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From left, Betty Yee, Antonio Villaraigosa, Tony Thurmond, Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Matt Mahan and Xavier Becerra participate in a gubernatorial candidate forum hosted by California Immigrant Policy Center, California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation, and ACLU California Action at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento on April 14, 2026.
Even after Rep. Eric Swalwell’s swift and sudden exit, the race for governor is still frustratingly murky on the Democratic side, with seven major candidates splitting the vote. As party faithful hope for divine intervention, heavyweights like the speaker emerita and the current governor refuse to weigh in.Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, the face of the party in California, is not interested in elevating a successor. Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, who faces criticism for not using his position to cull the field, has relied on party-commissioned polls and vague pleas for candidates to “honestly assess” their campaign’s viability, refusing to openly pressure anyone to drop out. Even former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — known for urging then-Rep. Adam Schiff to run for Senate and former President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid — won’t intervene.Eric Swalwell’s exit from the race this week, the Democratic field remains unwieldy, with seven major candidates still splitting the field less than three weeks before ballots are sent. Each of them refuses to bow out, regardless of their polling numbers, in the hope they can capture some of the voter attention that Swalwell’s demise drew to the race. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, the face of the party in California, is not interested in elevating a successor. Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, who faces criticism for not using his position to cull the field, has relied on party-commissioned polls and vague pleas for candidates to “honestly assess” their campaign’s viability, refusing to openly pressure anyone to drop out. Even former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — known for urging then-Rep. Adam Schiff to run for Senate and former President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid — won’t intervene. “People have reached out to me saying, ‘Your mom has to do something!’” said Christine Pelosi, daughter of the San Francisco congresswoman and herself a candidate for state Senate. “I said, ‘You know what? She doesn't, though,’” the younger Pelosi said. “She already did that with Biden and Harris. She's not going to — don't look to her to do that again.”, a network of political talent that dominated state politics for decades and produced titans such as Pelosi and Newsom, both of whom are moving on from California politics. Now that pipeline has run dry, and this year there is no obvious heir to Newsom for the party to coalesce behind. No current statewide officeholder joined the fray, and both presumptive favorites — former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla — opted not to run. That has made top Democrats loath to weigh in on the state’s first truly open Democratic primary in 16 years. In 2018, Newsom, then the lieutenant governor, was widely viewed as the most likely successor to former Gov. Jerry Brown, another product of the San Francisco political machine. The 2026 race is also only the second time an open field has competed under the top-two primary system, adopted 16 years ago to the chagrin of both parties. That means two Democrats or two Republicans could advance to the general election and lock the other party out. Newsom reiterated his lack of interest this week when he issued a statement that said in part, “I have full confidence that voters will choose a candidate who reflects the values and direction Californians believe in.”While grassroots activists have for decades decried the king-making of insider machine politics, the alternative — an abundance of candidates with no clear frontrunner — has proved unappealing too.we could end up with two Republicans ,” said RL Miller, a longtime delegate and chair of the party’s environmental caucus. “I really do believe that there has been a failure of leadership at the top.” Miller theorized that party leaders were overcorrecting after years of backlash following the 2016 presidential election, in which establishment Democrats disregarded the grassroots support for Sen. Bernie Sanders and instead anointed Hillary Clinton. As more Democratic gubernatorial candidates entered the fray in the last year, Miller said she thought leadership had the “admirable intent” of letting delegates winnow the field themselves.vying for the gubernatorial nod amassed more than 25% — far short of the 60% needed. Hicks faced repeated questions then about whether he would step in, but insisted it wasn’t his role. “By the party convention, the alarm bells had been ringing for months,” said Miller, who has consistently voted against Hicks in internal party elections.urging that “every candidate honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign,” and “if you do not have a viable path to make it to the general election” not to file to run. Only one listened, former Assemblymember Ian Calderon, who was polling around 1% or less.Hicks’ defenders said he was right to abstain from picking favorites. Christine Pelosi said it would be “inappropriate” for the chair to weigh in on the candidates after delegates at the party convention chose not to endorse anyone. Hicks’ calls for candidates to “consider their viability” was