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Becerra leads Hilton by wide margin as voters choose California's next governor
Democrat Xavier Becerra leads Republican Steve Hilton 61 percent to 34 percent in a final UC Berkeley poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. The winner succeeds term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom and would be California's first Latino elected governor in 150 years.
Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to set aside 20,000 California ballots
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused the Justice Department's emergency request to force California to segregate ballots from about 20,000 voters the administration alleges may be noncitizens. No justice publicly dissented, leaving lower court rulings for California in place.
Desert Sun $ · Associated Press · 11/2/26
Path to a House majority runs through California's redrawn districts
CalMatters identifies the California races that could decide House control, with Democrats poised to flip at least three Republican seats under Proposition 50 maps. The closest contests include Rep. David Valadao against Randy Villegas and a San Diego area open seat.
Voters deliver midterm verdict, with House leaning Democratic and Senate uncertain
Reuters reports polls and nonpartisan analysts favor Democrats to take the House in Tuesday's midterms, while Senate control remains uncertain across nearly 10 close races. Democrats need to flip three House seats and four Senate seats to win each chamber.
Reuters $
Early voting tops 6.4 million ballots, running well ahead of 2022
More than 6.4 million California ballots had been cast by Sunday, about 934,000 more than at the same point in the 2022 midterms, according to the Secretary of State. Registered Democrats accounted for about 51 percent of the ballots tracked by Political Data Inc.
New York Post · KTVU · 11/2/26
Bass and Raman tied at 40 percent in Los Angeles mayor race
Mayor Karen Bass has erased Councilmember Nithya Raman's 11 point September lead, with a UC Berkeley poll for the Los Angeles Times showing both at 40 percent and 19 percent undecided. A Bass loss would be a first for an incumbent mayor since 2005.
USA Today · New York Post · 10/28/26
Proposition 40 billionaire tax splits Democrats and trails in polls
Voters decide Proposition 40, a one-time 5 percent tax on residents worth over $1 billion, backed by the state Democratic Party and labor but opposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Recent polls show it short of a majority, and Propositions 41 and 42 could nullify it.
Political.org · New York Post · 11/2/26
Eight of 12 statewide offices are open as voters pick Bonta, Weber successors and rivals
Beyond the governor's race, voters choose 11 other statewide offices, eight with no incumbent on the ballot. Attorney General Rob Bonta faces Republican Michael Gates, and Secretary of State Shirley Weber faces Republican Donald Wagner, who supports Proposition 39 voter ID rules.
KION Central Coast · 11/2/26
Legislature
Legislative races test Republican gains and tech-backed Democrats
All 80 Assembly seats and half the state Senate are on the ballot, with results not expected to end Democratic supermajorities in either house. The tests are whether Republicans hold seats flipped in 2024 and whether tech-backed committees can elect more moderate Democrats.
Campaigns and Ballot Measures
Wiener defends poll lead over Chan in race to succeed Pelosi
State Sen. Scott Wiener leads Supervisor Connie Chan 47 percent to 41 percent in a USC poll of the race for Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco seat, within the margin of error. About $14 million backs Wiener, compared with just over $4 million for Chan.
Bay Area Brief · USA Today · 11/2/26
Wahab and Hernandez meet again for a full term in East Bay House district
Rep. Aisha Wahab, who beat Melissa Hernandez 53.1 percent to 46.9 percent in August's special election for Eric Swalwell's former seat, faces the same opponent for a full two-year term. The November race runs on new Proposition 50 lines that take in more of Dublin.
Bay Area Brief · 10/29/26
Proposition 39 would require government ID to vote in California
Proposition 39 would require government-issued identification for in-person voting and added identifying information on mail ballots, plus a sworn citizenship declaration. Reform California backs the measure, while the League of Women Voters and ACLU California Action oppose it.
New York Post · KION Central Coast · 11/2/26
Governor
Newsom proposes raising film and TV tax credit to at least $1 billion
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed expanding California's film and television tax credit from $750 million to at least $1 billion a year and extending it through 2040. The plan adds credits for above-the-line pay, $100 million for independent productions and a bonus for multi-production commitments.
