Capitol Weekly Podcast

This is a Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast, recorded live in Sacramento at A Post-Mortem of the 2026 Election, presented by Capitol Weekly and the University of California Student and Policy Center on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

This episode we present Panel 1, The Blue Wave

Republicans paid a historic price at the ballot box on Tuesday, losing both houses of congress by huge margins. Democrats now hold a majority of Governorships, and they expanded their margins in statehouses across the country, including California. What to make of this 'Blue Tsunami' - and what impact did Proposition 50 - which redrew California’s congressional districts - play?

Panelists: Sean Clegg, Bearstar Strategies; Rusty Hicks, California Democratic Party; Lindsay Hopkins, SEIU California; Andre Levesque, Gilliard Blanning and Levesque

Moderated by journalist and Author Dan Morain.

This episode was originally published with the wrong audio file. We regret the error.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we welcome Senator Monique Limón (D- Santa Barbara), the Senate President pro Tempore.  Limón is the first Latina, the first woman of color and the first mother to hold the position. She spoke with us about her tenure so far as leader of the legislature's upper body, what she expects from the coming year, and about her friend and mentor, the late Dolores Huerta, who passed the day we recorded this interview.

2:09 Assessing students' math ability

2:27 Sports in prison

4:38 Anchor and Tree

5:07 A Post-Mortem of the 2026 Election

7:22 Senator Monique Limón

10:14 Philosophy of leadership

13:09 Big issues

15:54 The election

20:19 Relationship with Xavier Becerra

23:00 Dolores Huerta

27:07 Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Politicians generally see public appearances as a chance to gain some media attention and to get their message out into the greater world. Whether or not that goes smoothly is almost always attributable to having a solid advance team. A great advance person is equal parts drill sergeant, Energizer Bunny and psychic, with an obsessive attention to detail. On today's show we are joined by Carol Dahmen-Eckery, who for decades was one of the most well-known and respected campaign managers and advance team leaders in the business, who shares a plethora of insights and lessons from her years being the one to stop problems before they could even occur.

3:15 Capitol Caffeine series

4:18 Age evolution around the Capitol

5:10 Carol Dahmen-Eckery

6:19 Press conference at a freeway entrance

7:57 The role of the Advance team

8:47 The last event of the 1998 Gray Davis campaign

10:29 "Discount Advance"

12:05 The biggest challenges

13:34 Security

15:22 How the candidate's personality affects the event

18:02 Essential Advance skills

20:39 Secret Service

22:37 Career path

25:50 Getting the candidate TO the event

27:53 "Years of experience"

28:13 The Martin Sheen story

31:02 Get in the trenches

32:23 Failure is a good teacher

33:25 Still staffing Gray Davis

36:31 #WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation
here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 
"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io
 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guest today is Eloy Oakley, the President of the College Futures Foundation. He earlier served as Chancellor of California's Community Colleges and was on the Board of Regents for the University of California. Oakley himself is a community college success story - he attended Golden West College before transferring to UC Irvine where he earned a BA and MBA. He argues that postsecondary attainment isn't just an education issue, it's an economic one. The research backs him up: studies suggest that California could unlock trillions of dollars in long-term economic gains by better developing the talent that's already here. 

1:09 The Insurance Commissioner race

1:22 The Tribes vs. prediction markets

1:52 The undervote

3:38 Post-Mortem of the Election

4:53 Eloy Oakley

8:12 A different definition of "college"

10:56 Advice: Broaden your education

13:23 A Working Learner

17:08 The changing labor market

19:53 What the candidates for governor say

23:42 The Golden Ticket

27:01 Funding

29:14 A clear through line between education and better economic outcomes

31:32 Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics?

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode we discuss two very different aspects of family. First up is our conversation with former Sacramento Bee editorial columnist Tom Philp, who joins us to talk about his moving five-part series examining how California’s mental health system is failing the families who need its help the most. Then we are joined by Ken Monroe, chairman of the Family Business Association of California, who highlights some of the challenges and opportunities facing California’s family-owned businesses.

2:47 Haney’s AB 2344

3:42 How do lobbying firms grow?

4:13 Tom Philp

5:22 Series on Califia Carlisle

7:52 State history on behavioral health

10:18 CARE Court: “The teeth were taken out.”

13:51 Incredibly challenging to cover

18:40 “It was a story of systemic failure.”

22:04 What can be done to get off of this track?

24:53 How can cities and counties work better together? 

28:18 “All of the creators of content are under attack”

33:01 Ken Monroe

33:36 What is the Family Business Association?

39:35 “We talk with a lot of people who have just given up.”

40:39 Holt & Caterpillar tractor’s origins in Stockton

42:05 Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA)

45:43 What’s the message from the legislature?

48:20 Have you seen change post PAGA reform?

