and incentivize the power providers to spend on solar and battery storage, instead of building expensive new transmission lines and substations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most threatening proposal for California power companies is Steyer’s call for a cut in utility profits, said Wara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The return on equity, set by the CPUC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/cost-of-capital\">currently sits\u003c/a> at roughly 10% for PG&E, SoCal Edison and SDG&E. The rate represents the profit that utilities are authorized to earn — and collect from ratepayers — on shareholder-funded infrastructure investments.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Utilities argue that a healthy return on equity is necessary to attract capital and fairly compensate shareholders for the risk of owning power companies that could face massive liability and even bankruptcy if their equipment sparks a wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those guaranteed profit rates have remained steady even at times when borrowing costs across the economy have declined. Utility critics point to research showing that elevated rates \u003ca href=\"https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/archive/WP329.pdf\">create a perverse incentive\u003c/a> for electric companies to pursue costly investments in order to recoup the highest return — all at inflated cost to the customer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A former economist for the parent company of SDG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-18/state-regulators-vote-to-keep-utility-profits-high-angering-customers\">estimated\u003c/a> that reducing the return on equity to 6% would save customers $6.1 billion annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer has floated the idea of reducing the rate of return by 2 percentage points.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that could be accomplished, there is a significant potential savings for California electricity customers,” Wara said. “Of course [utilities] object to that — it would be crazy if they didn’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wara cautioned that a cut to utility profits is not without risk. If California lowers its rate of return and other states do not, shareholders could decide to invest in utilities in parts of the country offering higher profits without wildfire risk. With less cash on hand, California utilities could face higher borrowing costs that, in turn, would raise bills for ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question is how investors in that market respond,” Wara said. “Do they take their money elsewhere? Or do they think these three [California utility] stocks are too big not to have in their utility portfolio?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Difficult tradeoffs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Others see an imperiousness in Steyer’s broadsides against the utilities — a belief that complex reforms can be pushed through without compromise or tradeoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Dodd, a former state senator who worked extensively on utility legislation, has had a recurring question as he’s watched Steyer’s ads promising lower electricity rates: “How the hell is he going to do that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd argued that many of the cost pressures facing utilities and their ratepayers are a result of climate change, as hotter temperatures and shorter windows of precipitation have lengthened California’s fire season. No matter who is governor, power companies will need to spend money to trim trees and bury power lines, while setting aside billions of dollars to pay claims arising from future wildfires caused by their equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks during a town hall event on April 30, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And while governors typically enjoy great sway over state agencies, the commissioners Steyer appoints to the CPUC will still be bound by state law requiring utility rates to be “just and reasonable” — balancing affordability with the need to attract shareholder investment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bottom line is even when you appoint members of the CPUC, they are still taking an oath to the state of California,” Dodd said. “So I don’t think it’s as easy to get done as just [saying] ‘I’m going to replace everybody.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign said he will look for commissioners with a shared vision for regulating the state’s investor-owned utilities.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Complicating matters, Californians’ desire for rate relief exists alongside their expectations of reliable service and wildfire safety. Steyer’s electricity plan promises to “strengthen safety, bolster reliability, and lower prices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard for me to imagine that we can achieve all of those three things at once,” said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ongoing utility investments to prevent wildfires are likely to keep electricity prices elevated: The CPUC is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/office-of-governmental-affairs-division/reports/2025/2025-sb-695-report_093025.pdf\">projecting\u003c/a> rate increases through 2028 of roughly 6% for PG&E and SDG&E and around 7% for SoCal Edison, compared with an assumed inflation rate of 2.6%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But lowering bills by reducing spending on wildfire mitigation could require the state to accept a higher tolerance for catastrophic blazes. And while strategies such as planned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891810/pge-power-shutoffs-are-affecting-thousands-again-heres-when-they-can-expect-to-get-it-back\">power outages\u003c/a> could help avoid those fires at a relatively low cost, they bring disruption to the daily lives of Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we decide to focus on reducing rates, I think we’re going to have to trade off reliability and tolerate more wildfire risk,” Fowlie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the Legislature have spent much of the last year weighing those tradeoffs. In some ways, Steyer would be showing up in the second act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislation moving through the Senate this year would \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB905\">reduce\u003c/a> utility profits and tap the state budget to pay for certain investments currently funded by ratepayers. And a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">state report\u003c/a> on resilience to natural catastrophes released last month could serve as the starting point for negotiations this summer around reforms to wildfire liability and California’s home insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I think if I was a utility, I would see [Steyer] as signaling that he will continue along this path,” Fowlie said. “And continuing along that path could have implications for how they’re able to conduct their business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Riverside County Sheriff \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081096/riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-on-his-faith-cutting-taxes-and-ballot-seizure\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, who has held on as a contender in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/2026-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>, laid out a deregulatory agenda at a KQED town hall on Monday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Day one priority is immediately making our lives better,” the Republican sheriff said. “There are so many things that are hampering that, that are making our lives difficult, and the majority of