California Politics 360 full episode | Final days until the June primary

Voters will decide who they want in several statewide races, including the next governor

EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT IN THE JUNE PRIMARY. PUTTING OUR VOICE OUT THERE. THIS IS A GREAT CHANCE TO GET OUT THERE AND DO YOUR DUTY. YOUR VOICE MATTERS. WHERE THE LEADERS OF THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT PARTIES STAND AHEAD OF TUESDAY, 50,000 PEOPLE EVACUATED AFTER A TANK HOLDING TOXIC CHEMICALS OVERHEATS. THERE ARE RESIDENTS THAT WANT TO KNOW WHY WERE THEY LIVING WITH THESE CHEMICALS AND THIS FACTORY RIGHT IN THEIR BACKYARD? THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS. SITTING DOWN WITH CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR. I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED A PROVEN PROBLEM SOLVER. DEMOCRAT ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, ON HIS VISION FOR CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR CALIFORNIA POLITICS 360. I’M ASHLEY ZAVALA PRIMARY ELECTION DAY IN CALIFORNIA IS JUST DAYS AWAY. VOTERS WILL DECIDE WHO THEY WANT IN SEVERAL STATEWIDE RACES, INCLUDING THE NEXT GOVERNOR. IT WILL ALSO BE THE FIRST TIME VOTERS WILL BE SELECTING U.S. REPRESENTATIVES UNDER THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MAPS. THOSE MAPS WERE REDRAWN BY DEMOCRATS TO GIVE THE PARTY AN ADVANTAGE, AND VOTERS APPROVED THEM UNDER WHAT WAS KNOWN AS PROPOSITION 50. IN ALL OF THESE RACES, THE TOP TWO CANDIDATES WILL MOVE ON TO THE GENERAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL PARTY. ONE OF THE TOP RACES ON YOUR BALLOT, THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA. THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA RELEASED A NEW POLL THIS WEEK SHOWING WHO VOTERS ARE FAVORING. HERE ARE THE TOP SIX CANDIDATES, ACCORDING TO THE PPIC DEMOCRATIC. FORMER U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY XAVIER BECERRA AND REPUBLICAN FORMER TV NEWS COMMENTATOR STEVE HILTON ARE LEADING RIGHT NOW, WITH AT LEAST 20% OF THE EXPECTED VOTE. I SAT DOWN WITH THE LEADERS OF THE TWO STATEWIDE POLITICAL PARTIES. WE START WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN, RUSTY HICKS. HERE’S PART OF OUR CONVERSATION. AS PARTY CHAIRMAN. HOW ARE YOU FEELING DAYS OUT FROM ELECTION DAY? WELL, CERTAINLY, WE’RE READY FOR THIS PRIMARY ELECTION TO BE OVER, ENCOURAGING EVERYONE AND ANYONE WHO HAS A BALLOT SITTING ON THEIR DESK OR ON THEIR KITCHEN TABLE TO MAKE SURE THEY GET TO GET IT RETURNED. DO YOU STILL HAVE FEARS OR CONCERNS OF TWO REPUBLICANS MOVING ON TO THE GENERAL ELECTION AND LOCKING DEMOCRATS OUT OF THE GOVERNOR’S RACE? WELL, CERTAINLY THE RACE LOOKS DIFFERENT TODAY THAN IT DID THREE MONTHS AGO. WE DO SEE A HANDFUL OF CANDIDATES CONSOLIDATING VOTES ON BOTH THE REPUBLICAN AND THE DEMOCRATIC SIDES. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO ENSURING TO DO WHAT IS REQUIRED TO GET A DEMOCRAT INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION, AND WE’RE MOVING CLOSER TO DOING EXACTLY THAT. AND I MEAN, ON THAT NOTE, YOU AND THE PARTY ULTIMATELY RELEASED A SERIES OF POLLS TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE SOME OF THOSE LOWER POLLING CANDIDATES TO CONSIDER GETTING OUT OF THE RACE IF THEIR CAMPAIGNS WEREN’T VIABLE. ONE OF THOSE LOWER POLLING DEMOCRATS EARLIER THIS YEAR WAS XAVIER BECERRA. ARE YOU GLAD THAT HE DID NOT GET OUT? WELL, I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE CALIFORNIA VOTER INDEX, THAT PROJECT WAS ABOUT PROVIDING INFORMATION TO CANDIDATES AND THEIR CAMPAIGNS, WHETHER THEY WERE AT THE TOP OF THE POLLS AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT OR AT THE BOTTOM. IT WAS ALSO TO INFORM PARTY LEADERS, MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHICH CANDIDACY AND WHICH CANDIDATE HAD THE MOST VIABLE CAMPAIGN AND OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT INTO THE INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION. CERTAINLY, THE MONTH OF APRIL HAD A LOT OF TWISTS AND TURNS AND CANDIDATES. THAT WAS, IN MANY WAYS A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR A LOT OF