Political Breakdown
Join hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos as they unpack the day in politics with a California perspective. Featuring interviews with reporters and other insiders involved in the craft of politics—including elected officials, candidates, pollsters, campaign managers, fundraisers, and other political players—Political Breakdown pulls back the curtain to offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics works today.
The Overlooked History of Native Tribes in America’s Founding
This 4th of July marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Although we often remember the American Revolution as driven by anger over taxation and representation, journalist Rebecca Nagle says the country’s founding was also compelled by a hunger for Indigenous land. Nagle is the host of the new podcast First America, which unveils a history of our country’s founding that most Americans never learned. She joins Marisa to talk about how that history shapes the political moment we’re living through today.
But first, Marisa and Guy discuss a filmed...
A Final Week of Blockbuster SCOTUS Decisions
The Supreme Court term has come to an end with a flurry of blockbuster rulings. Today, the justices preserved birthright citizenship, striking down the executive order President Trump issued on the first day of his second term seeking to end it. They also ruled that states can bar transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports and loosened campaign finance restrictions by allowing candidates and political parties to coordinate their spending.
In earlier decisions, the court also undercut protections for immigrants and yesterday, it handed the president sweeping power to fire leaders of independent federal agencies.
...
The Fights That Shaped California’s November Ballot
Californians will vote on 14 ballot measures this November, including a voter ID initiative, two housing affordability bonds and an overhaul of the California Environmental Quality Act. The most dramatic negotiations ahead of the ballot finalization were over a billionaire wealth tax and a measure that will make it harder to pass local taxes. Marisa and Guy talk with Politico’s senior politics correspondent Jeremy B. White to dig into the showdowns in Sacramento that shaped the final ballot.
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The Politics of the World Cup
The World Cup is in full swing across North America, and the U.S. men’s team faces Turkey in its final group round appearance on Thursday. But behind the cheering fans and nail biting matches, FIFA's commitment to political neutrality is put to the test. Marisa sits down with Tariq Panja, global sports correspondent at The New York Times. They dig into the politics behind the games, from restrictions on Iran’s team and President Trump’s unusually close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
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California’s Slow Vote Count: Feature or Bug?
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether states can count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. The decision could dramatically reshape how elections are administered in California and nationwide. Meanwhile, California’s slow vote-counting process continues to draw national criticism. Marisa is joined by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, who spent nearly three decades as Santa Cruz County’s chief election official. Pellerin pushes back on criticisms of the state’s process, arguing it is working exactly as it should.
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LA Mayor’s Race May Become a “Slugfest” Between Former Allies
The feud between Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump escalated this week, with Newsom announcing the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating him and his wife. The decision to announce publicly before any official charges is unusual, but the investigation may help elevate Newsom as he weighs a possible presidential run. KQED’s Lesley McClurg and Guy Marzorati discuss what we know so far about the investigation and how it fits into Trump’s broader weaponization of the DOJ.
Plus: the race for Los Angeles mayor is headed to a runoff between two Democrats, and some...
Big Tech Spent Big on California's Primaries. Did Voters Buy It?
Silicon Valley spent big in California’s primaries. Venture capitalists, artificial intelligence executives and tech billionaires poured tens of millions of dollars into races up and down the ballot, trying to influence who will regulate them. For the most part, their preferred candidates fell short, a sign of growing anti-tech sentiment among voters. However, tech-backed super PACs managed to secure some notable victories.
KQED's Lesley McClurg is joined by Politico's Silicon Valley reporter Christine Mui to assess the impact of Big Tech's big spending.
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The Dust Settles on California’s Primary
Ballot counting in California is nearly complete and November matchups are coming into focus. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off for governor. In Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass will meet progressive City Councilmember Nithya Raman in the general election. Scott, Marisa and Guy dig into new endorsements, unpublished poll results and candidates’ paths to victory.
Track the latest election results here.
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Two Democratic Challengers Make the Case for Change
The Democratic Party is still searching for a path forward after losses in the 2024 election. With the November midterms looming, Democrats are trying different strategies to win back the hearts and votes of the electorate. Do they focus on ideology, running more populist, progressive candidates? Or do they make the case that the party needs a generational shift in leadership?
Marisa and Scott are joined by two congressional candidates running on change who have made it through the primaries to take on longtime incumbents. Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang is challenging Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui in Sacramento...
Is California's Election System 'Crooked'? An Election Integrity Expert Weighs In
California county election workers are still counting votes from last week’s primary, and President Donald Trump is once again alleging, without evidence, that the state’s election system is rigged. Scott and Marisa talk to David Becker, executive director and founder of the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Election Innovation & Research.
