SCOOP: Rakin’ it in in the Central Valley

Inside the Golden State political arena

Apr 03, 2024 View in browser   By Melanie Mason, Dustin Gardiner and Lara Korte Adam Gray in 2017 | (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) THE BUZZ: CENTRAL BANK — Deep in the heart of California’s farm country, Democrats are enjoying a fundraising bounty. The party’s picks for two of the fiercest House races in the state — and the country overall — each pulled in more than $1 million in the first quarter of 2024, according to figures shared exclusively with POLITICO. The seven-figure hauls are fueling optimism that Democrats can topple two incumbent Republicans who are precariously perched in blue-tinted districts. Rudy Salas, the former state lawmaker who is taking on GOP Rep. David Valadao, raised more than $1.3 million, his campaign said, and ended the quarter with $750,000 in the bank, after fending off fellow Democrat Melissa Hurtado in the March 5 primary. Adam Gray, also a former legislator, did not have a competitive primary to contend with but still swept up more than $1 million in donations and has roughly the same amount on hand for his match-up with GOP Rep. John Duarte. Salas’ primary caused some agita in his party at the time, fearing that a fractured Democratic vote could lead to Salas being shut out of a top-two finish entirely. But now, with his ticket to the general election secure, Salas said the early competition had one benefit. “It got people to pay attention a lot sooner to the race,” Salas said. That included getting boosts from party heavyweights such as Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sent out fundraising emails on Salas’ behalf, and Rep. Pete Aguilar, the third highest-ranking House Democrat, who walked precincts in Bakersfield in addition to steering donations Salas’ way. The city happens to be former GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s home turf — and Democrats have been especially hopeful that the absence of McCarthy, who took special interest in protecting targeted Central Valley Republicans, could give them an opportunity. But Aguilar, when asked if it was particularly gratifying for Democrats to have a strong showing in McCarthy territory, demurred — mostly. “Republicans have turned the page on their leadership team. They probably have a House speaker now who doesn't know where the Central Valley is,” Aguilar said, before insisting his party was more focused on the issues than the personalities involved. “Our focus is this — what are we going to do to lower the cost of prescription drugs? These are the things that Democrats care about,” he said. In both races, Democrats are gearing up for a rematch, after narrowly losing in 2022 (in Gray’s case, “narrow” is an understatement – he lost to Duarte by just 564 votes). The candidates are betting that a presidential election year will turn out more of their party’s voters, helping close the gap. Gray and Salas are also poised to be better resourced this time around. This quarter has been their most lucrative in either the 2022 or 2024 cycle. The Central Valley, one of the most impoverished parts of the state, is hardly a fundraising motherlode. Valadao has only notched a seven-figure quarterly haul once, in October 2020, as he was running to win back his seat. Duarte has never posted a million-dollar quarter. (Josh Harder, a Democratic congressmember and former venture capital investor in a light-blue district, has also raised seven figures in a quarter multiple times in the past). Neither Duarte nor Valadao have announced their quarterly finance numbers, which will be filed on April 20. A spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, in response to the Democrats’ totals, said “selling out Valley families to Newsom, Pelosi and Sacramento special interests was a way of life” for Salas and Gray. With one of the cheapest broadcast markets in the state, cash stretches especially far. “A million dollars goes a lot further here than it does in Orange County and LA,” Gray said. “It’s really going to put us in a position to run a competitive general election.” GOOD MORNING. Happy Wednesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Now you can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     ELECTION UPDATES California State Assembly member Evan Low in 2018. | Phillip Faraone/Getty Images | Getty Images LOW (BARELY) PULLS AHEAD — After nearly a month of trading leads with Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, Democratic Assemblymember Evan Low on Tuesday pulled ahead in the race for CA-16… …by just one vote.  