a “somewhat extraordinary and surprising” move, said Paul Mitchell, the architect of the gerrymandered congressional maps that voters“It maybe wasn't surprising for people who think that the Democratic Party chair is like a backroom dealer that's going to knock heads or something like that,” Mitchell said. “But that's not the chair’s role in California right now.”Mitchell argued that since President Donald Trump put a thumb on the scale by endorsing former Fox News host Steve Hilton, there’s less risk that both he and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco would end up on the November ticket, alleviating some of the pressure on Democrats. “If it wasn't a top two, people wouldn't care,” said Christine Pelosi. “You wouldn't have the added agita of ‘there's only two Republicans and there's a bunch of Democrats.’”Still, if Hicks is trying to convince rank-and-file Democrats he’s doing enough, it’s not working. Amar Shergill, the former leader of the party’s progressive caucus, suggested that its weak, decentralized leadership was by design so monied interests could exert more control over who gets elected.“There's no sort of anger or animosity towards him as a person,” he said. “If it wasn’t Rusty, it would be somebody else. This is just the political situation right now.” In an interview, Hicks told CalMatters that he is “doing what is required” to ensure a Democrat wins the race. But when pressed repeatedly, Hicks would not elaborate on what that work entails, if he believes what he’s done so far is working or if he should have had a stronger hand in culling the field, as his critics have suggested. “I'm not interested in opening up the playbook as to what we will or will not do in the coming days and weeks,” he said.Several candidates running for California governor will take part in a public forum Saturday in Koreatown, offering residents a chance to hear directly from them ahead of the primary election on June 2.Several candidates running for California governor will take part in a public forum tomorrow in Koreatown, offering residents a chance to hear directly from them ahead of the primary election on June 2. Confirmed candidates include Democrats Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa and Betty Yee. Candidates were invited based on fundraising totals reported earlier this year to the California Secretary of State.Democrats Matt Mahan and Katie Porter, along with Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, were also invited but have not confirmed their attendance.Several candidates running for California governor will take part in a public forum Saturday in Koreatown, offering residents a chance to hear directly from them ahead of the primary election on June 2. Confirmed candidates include Democrats Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa and Betty Yee. Candidates were invited based on fundraising totals reported earlier this year to the California Secretary of State. Democrats Matt Mahan and Katie Porter, along with Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, were also invited but have not confirmed their attendance, according to theThe forum will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at World Mission University located at 500 Shatto Place. Doors open at 9 a.m. and space is limited. The forum will not be livestreamed but organizers say recordings will be released by May 4 with translations in Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese with the possibility of additional languages. Parking will be limited. About 80 spaces are available in the building’s first-floor garage, with another 15 to 20 spaces potentially available in a second-floor tenant lot. Free parking is also available in a nearby lot on Westmoreland Avenue, according to the university.Organizers say the forum is designed to connect candidates directly with AANHPI communities. More than 7.3 million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders live in California, making up over 15% of the population. “California’s AANHPI communities are a driving force behind the state’s economy, culture, and democracy,” Korean American Democratic Committee President Esther Lim said in a statement. “As the only gubernatorial forum in Los Angeles County hosted by and for AANHPI communities, this is a historic opportunity for candidates to connect with one of California’s fastest growing and most influential communities. Our coalition represents organizations across the political spectrum united by a common goal: ensuring AANHPI Californians are seen, heard, and prioritized.”“Koreatown, like many AANHPI communities, has historically been overlooked and underestimated, making it especially meaningful to bring gubernatorial candidates directly into this space,” KADC and CAUSE said in a joint statement. “It was important to hold this forum in a location that is both accessible by public transportation and grounded in the communities we serve.” The forum comes as the race shifts following Democrat Eric Swalwell’s exit. The candidate — who had been invited — suspended his campaign last week after A new Emerson College Polling survey conducted April 14-15 shows a wide-open race, with Hilton leading at 17% and nearly a quarter of voters still undecided. Bianco and Steyer trail closely behind at 14%. Among Democrats, the poll found support is now split between Steyer , Becerra and Porter , with Becerra gaining ground after Swalwell left the race, according to the poll.More than 20 locations in South LA will get speed cameras under a pilot program that gets rolling this fall.More than 20 locations in South L.A. will get speed cameras under a pilot program that gets rolling this fall. The plan