them are regulatory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When pressed for specifics, Bianco said he would aim to lower gasoline prices by eliminating the state gas tax and regulatory fees at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco has consistently polled in the double digits, even as his numbers dip approaching the wide-open June 2 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">primary election\u003c/a>. Despite being a longtime Donald Trump supporter, Bianco lost the president’s endorsement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">to Steve Hilton\u003c/a> last month — and on Monday, he warned that the former Fox News host’s lack of elected experience should concern voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To be very frank, he’s for me more dangerous than the other Democrats that are running because we have an example of what they’ll do,” Bianco said. “But with him, he’s always behind the scenes. So he’s never run for elected office, he’s never had an elected office that there’s proof of concept with. And that really is what separates me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco also took questions from Bay Area residents on public schools, housing shortages, road conditions, government fraud, the homeowner insurance crisis and immigration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are three highlights from the town hall, moderated by KQED’s Marisa Lagos:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A vow to end sanctuary policy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco was raised in a military family in Utah and moved in 1989 to California, where he’s spent more than three decades in law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said public safety should be the number one priority for the governor and took aim at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016037/california-is-a-sanctuary-state-how-much-protection-will-that-give-immigrants-from-trumps-deportation-plans\">the state’s sanctuary policies\u003c/a>, which he said have made California less safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Vus2mYPQ4\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco argued that if local law enforcement is barred from coordinating with U.S. immigration enforcement about people in their custody, federal agents are forced to take their enforcement operations into communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Trump took office, he said, immigrants’ trust in law enforcement has waned, leading to a “drastic decrease in calls for service” from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not reporting crime anymore because the media, the politicians and everything else have now convinced them that deputies and police officers are the enemy and you have to avoid us,” he said. “And now we know they are being victimized, and they’re afraid to report it to us. That is a failure of politicians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If elected governor, Bianco said he would eliminate sanctuary policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It absolutely must be taken away because it makes us less safe,” he said. “It doesn’t make me safer. It doesn’t make you safer. And it does nothing to prevent or keep safe people who are in this country illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Less regulation, more homes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco kept returning to his promise to reduce government regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breanna Shaw, a student at San Francisco State University, said she’s been unhoused or housing-insecure her whole life. She asked Bianco how he would “address the growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64314/unhoused-students-face-unique-challenges-how-can-schools-help\">student housing insecurity\u003c/a> and its effect on our educated workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBSOWwP4rFg\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco blamed California’s regulatory environment, saying it takes three to five years to build a home in the state, compared with 90 days elsewhere. Much of the price of a home, he said, goes toward recovering fees and permits, driving builders away from affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are no homes, affordable homes, for kids or first-time buyers,” he said. “That’s not like that in any other state. It’s only California because of the regulatory environment. And as the governor, I can remove that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Allegations of waste, fraud and abuse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco said California has “never had a money problem,” but instead has a “horrific spending problem and a lack-of-accountability problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rose Usher, a disabled senior who could not make it to the event, submitted a question in advance about government fraud, saying it concerns her because it reduces the funding and availability of services she relies on. She asked what Bianco would do about issues like senior housing fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1K0MSe6EmA\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, Bianco said he would audit “every single dollar” that flows from the governor’s budget for fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our own state Finance [Department] has said that we are the most corrupt government in the country as far as fraud, waste and abuse is concerned because we do nothing to track fraud, find fraud, stop fraud, and we just keep letting it happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went after the state Department of Justice for failing in its responsibility to root out fraud, accusing the department of spending too much of its budget on attorneys instead of investigators.[aside postID=news_12083839 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3319_1_qed.jpg']“Life should not be about suing people, it should be about going and finding the fraud,” Bianco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco’s focus on fraud has extended beyond state spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080702/internal-emails-show-how-fringe-groups-fueled-sheriff-chad-biancos-ballot-seizure\">seized hundreds of thousands of ballots\u003c/a> from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, launching an investigation into allegations of election fraud in the November special election on Proposition 50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Bianco ignored objections to the investigation from state Attorney General Rob Bonta, the California Supreme Court in April ordered him to halt the investigation and took up Bonta’s case, questioning whether the seizure and investigation were lawful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here’s the dishonesty from the attorney general: They want you to believe I did something wrong,” Bianco said. “There is absolutely nothing wrong of what I did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco told \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/07/chad-bianco-riverside-ballot-seizure/\">the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he would also consider seizing ballots in the primary election if there are allegations of misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Riverside County Sheriff \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081096/riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-on-his-faith-cutting-taxes-and-ballot-seizure\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, who has held on as a contender in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/2026-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>, laid out a deregulatory agenda at a KQED town hall on Monday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Day one priority is immediately making our lives