Track the latest election results here.
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San Francisco Voters Are Buying What Daniel Lurie Is Selling
With primary week drawing to a close, San Francisco’s early returns suggest that two people not on the ballot have come out on top: Mayor Daniel Lurie and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Scott, Marisa, Guy and KQED’s Sydney Johnson turn to the races and ballot measures in San Francisco, analyzing what the results so far tell us, even with nearly half the votes still left to count.
Track the latest election results here.
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California’s Slow Count and What the Results Mean So Far
Why does it take so long to count votes in California, and what do the results tell us so far? Marisa, Scott and Guy make sense of the primary election with Melanie Mason, Politico's California Bureau Chief and co-author of the California Playbook. They discuss President Trump's election fraud allegations, early returns in the governor's race, the first post-Proposition 50 redistricting maps in action and the Los Angeles mayor's race.
Track the latest election results here.
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California Races to Watch as Election Results Roll In
California’s primary election results are trickling in, but many races remain too early to call. KQED’s politics team digs into the early numbers in the governor’s race, where Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra lead with Democrat Tom Steyer in third place. Plus: competitive congressional races, the insurance commissioner’s contest and the Los Angeles mayor’s race.
Track the latest election results here.
For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out KQED’s Voter Guide.
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Tom Steyer Vows to Challenge Corporate Power and Protect Workers from AI
Democratic activist and billionaire investor Tom Steyer has won support from progressives in his bid for governor. Although critics have questioned whether his tremendous wealth distances him from the concerns of everyday Californians, Steyer argues he has the independence to take on utilities and oil companies.
Earlier this week, Steyer took questions from a live audience at a KQED town hall moderated by Guy Marzorati.
For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out KQED’s Voter Guide.
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California Primary Crunch Time
California’s unpredictable race for governor is in the final stretch. Scott, Marisa and Guy dissect the final polls as an unusually high number of Democratic voters have yet to return their ballots. Plus, they spotlight a few other down-ballot races worth watching before voting ends.
For election information including our voter guide, go to kqed.org/voterguide.
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California's Only Toss-Up House Race
Democrats have long had their sights on Congressional District 22 in the Central Valley, where Republican Rep. David Valadao has managed to hold onto the Democratic-leaning district for most of the past 13 years. Cook Political Report lists it as the only toss-up House race in the state after last year’s redistricting measure flipped five Republican-held seats blue.
Now, two Democrats are competing for the chance to face Valadao in the November general election: moderate state Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains and progressive college professor Randy Villegas. CalMatters politics reporter Maya C. Miller joins Scott, Marisa and Guy to break do...
Trump Cuts a $1.8 Billion Deal With Himself
President Donald Trump and the Justice Department, led by his appointee Todd Blanche, have reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Services. The deal includes a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for people who claim to be victims of government retaliation. It also includes an addendum providing widespread legal immunity to the president, his family and their businesses.
Critics are calling it a slush fund and government-sanctioned corruption. Marisa is joined by Danny Nguyen, a reporter at Politico covering the I.R.S., to explain why the deal is drawing bipartisan backlash.
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Chad Bianco Wants to Slash Taxes and Regulations
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco promises that if elected governor, he will cut taxes, shrink government and root out fraud. At a KQED town hall earlier this week moderated by Marisa Lagos, Bianco took wide-ranging questions from a live audience on topics including public schools, housing shortages, road conditions and immigration.
For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out KQED’s Voter Guide.
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Cracking Open and Breaking Down San Francisco’s Ballot
Marisa, Guy and KQED’s Sydney Johnson crack open San Francisco’s ballot and dig into the competing business-tax measures Proposition D and Proposition C, the Sunset District supervisor’s race and what an ideal election night would look like for Mayor Daniel Lurie, who’s weighed in on all of it.
Plus, they discuss the race to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress and her endorsement this week of San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan.
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And join us for a town hall at KQED with Tom Steye...
The $7 Hamburger Case That Could Transform California’s Bail System
Now that all of the governor debates are behind us, Marisa and Guy discuss what the latest polls reveal about where the candidates stand. They also examine the closing arguments from the top two Democratic contenders: Xavier Becerra is asking voters to judge him by his record, while Tom Steyer wants them to judge him by his enemies.
PG&E Spends Millions Against Tom Steyer. What’s Behind the Clash?
Xavier Becerra Says He Will Fight for California. Who Did He Fight for as AG?
Plus, a recent California Supreme Court ruling in fav...
