California GOP: It’s not what you think

Inside the Golden State political arena

Dec 15, 2023 View in browser   By Sejal Govindarao, Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner House Republicans speak with reporters after opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. | Francis Chung/POLITICO THE BUZZ: LITTLE “i” IMPEACHMENT — Vulnerable California House Republicans who joined a party-line vote this week to advance a presidential impeachment probe can’t afford to have moderate voters hold it against them. In statements and interviews, the swing-seat Republicans — Mike Garcia, John Duarte, David Valadao, Michelle Steel, Young Kim and Ken Calvert — have stressed that this was a procedural step to gather the facts about President Joe Biden and his family’s business dealings, not an impeachment vote. Calvert’s camp used caps lock to clarify the point: “The resolution approved today does NOT include articles of impeachment." Now, they're hoping their constituents — many of whom voted for Biden in 2020 — will draw the same distinction. “My voters are very well-informed and very intelligent,” Garcia, whose district is near Los Angeles, told POLITICO. “They’ll be able to understand the implications of all of this moving forward as far as when the evidence comes out.” But Democrats aiming to flip the House are seizing the opportunity to paint the tough vote as another ruby red thread woven into a MAGA extremist narrative. “Republicans are choosing to spend their time and taxpayer money on an extreme witch hunt instead of focusing on the issues that matter to voters,” said Orrin Evans, a Democratic consultant working with candidates in key swing Orange County races. “We will be showing that contrast on TV, digital ads and direct mail at the doors on the phones.” Valadao, a Central Valley Republican in a district Biden won by 11 points in 2020, echoed his colleagues as he characterized the vote he took, noting it was to advance the probe — not to impeach the president. Asked if voters in his battleground district will see it the same way, he told POLITICO: “We’ll find out.” ONE LAST SWING: On his way out the door, ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy touted his own campaigning efforts as Republican leader while knocking Nancy Pelosi’s track record, POLITICO’s Mia McCarthy reports. “How many seats did Nancy win as speaker?” McCarthy said to a group of reporters Thursday afternoon. “Zero. She only lost. She literally lost her speakership in California because we have a three-seat majority.” A spokesperson for Pelosi, when asked for comment about McCarthy’s comments, replied: "Who?" In his farewell speech on the House floor, he name-dropped Republican members from California swing districts as he touted his party’s gains in the House. “The party I love lost in the Senate both cycles, lost the presidency, but we won,” McCarthy said on the House floor. “The secret? The quality of the candidate. I looked at Young Kim, Michele Steel, John Duarte, David Valadao. These are unbelievable seats. That idea wins.” GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — What is your most memorable/funny/cringy political moment from 2023? Give us a ring or drop us a line. Now you can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on Twitter —@DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. FRESH INK President Joe Biden (left) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom discuss AI at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., on June 20, 2023. | Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images LINKING ARMS ON AI — California labor is teaming up with civil rights and equity groups on artificial intelligence as it works to build a coalition that will shape artificial intelligence regulation and counter the tech lobby’s influence in Sacramento. Dozens of labor and advocacy groups gathered in downtown Sacramento this week to confer on a game plan for the upcoming legislative session, where we expect lawmakers to introduce at least a dozen AI bills. The event was co-hosted by TechEquity Collaborative, Upturn, the UC Berkeley Labor Center, Electronic Frontier Foundation and the California Labor Federation. "This technology has the potential to dramatically change our economy, our society," said Caitlin Vega, general counsel for the California Labor Federation, "so I think we see our interests as interconnected here." Artificial intelligence is set to dominate the conversation in Sacramento next year, with lawmakers looking to curb the quick-evolving technology. Labor groups have pushed back against what they see as threats posed by AI, and those tensions are likely to be front and center again next year as legislators take up the issue. Advocates say they’re closely watching how AI will affect workers and vulnerable communities and don’t want decisions around regulations to be left to the tech industry. CAMPAIGN MODE California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks. | Adam Beam/AP RUSTY ROLLING — California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks picked up a major endorsement in his bid for the 2nd Assembly District: AD-2 incumbent Jim Wood, who set off a North State scramble by passing on reelection last month. Hicks has also piled up nods from labor, including SEIU California and the California Labor Federation. BIG SPENDER — Kaiser Foundation Health Plan kicked in $1 million to Yes on Prop. 1, Newsom’s campaign to approve a $6.4 billion bond for housing and redefine how the counties use state funds meant for behavioral health care. It’s on the March 5 primary ballot. LICCARDO’s HAUL — Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has raised more than $883,000 as he runs for an open congressional seat in Silicon Valley, his team reports. Liccardo announced his campaign to replace retiring Rep. Anna Eshoo a week ago and his haul is already the largest reported by the crowded field of contenders. THIRD HOUSE FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MERCURY RISING — Mercury, the bipartisan international public strategy firm, is planting its flag in Los Angeles to mark its re-entry into California. At the helm will be Veronica Perez, a prominent lobbyist who has run her eponymous shop for nearly 11 years, with a focus on private sector clients with business before Los Angeles city and county. She also has been active in highlighting women’s work in the local political scene, co-founding a Women of LA City Hall event that has tracked a sea change in the city’s gender power balance. “When I started my business back in 2013, there was one woman elected official” in the city, she said. “To date, we have 9 — including the first female mayor, and the first female city attorney.” This is not Mercury’s first foray out West. The firm had a prominent footprint that began in Sacramento and grew into SoCal, but saw a slew of resignations two years ago led by prominent Democratic ex-politicians Fabian Nuñez, Barbara Boxer and Antonio Villaraigosa. The departures largely centered on financial disputes. Kieran Mahoney, the firm’s CEO, said the firm is returning to California via Los Angeles, instead of Sacramento, because of Perez’s presence there. — Melanie Mason Top Talkers CHILLING TREND: At one skydiving location near Lodi, an alarming 28 people have died since 1985. The location, known as the Parachute Center, remains open. (The Sacramento Bee). DARK MILESTONE: A record number of people died of drug overdoses in San Francisco this year, with 752 deaths reported through November. (The San Francisco Standard) FENTANYL’S GRIP: The overdose crisis is also hitting LA County hard, with fentanyl surpassing methamphetamine as the deadliest drug. (Los Angeles Times) JOINING FORCES: Two San-Francisco based media organizations are merging, Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative reporting. (The New York Times) PLAYBOOKERS BIRTHDAYS — Salina Valencia in Assemblymember Rick Zbur's office ... CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   Follow us on Twitter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner Lara Korte @lara_korte POLITICO California @politicoca   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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