was approved by the L.A. City Council last month and will cover a total 125 targeted zones in the city, according to L.A. Department of Transportation documents. LADOT says the cameras are aimed at reducing traffic fatalities while complying with a 2023 state law that requires LA and five other cities to establish automated speed enforcement programs before 2032.The cameras could start snapping photos of speedsters as early as July, with a 60-day warning period — where drivers wouldn’t be fined — running into September. More than 20 locations in South L.A. will get speed cameras under a pilot program that gets rolling this fall. The plan, which was approved by the L.A. City Council last month, will cover a total 125 targeted zones in the city, according to L.A. Department of Transportation documents. The cameras could start snapping photos of speedsters as early as July, with a 60-day warning period — where drivers wouldn’t be fined — running into September. , according to LA Police Department data, 6% less than 2024. Several of the city’s deadliest intersections are clustered in South L.A. along Western Avenue, Vermont Avenue and Figueroa Street, according toSome intersections will have multiple camera clusters installed on the streets around them. The intersection of Gage Avenue and Figueroa Street, for example, will have cameras to the north, south and west. Figueroa Street between Gage Avenue and 62nd Street Figueroa Street between Manchester Avenue and 85th Street Western Avenue between 55th Street and 53rd Street Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Hobart Boulevard and Saint Andrews Place Florence Avenue between Vermont Avenue and Hoover Street Vermont Avenue between 58th Place and 57th Street Gage Avenue between Hoover Street and Figueroa Street Slauson Avenue between Brentwood Street and Inskeep Avenue Central Avenue between 92nd Avenue and 91st Street Manchester Avenue between Wadsworth Avenue and Central AvenueLa Cienega Boulevard between Coliseum Street and Bowesfield Street Jefferson Boulevard between Crenshaw Boulevard and Bronson Avenue More than 20 locations in South LA will get speed cameras under a pilot program that gets rolling this fall.Cameras will snap a photo of a speeding vehicle’s rear that includes its license plate as well as its make and model. The system will document the date, time and vehicle speed, then issue a citation to the vehicle’s registered owner, according to Fines will ratchet higher based on how fast a vehicle is moving, starting with a $50 fine for vehicles going 11 to 15 mph above the limit. Vehicles moving 16 to 25 mph over the limit will get $100 fines, and vehicles going 26 mph or more over the limit will get $200 fines. LADOT said camera images will not include rear windshields or faces, and that state law does not allow the cameras to use facial recognition technology.Some Angelenos submitted comments to LADOT, worrying the speed camera program will disproportionately affect people of color, according to a March 20 department memo. LADOT said in the memo that it worked to minimize any inequity, in part, by distributing the cameras evenly across the city’s 15 council districts, with every district getting at least eight cameras, and no district getting more than nine. The transportation department said it based much of its location selection on speed-related collision data and proximity to places like senior centers and schools. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.talked to House lawmakers about what the agency needs for next fiscal year — even as it's in the midst of a record-breaking shutdown. Here are some takeaways from the hearing.The acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the admiral of the U.S. Coast Guard and others testified about the impact of the current funding lapse on their workforce and programs. Several agency leaders requested money for more staff, while also raising concern that not all their workers were back in the office and had missed paychecks.Some lawmakers called the hearing on Thursday an"absurdity," and the process"frustrating." Lawmakers have been in a stalemate for over 60 days about funding the entire department, which includes agencies that oversee immigration enforcement, disaster relief, cybersecurity and the U.S. Coast Guard.talked to House lawmakers about what the agency needs for next fiscal year — even as it's in the midst of a record-breaking shutdown. The acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the admiral of the U.S. Coast Guard and others testified about the impact of the current funding lapse on their workforce and programs. Several agency leaders requested money for more staff, while also raising concern that not all their workers were back in the office and had missed paychecks.Lawmakers have been in a stalemate for over 60 days about funding the entire department, which includes agencies that oversee immigration enforcement, disaster relief, cybersecurity and the U.S. Coast Guard. Democrats in the Senate refused to fund DHS as part of regular appropriations for the current fiscal year after immigration officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens in January. That meant the department ran out of money to operate on Feb. 14; it's now been without funding for more than 60 days. The previousBut Democrats have failed to get Republicans on board with their demands for changes in how DHS's law enforcement operates. The White House and congressional Republicans have instead managed to find alternative sources of funding to continue immigration enforcement.congressional Republicans provided to ICE last summer as part of a partisan tax and spending package, which also included funds for Customs and Border Protection. ICE has tapped into that funding during the two most recent government shutdowns to continue paying its officers.In an opening statement, Rep. Rosa DeLauro said she noted"the absurdity of holding a hearing on funding for these agencies" for next year — while both parties are split on how to fund the agencies even for this year. Republicans for their part are discussing whether they could fund the department for three years, or the rest of Trump's term, through a partisan process called reconciliation — the mechanism also used for immigration-focused funding passed last year. All three of the DHS officials voiced support for the plan and urged Republicans to pass a reconciliation measure by June 1. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., the chairman of the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee, expressed skepticism about the plan, saying it was"phenomenally interesting" that the agency officials were asking for a bill with no changes to immigration oversight. "It's like saying, 'We're going to abolish Article 1 for three years,' no disrespect," he later said during closing comments, referring to the article in the U.S. Constitution that established Congress."We want to give you your stuff in a consistent, predictable, sustainable way – that's our job. Just prefund me for three years. Really? How about you prepay me for three years. You'd be dumber than hell to do that."Texas Democrats questioned Todd Lyons, the acting ICE head, on the agency's plans to retrofit warehouses across the country as processing or detention facilities. Reps. Henry Cuellar and Escobar asked about plans to bring warehouses to their state and argued the communities were rebuking the effort and lacked the infrastructure to support the projects. Lyons said one facility in San Antonio is scheduled to be a processing center for 500 to 1,000 people and may include an immigration court. Other plans, such as a facility in McAllen, Texas, are under review. "Secretary Mullin is looking over the whole detention plan, and he's going to make an informed decision of where he wants to move forward and locations," Lyons said. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., asked Lyons about the record number of deaths under ICE custody. Lyons noted that the FBI was not investigating the death of a man at the"Zero deaths is what we want. We don't want anyone to die in custody," Lyons said, adding that the agency spent"almost half a billion last fiscal year…to ensure that people have proper care." But, when asked, he couldn't say how many people were still working in the Office of Detention Oversight, which would investigate such deaths and broader detention conditions and standards.U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said his agency wants to create a new law enforcement arm and hire and train 200 officers separate from those who work for ICE and CBP."What I am trying to create here is a very narrow criminal investigation branch that is going to focus specifically on immigration fraud and entitlement fraud," Edlow said, adding that each special agent would go through a nine-week training specific to USCIS. Republicans and Democrats asked Edlow about growing waits for people to get an answer on their work permits or naturalization application. "I agree processing times on certain applications have gone up over the last fiscal year," Edlow said."I consider this to be short-term pain, which is going to really lead to long-term gain in the fair and proper processing of immigration." USCIS is not directly impacted by the department-wide shutdown since they are funded by fees people pay when they submit their applications. Edlow said that last fiscal year the agency collected $7.5 billion in fee revenue, exceeding its goals.Nick Andersen, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , said the shutdown has harmed his agency's work, with only about 40% of staff consistently working. Karen Evans, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the funding lapse is delaying reimbursements to local governments to handle disasters. "We know the reimbursements are critical," Evans said, noting the agency and other parts of DHS are responding to several disasters right now, including a And U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Kevin Lunday said there were over 500 unpaid utility bills because of the shutdown,"threatening to cut off electricity and water to Coast Guard stations" and a backlog to process 18,000 merchant mariner credentials, a standard credential required to work on U.S. vessels.Sean Curran, director of the U.S. Secret Service, warned that the next few years through 2028 are poised to be a heavy lift for the agency. Curran noted that the current workforce is not big enough to handle the FIFA World Cup, 2028 Olympics and the 2028 presidential cycle. His agency is asking for funding to hire 852 new positions and he noted the Secret Service is also helping to train local law enforcement for the events, which also requires funding. "I found out that , they're not ready for drone detection and mitigation so we are going to train them," Curran said. Rodney Scott, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, also said the funding lapse put on hold training for personnel related to the World Cup games this summer.Ha Nguyen McNeill, the TSA acting administrator, said the agency is poised to lose more people as the shutdown drags on. Shortages in TSA staffing prompted hours-long delays at airports nationwide last month, before Trump said the executive branch would pay them. "We are less than two months away from the FIFA world cup and it takes