The fight to head to the top-two runoff in November alongside former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has been a weeks-long nail-biter that has brought little clarity or comfort to the candidates stuck in limbo. County elections officials are set to certify the vote Thursday at which point any voter has a five-day window within to ask for a recount. As we mentioned last week, whoever requests one has to pay for it, which, depending on the method, could cost well into the six-figure range. No word yet from the campaigns on how they’re handling the insanity, or if they’ll request a recount. To Low and Simitian: If you’re reading this, give us a call back! BILLS BILLS BILLS California Attorney General Rob Bonta. | AP DON’T BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME — Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Attorney General Rob Bonta are teaming up to propose new rules for the state’s so-called builder’s remedy — a sledgehammer designed to pressure cities to comply with state housing policy. Developers can invoke the builder's remedy in cities that haven’t created a serious plan to reach their state-assigned housing construction targets. The developer can then build essentially wherever they want, regardless of zoning rules, provided a certain portion of the housing units are affordable for lower- and moderate-income residents. Wicks’ said her measure, Assembly Bill 1893, would expand the number of homes that could get built under the law and make it harder to block such projects in court. At a news conference Tuesday, Wicks and Bonta also praised a recent 2nd District Court of Appeals decision in which the judges held that California’s housing shortage is a “matter of statewide concern.” (More on that ruling below)   In celebration of Earth Month, the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability and the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, in collaboration with POLITICO, host “Climate Forward 2024: Climate at the Crossroads” on April 4, 2024 at USC. Top experts from politics, government, media, and academia will discuss climate change issues with a focus on finding practical policy and business solutions as well identifying ways to remove political obstacles to implementing those changes. Register to attend in person or virtually.     CLIMATE AND ENERGY YOU CAN KEEP YOUR AC — The California Energy Commission stopped short of a rule that would have pushed Californians to replace central air conditioners with heat pumps. But environmental groups plan to keep pushing — read more in last night’s California Climate. ON THE AGENDA POST-MCCARTHY ERA — Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson travels to Newport Beach tonight for a fundraiser with Scott Baugh, Matt Gunderson, Rep. Young Kim and Rep. Michelle Steel. The fundraiser is paid for by Johnson’s Grow the Majority PAC, and is his first concerted effort to back vulnerable California Republicans since taking over from former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.  Tickets to the dinner fundraiser range from $1,000 to $50,000. Hosts include Mary and Patrick Dirk, Steve Eggert, Yossie Hollander, David Horowitz, the Lincoln Club of Orange County, Carol and Dennis Troesh, Fred Whitaker, and Kimberly and John Word.  Top Talkers — California is building fewer family homes, and a slew of tax measures are partly responsible. (Los Angeles Times) — Assemblymember Matt Haney wants to give Californians the right to ignore their bosses after work hours. (East Bay Times) AROUND THE STATE — A U.S. District judge in LA denied all eight of Hunter Biden’s attempts to dismiss his tax offenses. (Los Angeles Times) — UC Davis is fighting a federal complaint alleging it failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from antisemitic harassment. (The Sacramento Bee) — Government properties would get a residential makeover under a bill introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff. (Orange County Register) — Tesla’s car sales short-circuited with its first year-over-year sales drop since early 2020. (Los Angeles Times) — State lawmakers can overrule housing limits passed by local voters. (San Francisco Chronicle) — The future of Disney is at stake as the battle for its coveted board seats comes to a head today. (Los Angeles Times) — with help from Ariel Gans PLAYBOOKERS IN MEMORIAM — Rep. Adam Schiff announced that his father, Ed Schiff, passed away at age 96. The representative, and likely soon-to-be senator, said father lived a full life, dedicated to his family. “Boca Eddie, as he was affectionately known, was an Army veteran, and a wonderful father, husband, grandfather and great grandfather,” Schiff reflected in a tweet. TRANSITIONS — Communications Director Erin Mellon is changing roles in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, transitioning to a senior adviser for communication, where she’ll focus on special projects and interagency collaboration. — Izzy Gardon will be taking over as communications director for the governor and handling the day-to-day demands of the office. — Jim Sutton, a veteran election and political law attorney, has joined Rutan & Tucker LLP as a partner in its San Francisco office. He will launch the firm’s first formal Election Law Practice group. 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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