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CalMatters Voter Guide for the June 2 primary and has everything you need to know about who’s running for governor, what races to watch, how to vote and more.
This year’s guide includes short video Q&As with each of the leading gubernatorial candidates on key topics such as housing, homelessness and climate. Watch them to learn why Tom Steyer believes California’s tax structure is unfair; what would Xavier Becerra do fix the country’s health care system; and what Chad Bianco says is “dumbest question I’ve ever heard.”
The guide also contains a brief overview of other government services, including the competition for Attorney General, secretary of state and insurance commissioner. You can find out each candidate’s experience and background, major endorsements, and who their top donors are. The governor’s race has already seen more than $200 million in donations, according to to the leadership of the electorate.
You can also learn more about the post-Proposition 50 landscape and how it’s shaping up key congressional races it could give Democrats a majority in the US House of Representatives and the ability to block President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. Five incumbent Republican seats could flip to Democrats, including two races in the Central Valley and San Diego County, which are on national watch lists for the closest races in the country.
All members of the California Assembly will be up for election this year, as will half of the state Senate seats. Several races are competitive and could help Republican efforts to chip away at the Democratic supermajority in the state legislature. Case in point: In two racesRepublican incumbents won by less than 600 votes in the last election; now Democrats are waging fierce battles to flip those seats. Meanwhile, an incumbent Democrat won with simple 13 votes in 2022, showing that every vote really counts.
In addition to our racial analyses, the voter guide has:
- Interactive quiz so you can find out which gubernatorial candidates match your views.
- Reply to general questionsfor example, what you do if you miss the voter registration deadline or mess up your ballot.
- Tools to search for your district competition.
The CalMatters Festival of Ideas brings together politicians, journalists and community leaders for conversations about the issues shaping California, including a main stage discussion with The Lincoln Project. Join us on May 21st in Sacramento. Buying tickets before the early bird prices expire on May 4th.
The CalMatters investigation “License to Kill.” of the California Department of Motor Vehicles was recently excellent the Frank A. Bleton Award for Local Reporting in the Poynter Journalism Awards, and also as a finalist for Excellence in Local and Regional Investigative Reporting in the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards.
Other stories you should know
A brother’s influence on AI policy?
Speaking of politics, CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang looks at Jim Steyer — the older brother of gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer — and how his role as CEO of Common Sense Media could affect the younger Steyer approach to regulating the technology industry.
Jim Steyer founded the influential California nonprofit in 2003 as a way to help parents screen movies, video games and digital content for age appropriateness. In recent years, he has turned his attention to the potential harms of social media and AI chatbots on young consumers.
Meanwhile, Tom Steyer serves on the nonprofit’s board of advisors. As a progressive candidate, he advocated regulating AI and requiring social media safety audits. Lawmakers and tech regulatory advocates are optimistic that Jim Steyer’s views could influence Tom Steyer’s policies if he takes office, while tech industry advocates are cautious about the prospect.
When asked about their relationship and Jim Steyer’s potential influence, Tom Steyer said he trusts his brother’s expertise but won’t “slavishly follow” what he says.
The high cost of college for asylum seekers in California
Attending college remained challenge for many of California’s student asylum seekersas they face expensive tuition and a lack of financial aid, write CalMatters’ Andrea Baltodano and Chrissa Olson College Journalism Network.
Unlike refugees, whose status is granted before entering the country, asylum seekers apply for status upon arrival and are among the least protected immigrants in the U.S. California had about 169,000 pending asylum cases in 2023, according to the most recent data.
Before establishing residency in California, asylum seekers are charged a nonresident tuition fee, about three times what residents pay for public universities and up to 13 times more for community colleges. They are also excluded from federal aid and some state financial aid programs, including tuition-waiver Cal Grants. New fees for asylum seekers introduced under Trump add further financial pressure.
Without access to help, some of these students experience homelessness and food insecurity. Two bills to expand Cal Grant eligibility for certain asylum seekers also failed in 2023 and 2019.
- Eric Kleinprogram director of social services at OASIS Legal Services, which supports asylum seekers in California: “I just see them struggling. I’m always surprised (when) a few clients tell me, ‘I just graduated college.’ I think, ‘Wow, how did that happen?’
Finally: health clinics file lawsuits to stop voting
A group that represents more than 2,300 community health clinics in California is suing a major health workers’ union to stop it from putting an initiative on the November ballot. The union’s proposal would impose rules on how health centers can spend their revenue and penalize clinics that don’t follow them. Read more by Kristen Huang of CalMatters.
California voices
Charging utility customers with surcharges that have nothing to do with the electricity they use – which can add nearly 37% to the average Californian’s electric bill – is unfair and unfair, Ahmad Holmes and Pat Fong Kushida writepresident and CEO of the California African American Chamber of Commerce and the California Chamber of Commerce, respectively.
Reader Reaction: While well-intentioned, some recent proposals to change parole conditions would inject politics into the board process that currently leads to the most modern and thorough parole system in the country. writes Jennifer Shafferformer executive director of the Parole Board.
Other things worth your time:
Two of the largest insurers in CA look for new rate hikes // San Francisco Chronicle
The Court’s Decision on Mifepristone threatens abortion access for rural Californians // Los Angeles Times
CA will soon have more than 300 data centers. Where will they get water from? // Grist
Record ocean heat off California coast kills seabirdschange the weather forecast // The Mercury News
SF Wardens, State Senator Arrested as May Day protest closes SFO road // San Francisco Chronicle
What layoffs hide in Silicon Valley about the future of the labor market // The Washington Post
The multi-year agreement is being repeated of Hollywood labor strikes in 2023 unlikely // The Wall Street Journal
CA prepares for uncertainty as the last shipment of Gulf oil arrives in Long Beach // Los Angeles Times
Orange County mother faces manslaughter charge after blue motorcycle crash kills man // The Guardian