us 4 to 6 months to train a new officer so with any spikes in attrition that is going to put us in a difficult position come this summer," Nguyen McNeill said.'s 11 members have been crisscrossing Southern California on their mobile stage determined to lift the spirits of people affected by the crackdowns. The band also hopes to provide a jolt of musical energy at otherwise somber protests.The band has often rolled up to street corners days or even hours after immigration agents have whisked someone away there. Many of their songs are about undocumented workers trying to make a living while evading immigration agents. Most are protest songs played as upbeat Mexican cumbias or as, a style of ballad that often narrates the experiences of working class people. The band's goal at demonstrations is to redirect protesters' anger and sorrow.A large flatbed truck pulled up outside a remote immigrant detention center north of Los Angeles last month. On the truck bed, converted into a mobile stage, a band played protest songs. Huge speakers projected them loud across the desert landscape. But were they loud enough, the musicians wondered, to penetrate the detention center's tall, thick, concrete walls? Loyda Alvarado looked toward the barbed wire fence and began to sing to the immigrants jailed inside:Aunque estés encarcelado, mira, te canta quien te ama…In a crowd of protesters looking on, a young woman's phone rang. It was her dad calling. He was detained inside, fighting deportation. She climbed onto the truck and took a microphone.In March, the band brought a musical serenade to immigrants detained at a large desert detention center in Adelanto, Calif. They blared their songs through massive speakers in the hopes the music would penetrate the facility's walls.. Since federal agents began aggressive immigration raids in LA last June, the band's 11 members have been crisscrossing Southern California on their mobile stage determined to lift the spirits of people affected by the crackdowns. The band also hopes to provide a jolt of musical energy at otherwise somber protests. "Since day one, we as musicians started organizing to protest wherever there were raids," said Omar León, the band's director, accordionist and songwriter. The band has often rolled up to street corners days or even hours after immigration agents have whisked someone away there. Many of their songs are about undocumented workers trying to make a living while evading immigration agents. Most are protest songs played as upbeat Mexican cumbias or asBand director Omar León is a community organizer and former day laborer, as are most of the band's members. He's also the band's songwriter and plays the accordion and keyboard."People are already ready to march and to chant," he said."But when they hear the music, they get more excited. It also minimizes tension and confrontation between police, ICE agents and the people who are protesting." Loyda Alvarado, a lead singer in the band, said that in the crackdown's early weeks and months, it was hard to bring lively cumbias to the very place where an immigrant worker had just been taken away from their family and community. "It just felt so heavy," she said. But over time, watching people dance and sing to their music,"I was reminded that this is a way in which we resist as well. The joy, despite all the suffering, despite all the pain, is such an important part of what we do because it helps us to keep our culture and to connect with each other." Dancing at an October memorial vigil for a day laborer who was hit by a car while trying to evade arrest by immigration agents.The concert and serenade outside the desert detention center was one way the band has tried to reach detained immigrants themselves. "We are bringing music for the people we love," said Manuel Vicente, who plays congas."And to show them that we're waiting for them outside. And that their community is doing everything we can to bring them back." Though the band has turbocharged its performance schedule in the last year, it's been performing at immigrant and workers' rights protests for three decades. Pablo Alvarado and Lolo Cutumay were among a small group of workers who formed the band in the mid 1990s after one of them witnessed immigration agents raid a site where day laborers were lining up for free health services. Their first song told the story of that raidTheir name, Los Jornaleros del Norte means The Day Laborers of the North. To this day, most of its musicians are current or former day laborers, and work closely with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, using music to help mobilize immigrant workers. On a recent evening, the band's mobile stage pulled up to a Home Depot east of LA. Weeks earlier, masked immigration agents had chased down day laborers gathered in the parking lot in search of a day's work. One of them, Carlos Roberto Montoya Valdéz, ran across the nearby freeway in a desperate attempt to escape. He was hit and killed by a car. The Jornaleros had come to honor his life. The band often performs at the sites of recent immigration raids, including Home Depot stores, where immigration agents have repeatedly targeted day laborers waiting in parking lots hoping for work.For more than an hour, they played sentimental ballads as a tribute, and later, fast-paced cumbias to liven the mood. "The songs that we do are stories about hardworking immigrants, hardworking women and hardworking men," Omar León said after the performance, as he put his accordion away."Tonight we chose songs that talk about life, that talk about struggle. We chose love songs to remember Carlos Roberto Montoya."
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