Political Breakdown

Progressive California lawmaker Aisha Wahab defeated BART Board President Melissa Hernandez in the special election to serve the remainder of former East Bay Representative Eric Swalwell’s term. Wahab’s victory comes despite millions spent by pro-Israeli lobbying group AIPAC to defeat her and support her more moderate Democratic opponent, Hernandez.

Marisa and Guy sit down with San Francisco Chronicle senior politics writer Joe Garofoli to talk about why this race got so much attention from AIPAC and what will happen when the two candidates face off again in November.

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American sports have always been political. But it seems like now more than ever, the WNBA has become a hyperfixation for the right wing. Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark have emerged as avatars for Conservatives, while the White House seems intent on stoking the flames of the culture wars that have erupted over race, gender and sexual orientation.

Marisa sits down with Howard Bryant, sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, to talk about the latest dustups, who’s to blame and whether it’s on the athletes to push back. 

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This November, California voters will consider Proposition 43 — a measure aimed at making it harder for cities and counties to raise local taxes. It’s sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. That’s the anti-tax group that brought California Proposition 13 in 1978, a landmark ballot measure limiting property tax increases.

Marisa sits down with the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Jon Coupal. They discuss Prop. 43 and California’s broader tax system. 

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New Berkeley IGS polling came out this week that sheds light on how Californians are thinking about November’s big ticket ballot items — including the controversial billionaire tax. Marisa is joined by Melanie Mason, California Bureau Chief and co-author of Politico’s California Playbook. They talk about the latest polling, plus Xavier Becerra’s lead over Steve Hilton in the governor’s race.
Then, they discuss the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, which Attorney General Rob Bonta has blocked, and why it’s splitting Democrats.
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Silicon Valley’s most rich and powerful technologists are trying to end democracy in favor of a corporate-run authoritarian world order. That’s what Gil Durán warns in his new book “The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy.” 

Marisa sits down with the journalist and former Democratic political advisor to discuss how tech billionaires — including Peter Thiel and Elon Musk — are contributing to the rise of what he dubs “tech fascism,” and what we can do to fight back. 

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The Trump administration is facing increased scrutiny over its use of federal agencies, such as the FBI and DHS, to reshape how our elections are run. That’s raising concerns that it could be harder for some eligible Americans to vote in the midterm elections.

Marisa sits down with David Becker, a former federal prosecutor and Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, to talk about where things stand ahead of November and what voters can expect.

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The California billionaire tax measure picked up major endorsements this week from the state Democratic Party and the California Labor Federation. The proposal to issue a one-time, 5% tax on the assets of the state’s billionaires has split Democrats, echoing deeper divides in the party ahead of a consequential midterm election. Guy Marzorati and the San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer Joe Garofoli discuss Prop. 40’s growing momentum and what Gov. Gavin Newsom’s continuing opposition could mean for his presidential ambitions. 

Then, they assess why Newsom is heading to Michigan this weekend, fresh off progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate primary victory. The race tested progressive candidates’ strength in a swing state and could shape midterm strategy here in California. 

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Marisa sits down with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who’s in his sixth year leading California’s second largest city. Gloria’s tenure has been marked by ambition, but it also shows how hard it is to implement the policies he previously pushed with colleagues in the state Legislature. 

Gloria was also recently elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, putting him on the front lines of battles between the Trump administration and local governments.

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Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America.

President Donald Trump repeatedly claims that the American election system is vulnerable and easily compromised. He has gone after electronic voting machines and ballot-counting systems, alleged that more than 250,000 noncitizens are on the voter rolls of four states and claimed foreign interference in the 2020 election from countries like China. 

Marisa is joined by NPR correspondent Shannon Bond to parse out the actual vulnerabilities. They discuss the difference between foreign interference and influence, AI’s growing role in political messaging, the loosening of online platform moderation and cuts to cybersecurity offices. 

If you missed them, you can still listen to our first three episodes in this series: 

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The state Legislature returns to Sacramento from summer recess on Monday, and they’ll face big questions about California’s messy energy transition. Who should bear the cost of damaging wildfires? How should the state prioritize its shrinking climate fund? What regulations should they impose on the rapid buildout of AI data centers? 

Guy discusses all that with two contributors to Politico’s California Currents newsletter: California environment reporter Camille von Kaenel and California energy reporter Noah Baustin. 

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