51:01 One size does not fit all

55:16 We spend all of our time defending ourselves

57:31 #WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation
here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way"; by Eddie Lang 
"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kelly Calkin heads Calkin Public Affairs, a Sacramento-based firm that advises some of the biggest names in California politics. Calkin has a different background from many of his public affairs colleagues - he cut his teeth working for Labor, first at the California Building and Construction Trades State Council then for the California Professional Firefighters. Later stints with the Personal Insurance Federation of California and PG&E broadened his portfolio and gave him a look at the "business" side of doing business in California. He launched CPA thirteen years ago, but "refreshed" and expanded the firm in 2025. He joined us to talk about his career, how government affairs has changed, and his approach to making things happen in California. Plus, as always, we tell you who had the Worst Week in California Politics.

:46 Props to California

6:40 Legislation wrap-up

7:11 The effort to reintroduce Grizzly Bears

10;00 Swim California

11:43 NIL legislation

13:20 Kelly Calkin

14:40 Starting with Labor

19:30 To California Professional Firefighters

22:11 "Can i staff the BBQ?"

23:11 Why the reorganization?

26:53 Authenticity

29:45 How to present

36:26 Lobbying vs. Public Affairs

39:03 When a client isn't a good fit

41:45 #WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation

here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at California Health Care which was held in Sacramento on September 23, 2026.

This is Panel 1: The Impact of H. R. 1

Our panelists are: Ben Avey, WellSpace Health; Tam Ma, UC Office of the President; Katie Rodriguez, California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems; Christine Smith, Health Access; Josh Stehlik, California Immigrant Policy Center

Moderated by Rich Ehisen, Capitol Weekly

Thanks to our event sponsors:

THE CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION, THE TRIBAL ALLIANCE OF SOVEREIGN INDIAN NATIONS, WESTERN STATES PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION, KP PUBLIC AFFAIRS, CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, PERRY COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, CAPITOL ADVOCACY, THE WEIDEMAN GROUP, CALKIN PUBLIC AFFAIRS, STUTZMAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS, LUCAS PUBLIC AFFAIRS and FIONA HUTTON & ASSOCIATES

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're joined today by Larry Lee, Publisher of The Sacramento Observer, and head of the rapidly expanding OBSERVER Media Group, which now includes the Sacramento News and Review, the Chico News and Review, and the Stockton Observer. The Sacramento Observer was founded in 1962 by Lee's father, Dr. William H. Lee, radio personality Geno Gladden, and businessman John W. Cole. The Observer has a well-deserved reputation for excellence, and has been named the "Best Black Newspaper in America" eight times. And, speaking of excellence, The Observer is hosting the 2026 ONYX Awards, honoring Sacramento's most influential and respected Black leaders. Lee Gives us the history of the paper, shares his vision for OBSERVER Media, and talks about the honorees of this year's ONYX Awards, including Hall of Famer Willie Brown.

1:35 Card room story

1:50 Megan Yee

2:10 Byron Sher

4:00 Larry Lee

5:19 "The Nation's Best Black Newspaper"

7:40 Black press began in 1847

9:18 Food reviews from Greg Lucas

11:43 Dr. Lee and Ronald Reagan

14:40 Relationships!

16:01 Stockton Observer

22:50 The ONYX Awards

25:26 There are many political players on the ONYX list

26:22 Hall of Fame: Willie Brown

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re joined today by Asm. Josh Lowenthal (D – Long Beach) who spoke with us about his bills, AB 1709 and AB 2 - both signed by the governor last week – to regulate Social Media use by children and to hold tech companies financially liable when they cause harm. We also chat about a bill that did not make it out of the legislature - Senate Bill 1013, an effort to regulate the use of Flock cameras. Plus, as always, we tell you who had the Worst Week in California Politics.

1:08 AB 1709 and AB 2 have been signed

2:22 Now on the Capitol Weekly website

3:18 Asm. Josh Lowenthal

0:48  AB 1709 and AB 2

4:57 85% spike in child suicide rate

6:34 Social media screen time vs. television screen time

8:21 An attempt to regulate social media

12:48 Why the legislation is not a total ban for kids

15:15 Social media and marginalized communities

16:41 SB 1013 to regulate Flock cameras

18:80 Law enforcement opposition

20:50 “How much technology do we employ to keep us safe?”

22:13 Joe Jost’s

23:40 #WWCA

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation
here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're joined by Mariel Garza, co-founder and executive editor of the Golden State Report. Garza was a longtime reporter and editor for mainstream California news organizations, including the Sacramento Bee and the Los Angeles Times, until she abruptly resigned from the L.A. Times’ editorial board in October 2024 after owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong blocked publication of an endorsement of Kamala Harris for president. Garza spoke with us about her decision to leave the Times, why she and her colleagues have launched a new independent media venture, and what she's watching in the Los Angeles mayors race.

Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/

Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang 

"#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.