Journalist Who Investigated the Migrant Child Crisis Weighs in on Becerra’s Record
In the race for California governor, Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra faces allegations that he failed to protect migrant children when he served as health and human services secretary under the Biden administration. But are those attacks fair?
Marisa is joined by the New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2023 investigation into what was happening to the huge influx of unaccompanied migrant children pouring into the U.S. She found that the federal government was not keeping tabs on these minors after they were released to adult sponsors. Most of them, desperate...
We Asked Newsom's Former Campaign Manager to Size Up the Current Governor's Race
With the June primary now just 18 days away, the California governor’s race has been completely transformed, reshaped by scandal, rapidly changing poll numbers and bruising debates. Marisa and Guy sit down with Democratic political consultant Addisu Demissie, who worked on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign. They size up the remaining field and discuss how the candidates are performing on the debate stage, in polls and in voters’ eyes.
For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out KQED’s Voter Guide.
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Newsom Unveils Final Budget Proposal
Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his eighth and final budget proposal today, with a possible presidential bid on the horizon and a crowded field of candidates jockeying to succeed him. His proposal is fully balanced, seeking to offset significant federal spending cuts, but does not introduce major new spending.
Marisa and Guy are joined by KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart to unpack the details of Newsom’s plan and what it signals about his priorities in his last stretch as governor.
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California’s Home Insurance Market Is in Crisis. Can a New Insurance Commissioner Fix It?
California is in the grip of a home insurance crisis. Climate change, wildfires and inflation are driving costs through the roof, major insurers have fled the state or dropped coverage and the state's last-resort FAIR plan has drawn plenty of criticisms — all while companies push for even higher rates.
Voters are about to elect a new insurance commissioner to oversee it all. Scott and KQED science reporter Danielle Venton look at what's driving the crisis and how candidates say they'd fix it.
For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 prim...
Katie Porter Fields Questions on Housing, Gas Prices, AI Agenda at KQED Town Hall
Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter is aiming to make history as the first woman elected governor of California. She's known for flipping a House seat blue in 2018 and for grilling CEOs with her signature whiteboard.
After leaving Congress to run for the U.S. Senate in 2024 and losing, Porter is back on the campaign trail, leaning into her identity as a single mom in a minivan who's focused on the affordability of things like housing, childcare, groceries and healthcare.
She took questions from a live audience at KQED's town hall gathering earlier this week. <...
Governor and L.A. Mayor Hopefuls Face Off in a Week of Fiery Debates
Ballots have arrived and voters are now weighing their options in the races for California governor and Los Angeles mayor.
After two spirited and fiery debates this week, the gubernatorial candidates have given voters no shortage of material to think about as they decide who will replace Governor Gavin Newsom. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss how the Democratic and Republican contenders are making their case to voters.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the three leading mayoral candidates faced off in their first televised debate this week. The field includes embattled incumbent Karen Bass, Republican reality TV...
The Fight for the House Runs Through California
California will once again play a big role in determining which party controls the U.S. Congress next year. That’s in part because of the mid-decade redistricting battle that President Trump set off last summer, but it’s also tied to a recent Supreme Court ruling that has prompted several Southern states to redraw their maps even after some voters have cast their ballots.
Marisa and Scott sit down with Guy to discuss how the Democratic Party’s internal debates over generational change are shaping key congressional races.
Then they’re joined by Erin Covey, edi...
SCOTUS Just Shattered the Crown Jewel of the Civil Rights Era. Now What?
The Supreme Court last week dealt a major blow to the Voting Rights Act, the 1965 landmark law long celebrated as the crown jewel of the civil rights era. In a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines, the conservative majority dismantled the remaining protections guaranteeing the equal opportunity for fair representation. Scott and Marisa discuss what the decision means for 2026 elections and beyond with Kareem Crayton, vice president of the Washington office of the Brennan Center for Justice.
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Inside California’s Billionaire Tax Fight and the Wide-Open Governor’s Race
Ballots for California’s June primary hit mailboxes next week, yet the governor’s race remains up for grabs. After a chaotic, combative governor debate this week, Marisa and Guy sit down with New York Times reporter Laurel Rosenhall to analyze the state of the race.
Then, they turn to the proposed billionaire tax measure that’s one step closer to appearing on California’s fall ballot and the multiple attempts by billionaires to block that initiative.