better,” the Republican sheriff said. “There are so many things that are hampering that, that are making our lives difficult, and the majority of them are regulatory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When pressed for specifics, Bianco said he would aim to lower gasoline prices by eliminating the state gas tax and regulatory fees at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco has consistently polled in the double digits, even as his numbers dip approaching the wide-open June 2 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">primary election\u003c/a>. Despite being a longtime Donald Trump supporter, Bianco lost the president’s endorsement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">to Steve Hilton\u003c/a> last month — and on Monday, he warned that the former Fox News host’s lack of elected experience should concern voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To be very frank, he’s for me more dangerous than the other Democrats that are running because we have an example of what they’ll do,” Bianco said. “But with him, he’s always behind the scenes. So he’s never run for elected office, he’s never had an elected office that there’s proof of concept with. And that really is what separates me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco also took questions from Bay Area residents on public schools, housing shortages, road conditions, government fraud, the homeowner insurance crisis and immigration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are three highlights from the town hall, moderated by KQED’s Marisa Lagos:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A vow to end sanctuary policy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco was raised in a military family in Utah and moved in 1989 to California, where he’s spent more than three decades in law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said public safety should be the number one priority for the governor and took aim at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016037/california-is-a-sanctuary-state-how-much-protection-will-that-give-immigrants-from-trumps-deportation-plans\">the state’s sanctuary policies\u003c/a>, which he said have made California less safe.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/1-Vus2mYPQ4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1-Vus2mYPQ4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Bianco argued that if local law enforcement is barred from coordinating with U.S. immigration enforcement about people in their custody, federal agents are forced to take their enforcement operations into communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Trump took office, he said, immigrants’ trust in law enforcement has waned, leading to a “drastic decrease in calls for service” from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not reporting crime anymore because the media, the politicians and everything else have now convinced them that deputies and police officers are the enemy and you have to avoid us,” he said. “And now we know they are being victimized, and they’re afraid to report it to us. That is a failure of politicians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If elected governor, Bianco said he would eliminate sanctuary policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It absolutely must be taken away because it makes us less safe,” he said. “It doesn’t make me safer. It doesn’t make you safer. And it does nothing to prevent or keep safe people who are in this country illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Less regulation, more homes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco kept returning to his promise to reduce government regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breanna Shaw, a student at San Francisco State University, said she’s been unhoused or housing-insecure her whole life. She asked Bianco how he would “address the growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64314/unhoused-students-face-unique-challenges-how-can-schools-help\">student housing insecurity\u003c/a> and its effect on our educated workforce.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/GBSOWwP4rFg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/GBSOWwP4rFg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Bianco blamed California’s regulatory environment, saying it takes three to five years to build a home in the state, compared with 90 days elsewhere. Much of the price of a home, he said, goes toward recovering fees and permits, driving builders away from affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are no homes, affordable homes, for kids or first-time buyers,” he said. “That’s not like that in any other state. It’s only California because of the regulatory environment. And as the governor, I can remove that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Allegations of waste, fraud and abuse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco said California has “never had a money problem,” but instead has a “horrific spending problem and a lack-of-accountability problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rose Usher, a disabled senior who could not make it to the event, submitted a question in advance about government fraud, saying it concerns her because it reduces the funding and availability of services she relies on. She asked what Bianco would do about issues like senior housing fraud.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/t1K0MSe6EmA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/t1K0MSe6EmA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>In response, Bianco said he would audit “every single dollar” that flows from the governor’s budget for fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our own state Finance [Department] has said that we are the most corrupt government in the country as far as fraud, waste and abuse is concerned because we do nothing to track fraud, find fraud, stop fraud, and we just keep letting it happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went after the state Department of Justice for failing in its responsibility to root out fraud, accusing the department of spending too much of its budget on attorneys instead of investigators.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Life should not be about suing people, it should be about going and finding the fraud,” Bianco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco’s focus on fraud has extended beyond state spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080702/internal-emails-show-how-fringe-groups-fueled-sheriff-chad-biancos-ballot-seizure\">seized hundreds of thousands of ballots\u003c/a> from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, launching an investigation into allegations of election fraud in the November special election on Proposition 50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Bianco ignored objections to the investigation from state Attorney General Rob Bonta, the California Supreme Court in April ordered him to halt the investigation and took up Bonta’s case, questioning whether the seizure and investigation were lawful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here’s the dishonesty from the attorney general: They want you to believe I did something wrong,” Bianco said. “There is absolutely nothing wrong of what I did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco told \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/07/chad-bianco-riverside-ballot-seizure/\">the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he would also consider seizing ballots in the primary election if there are allegations of misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
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"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"order": 16
},
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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