With Tom Steyer all but eliminated from California’s top-two gubernatorial runoff in November, he joins a long conga line of beaucoup-bucks, self-funding candidates who tried to buy their way into elected office in our state and failed miserably. This includes Carly Fiorina, Meg Whitman, A...

When I read all the hype being heaped on Kamala Harris’ lead in early polls for the 2028 Democratic nomination, I have to chuckle to myself. The release of a Rasmussen Reports poll in February was titled, “Kamala Harris Still Leads 2028 Field for Democrats.” One headline in the Hill predicted, “Kama...

In 2022, I penned a piece for The Hill about why there had never been a Democratic presidential nominee from California, let alone a Democratic president from the state.  Among other things, I posited that California was “the big kid on the block that everyone loves to hate,” includin...

OPINION – Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is threatening to come out of hiding to oppose the redistricting initiative that Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats are placing on the November ballot. He apparently wants to position himself as the Exterminator of the Democrats’ plan to counter t...

With Kamala Harris opting out of the 2026 race for governor of California, attention now turns to the remaining announced Democratic candidates in the field in this overwhelmingly Democratic state. There are six significant and arguably viable Democrats running, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis; ...

I have no inside knowledge or insight as to whether Kamala Harris will run for governor of California in 2026. I’m not looped into her inner circle or decision-making process. But as someone who has advised many potential candidates about whether to run for offices from president to city council, I ...

Next year will see a whole new governor’s race in the Golden State, to replace the term-limited Gavin Newsom. (Gosh, can his eight years almost be up already?) In my view, Newsom will be a very hard act to follow for any Democrat aspiring to take his place. Think what you will about Newsom’s persona...

OPINION – As a lifelong Democrat, I struggle with mixed emotions over the ubiquitous homeless encampments that blight our cities in California. I live in West Los Angeles, an upscale community where encampments are also rampant. We Democrats — the party of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act...

The Interruption Fest – otherwise known as the much-ballyhooed red vs. blue debate between Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – is mercifully over. It was admittedly my longest stretch watching Fox News for any reason, and the only time in my life that I tuned into Sean H...

Given that two of the last four California governors – Gavin Newsom and Gray Davis – acceded to the position after serving as lieutenant governor, some might assume that it is fairly logical and almost automatic for the No. 2 to advance to No. 1. Well, that would be wrong. In the entire 173-year his...