THE CAPITOL BRIEF
Top Stories
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a two-term councilmember, entered the race for mayor hours before the filing deadline and now has a strong chance to defeat incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in Tuesday's general election. Raman, an urban planner who co-founded a neighborhood homelessness coalition, differs with Bass mainly on approach to homelessness: Bass prioritizes clearing encampments into city-leased hotel rooms through Inside Safe, while Raman would maintain shelter capacity and shift money toward shared housing and rental subsidies.
Source: Politico California
Mayor Karen Bass and her City Council allies are using the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a closing argument against Raman, pointing to her past opposition to the Olympic bid and her votes against organizer contracts over the city's financial risk. Funding remains unsettled: Congress has allocated $1 billion for security, Los Angeles Metro has asked the Trump administration for $2 billion for traffic management, pedestrian improvements and additional buses, and that request has not been answered.
Source: Politico California
Governor Gavin Newsom is pressing state regulators to finish his signature water projects before he leaves office in early January, including a Bay-Delta habitat restoration deal he has worked on since 2022, the proposed Sites Reservoir in Northern California, and a proposal to tunnel under the Bay-Delta to send more water south to farms and cities. The habitat deal faces opposition from the federal government and Westlands Water District, and Sites Reservoir is months behind schedule on a key permit, with an early November approval vote planned.
Source: Politico California
Press Conferences and Media Briefings
Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday, October 30 secured a victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, his office's third legal victory in one week in the case over the Trump administration's effort to force California election officials to segregate and not count mail-in ballots returned by a list of approximately 20,000 individuals the administration believes are likely noncitizens. Bonta said the court ruling earlier in the week found the administration's methodology in creating the list vague and raising multiple questions regarding reliability. The October 30 win follows a Ninth Circuit dismissal of the federal government's first appeal on Monday, October 26, and a district court denial of the federal government's request for a temporary restraining order on Wednesday, October 28.
Source: Office of the Attorney General
Los Angeles: Steve Hilton, candidate for governor of California, will host a $3 gas event on Monday, November 2 at 12:00 p.m. at 11913 Compton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90059. The campaign said $3-a-gallon 87 Regular Unleaded will be offered to the first 150 vehicles, with a maximum of 12 gallons and one fill-up per vehicle per person, and that the media opportunity includes Hilton remarks, a press question and answer session, and interviews with event participants.
Inside the Legislature
No Senate or Assembly floor sessions are scheduled for Monday, November 2. The Senate website lists Today's Events for November 2, 2026 as: The Senate has adjourned for Final Recess.
Source: California State Senate
The Governor's Office
Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday, October 31 sent a letter to the Chief District Judges for the four federal district courts in California warning of potential election interference by the Trump administration, and highlighting resources for evaluating requests for search warrants for election materials. The letter says California's chain of custody, documentation and retention laws for ballots and ballot materials preserve any evidence, and encloses a resource from the UC Berkeley Edley Center on Law and Democracy, Questions for Assessing A Search Warrant for Election Materials (September 2026), for judges who may consider warrant applications between now and when California's election results are certified by December 11, 2026.
Source: Office of the Governor
Also on October 31, the Governor's office said California is expanding legal support for families as federal immigration enforcement intensifies, including for farmworkers and their families, and that community partners have connected more than 500,000 Californians with support. The 2026-27 state budget provides $193 million for immigration-related services, more than doubling support for immigration-related legal services, with a new attorney of the day pilot, immigration fellows for rural underserved areas, and dedicated free legal assistance for farmworkers and their families.
Source: Office of the Governor
Also on October 31, Governor Newsom highlighted the state's crackdown on dangerous products, including intoxicating hemp products and kratom-derived substances such as 7-OH. The California Department of Public Health has embargoed or destroyed approximately $10 million worth of kratom and 7-OH products. Since enforcement began, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has conducted 24,590 visits on intoxicating hemp, removed 7,403 products from shelves, and reported a 99.36 percent compliance rate among licensees, and has conducted 9,209 visits on kratom, removed 8,230 products, and reported a 97.97 percent compliance rate.
Source: Office of the Governor
On Friday, October 30, the Governor's office announced California is partnering with 112 community organizations through the Department of Health Care Services Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder Prevention and Education Program, which is investing more than $21 million statewide for outreach and education, naloxone distribution, workshops, peer navigation, and connections to treatment and recovery services. From September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, the awarded organizations will carry out the work in their communities.
Source: Office of the Governor
Fundraising
No campaign fundraiser for Monday, November 2 was publicly posted or announced in the sources checked this morning.
New Appointments
Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, October 30 announced the following appointments. Michael Martin, of Highland, Thomas Shaffer, of Murrieta, and Judy Corless, of Santa Ana, were appointed to the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Diane Gu, of Los Angeles, was appointed to the California Health Workforce Education and Training Council. Kary "Lynn" Matsuda, of Sacramento, was appointed to the California State Board of Optometry. Avygail Sanchez, of Los Angeles, was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy. None of the positions requires Senate confirmation. Compensation is $100 per diem for the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, the State Board of Optometry, and the State Board of Pharmacy positions, and $25 per diem for the California Health Workforce Education and Training Council position.
Source: Office of the Governor
People and Moves
No personnel move in California government or campaigns was publicly announced on October 30, 31, or November 1 in the sources checked this morning.
Boards and Commissions
No board or commission meeting for Monday, November 2 was listed in the sources checked this morning. The California Public Utilities Commission upcoming events page lists its next voting meeting on November 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the California State Personnel Board Auditorium, 801 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Source: California Public Utilities Commission
Reports and Studies
The Secretary of State on Friday, October 30 released the latest Report of Registration, reflecting data as of October 19, 2026. A record total of 23,273,590 eligible Californians are registered to vote. The report lists 10,464,099 registered Democrats, 44.96 percent of the total, 5,746,921 registered Republicans, 24.69 percent, and 5,357,086 voters registered with no party preference, 23.02 percent.
Source: Secretary of State
The Legislative Analyst's Office lists its most recent publication as The 2026-27 California Spending Plan: Health, dated October 19, 2026, which summarizes the 2026-27 health spending package, including Medi-Cal, State Hospitals, Public Health and Covered California. No LAO publication dated October 20 to November 2 was listed this morning.
Source: Legislative Analyst's Office
Talks and Addresses
No speech or address by a state official for Monday, November 2 was publicly announced in the sources checked this morning.
Conferences and Events
No conference or event for Monday, November 2 was listed in the sources checked this morning.
Rallies and Protests
No rally or protest at the Capitol on Monday, November 2 was announced in the sources checked this morning.
Odds and Ends
The Secretary of State's 2026 news releases list shows its most recent release dated October 30, 2026, releasing the Report of Registration. No Secretary of State release dated October 31, November 1, or November 2 was listed this morning.
Source: Secretary of State
Lobbying and Campaign Filings
Lobbying registration renewal for the 2027-2028 legislative session is taking place from November 1 to December 31, 2026, according to the Secretary of State's Political Reform Division. The division administers the Political Reform Act, and electronic data received by the Secretary of State is published on Cal-Access, the state's campaign and lobbying information system. No new lobbyist registration, lobbyist termination, lobbying client deletion, or candidate intention statement was listed in the Cal-Access pages checked this morning.
Source: Secretary of State
Campaign Notes
California's November 3 general election is tomorrow. The Secretary of State's elections page notes that eligible citizens who missed the October 19 online registration deadline may still complete Same Day voter registration through Election Day, November 3, at their county elections office or any in-person voting location in their county. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before November 3. November 3 is the last day to vote in person or return a ballot by 8:00 p.m. Polls on Election Day will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Source: Secretary of State