The Wrap $ · New York Post · 11/2/26
Courts
Court check finds few California noncitizen voting cases, with steep stakes for defendants
Reporters who checked federal court records found the Justice Department has charged more than three dozen Californians in its noncitizen voting push, many for registration or naturalization statements rather than voting itself. Legal experts say prosecutors must prove intent, while defendants face possible deportation.
Housing
Proposition 1 asks voters to borrow $11.25 billion for housing
Proposition 1 would authorize $11.25 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, covering new construction, rehabilitation, preservation and veteran home assistance. Repayment would cost the state an estimated $500 million to $600 million a year for about 25 years.
New York Post · KION Central Coast · 11/2/26
Proposition 37 would create a loan program for middle-income homebuyers
Proposition 37 would fund a state-backed program offering loans of up to 17 percent of the purchase price for new homes, backed by up to $25 billion in revenue bonds. Buyers must earn under 200 percent of area median income and put 3 percent down.
New York Post · 11/2/26
State awards $9.14 million more to expand factory-built housing
The California Strategic Growth Council awarded $9.14 million from its Factory-Built Housing Regional Pilot Program, on top of $10 million awarded in August. Projects include wildfire-resilient modular housing in Los Angeles County, mass timber prototypes near Tahoe and a Bay Area manufacturing hub study.
California Strategic Growth Council · 11/2/26
Energy and Climate
Critics warn Proposition 45 fast track could extend to data centers
Proposition 45 would cap CEQA environmental reviews at 365 days and require court challenges to conclude within 270 days for nine categories of essential projects. Environmental advocates and legal scholars warn data centers could qualify under the measure's broadband category, which supporters dispute.
Silicon Report · 11/1/26
Health
Proposition 44 would require clinics to spend 90 percent of revenue on patient care
Proposition 44 would require federally qualified health centers to direct at least 90 percent of revenue to direct patient care and services, with fines for clinics that fall short. The California Medical Association and California Primary Care Association oppose the measure.
New York Post · 11/2/26
Education
Proposition 3 would make the high-income tax for schools permanent
Proposition 3 would extend California's income tax surcharge on high earners beyond its 2031 expiration, keeping an estimated $5 billion to $15 billion a year for K-12 schools and community colleges. The California Teachers Association supports it and the California Taxpayers Association opposes it.
KION Central Coast · New York Post · 11/2/26
Workplace
CSU faculty vote on strike authorization as talks move to factfinding
California Faculty Association members are voting through Nov. 19 on whether to authorize a strike against the California State University system. Mediation has ended, the dispute moves to factfinding this month, and faculty at Cal Poly Pomona rallied alongside other campus unions.
Wildfire and Insurance
FEMA rent help ends for Los Angeles fire renters as state seeks more recovery money
Federal rental assistance for renters displaced by the Eaton and Palisades fires ended Oct. 9, while homeowners remain eligible through July 2027. California says $732 million in approved public assistance still awaits federal sign-off, and it is seeking about $16 billion in long-term recovery grants.
SF Inquirer · 11/2/26
Business
Investors weigh market effects of a possible shift in Congress
Reuters reports investors are focused on whether a strong Democratic showing adds volatility, particularly for the AI trade and data center buildout. UBS assigns 50 percent probability to a Democratic sweep and 40 percent to Democrats taking the House while Republicans keep the Senate.
Washington
Only one California Republican in Congress signed pledge to seat newly elected members
Rep. Kevin Kiley is the only member of California's Republican House delegation to sign a bipartisan pledge to seat members-elect with valid election certificates. Rep. Young Kim said she will seat new members, and several other California Republicans did not respond to CalMatters.
CalMatters · 11/2/26
Early voting passes 57 million nationwide, a midterm record
More than 57 million Americans voted before Election Day, passing the 2022 and 2018 early totals, according to University of Florida Election Lab figures. Analysts caution the early vote does not predict outcomes, and California accounts for nearly 40 percent of the Democratic registration margin.
Odds and Ends
Dungeness crab season delayed again to protect humpback whales
For the seventh straight year, California officials are delaying the commercial Dungeness crab season, which normally starts Nov. 15, until at least Jan. 1 because of humpback whale entanglements in fishing gear. The delay covers waters from the Oregon border south to Point Conception.
Saving Seafood · 11/2/26