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How Prediction Markets are Colliding With California and National Politics
Prediction markets have exploded in recent years, with platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi allowing people to put real money on everything from sports outcomes to election results to armed conflicts overseas. Marisa, Scott and Guy discuss how these markets are influencing state and national politics. Then, they’re joined by Kate Knibbs, senior writer at WIRED, to understand who’s governing these platforms and how they’ve managed to flourish even in states where gambling is illegal.
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How California Became an Epicenter of Hospice Fraud
California has become a hotbed of hospice fraud, with sham companies defrauding Medicare out of hundreds of millions of dollars. It has triggered a political blame game, with the Trump administration and Democrats pointing fingers over who is responsible. Scott and Marisa break down how hospice scams became so rampant and what’s being done about it with New York Times reporter Soumya Karlamangla.
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Did Anyone Break Through in The California Governor's Debate?
The leading candidates for California governor squared off this week in the first televised debate since East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell exited the race. Broadcast statewide on Nexstar stations, the showdown featured sharp attacks on the leading Democratic candidates, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire investor Tom Steyer.
Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze the candidates’ performances with one of the debate moderators, news anchor Nikki Laurenzo of FOX40.
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Bianco’s Governor Bid: Badge, Bible and Ballot Boxes
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is one of the top polling candidates in the race for California governor. The Republican contender has spent his career in law enforcement, and despite being a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, Bianco did not win the president’s endorsement.
Bianco sits down with Marisa to talk about his pledge to cut taxes and spending. They discuss his being “raised by a town of men” in Utah, how his evangelical faith shapes his approach to public service and how his experience as a sheriff equips him to govern the state. He also a...
The Future of California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant
California has just one nuclear power plant in operation: PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant on the Central Coast. Under current state law, it can only run until 2030, but lawmakers are debating whether to extend it. Scott and Marisa are joined by KQED climate reporter Laura Klivans to dig into the fight over Diablo Canyon's future, the pros and cons of nuclear power and whether it makes economic sense to keep the plant open.
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Which Governor Candidates Benefit From Swalwell's Downfall?
Now that Rep. Eric Swalwell has ended his campaign for governor, the remaining contenders are scrambling to scoop up his endorsements, donors and voters. Scott, Marisa and Guy assess which candidates stand to benefit the most from Swalwell's departure and review how the candidates are re-introducing themselves to Californians.
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How Much of California’s High Gas Prices Are Related to War in Iran?
The war in Iran is disrupting global energy markets and Californians are feeling the effects at the pump. Marisa and Scott get into the latest on the conflict and how much it’s driving spikes in gas prices with The Atlantic staff writer Missy Ryan. Then, they’re joined by Severin Borenstein, faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas, to discuss why California consistently has among the highest gas prices in the country.
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Inside the Investigation That Ended Swalwell's Career
When the San Francisco Chronicle published the story of a woman accusing Rep. Eric Swalwell of rape, his surging gubernatorial campaign collapsed within days. Swalwell still denies the most serious allegations but he has since resigned his House seat.
Scott and Marisa talk to the San Francisco Chronicle's Sophia Bollag, who broke the story alongside her colleague Alexei Koseff. She describes how the story came together and what it took to bring to light a secret that political insiders have since admitted has circulated around Swalwell for years.
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How Swalwell's Campaign Collapsed
Rep. Eric Swalwell announced his intent to resign from Congress today, a swift collapse for the East Bay Democrat who a week ago was a leading candidate for California governor. Swalwell's campaign imploded in a matter of days following sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staffer and three other women. He ended his campaign on Sunday.
Now, Democrats are left picking up the pieces of a tumultuous race with no clear frontrunner. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the fallout on this special extra edition of Political Breakdown.
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California Governor Candidate Eric Swalwell Accused of Sexual Assault
A former staff member is accusing East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell of sexually assaulting her twice while she was too inebriated to consent, according to a San Francisco Chronicle investigation. Swalwell, a leading candidate for California governor, said in a statement that the allegations are false. His attorney sent a cease and desist letter to the accuser.
Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss what the allegations could mean for the governor's race and how Democrats are responding.
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Eric Swalwell Vows to Keep Fighting Trump if Elected California’s Next Governor
Congressmember Eric Swalwell built a national profile challenging President Donald Trump during two impeachment trials. Now, the East Bay congressman and former county prosecutor wants to be California’s next governor.
Swalwell sits down with Marisa and Scott to talk about his promise to be California’s “fighter and protector,” his ambitious housing plans and corporate fairness tax and why Trump ordered the FBI to dig up a decades-old investigation into Swalwell’s ties to a suspected Chinese spy. He also reflects on growing up in a sports family, the lessons he took from his father’s career as a p...