CANDIDATES TO DETERMINE IF THEY REALLY DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BECOME VIABLE IN ORDER TO HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY OF MOVING ON TO THE GENERAL ELECTION IN THE HEAT OF THE MAY CAMPAIGN. CERTAINLY, XAVIER BECERRA TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND ULTIMATELY HAS CONSOLIDATED BOTH DEMOCRATIC AND INDEPENDENT VOTES, A PRETTY BROAD COALITION HEADING INTO ELECTION DAY. BUT I MEAN, TO THE QUESTION, ARE YOU GLAD THAT HE DID NOT DROP OUT? WELL, ULTIMATELY, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE WERE ALWAYS DOING WHAT WAS REQUIRED TO ENSURE THAT WE GET A STRONG DEMOCRAT INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION. YOU KNOW, I DON’T THINK ANYONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED AS TO HOW THIS RACE WOULD TURN OUT. I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH XAVIER BECERRA, BUT TOM STEYER AND ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES TO HAVE GOOD QUALITY DATA AND INFORMATION HEADING INTO THE MONTH OF MAY, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE PROVIDED. DEMOCRATS HAVE SIX LEADING CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR. REPUBLICANS HAVE TWO LEADING CANDIDATES HEADING INTO THAT JUNE PRIMARY ELECTION. HERE’S PART OF MY CONVERSATION WITH REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRWOMAN KARIN RANKIN AS PARTY CHAIR. DAYS OUT FROM THE ELECTION. HOW ARE YOU FEELING? WE’RE FEELING REALLY GOOD. I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU’RE SEEING ON THE DEMOCRAT SIDE IS, YOU KNOW, LITTLE TO NO ENTHUSIASM. AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S QUITE THE CONTRAST ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE. SO WE’RE FEELING GOOD ABOUT IT. WITH THE RECENT POLLING THAT’S COMING IN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE VERY CROWDED GOVERNOR’S RACE AT THIS POINT? WELL, I’M WE’RE LOOKING AT IT FROM THE LENS OF OUR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE. SO WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL HAVE A REPUBLICAN IN THE TOP TWO. DO YOU THINK I MEAN, THE THE THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED BY DEMOCRATS ABOUT TWO REPUBLICANS POSSIBLY MAKING IT TO THE GENERAL ELECTION, WAS THAT ON YOUR RADAR AS A POSSIBILITY? I MEAN, OR DID YOU THINK THAT THAT WAS MAYBE SOMETHING THAT THE OTHER SIDE WAS TRYING TO PUSH TO HELP WITH THEIR SIDE OF THE RACE? OH, YOU KNOW, I THINK EARLY ON THERE WAS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF A CHANCE THAT THAT COULD BE THE CASE. WE WERE, YOU KNOW, HOPEFUL, BUT IT DIDN’T SEEM LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE REALISTIC. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF JUST ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DATA, DEMOCRATS ARE CLUTCHING THEIR BALLOTS. STILL, A LOT OF THEM HAVE NOT TURNED OUT IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEY DID IN 2022. FOR EXAMPLE, WE SEE REPUBLICANS ARE MOTIVATED TO GO TO THE POLLS. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT? I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM ON THE SIDE OF THE REPUBLICANS. AND, YOU KNOW, AS THE CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, IT’S MY JOB TO TO TURN OUT VOTES. AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE WE’RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT THIS CYCLE, GETTING REPUBLICANS TO TURN IN THEIR BALLOTS EARLY. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, ON ON THE OTHER SIDE, THERE’S NOT A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SLATE OF DEMOCRATS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, THERE’S NO EXCITEMENT THERE. YOU KNOW, XAVIER BECERRA IS ONLY POLLING AS HIGH AS HE IS NOW BECAUSE ERIC SWALWELL WAS FORCED TO DROP OUT FOR THE SCANDALS THAT HE HAD. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, DEMOCRATS ARE RIGHTFULLY FEELING LIKE THEY NEED TO HOLD THEIR BALLOTS BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT ENTHUSED ABOUT ANY OF THE CHOICES. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DEMOCRATS, WE’RE LOOKING AT MORE OF THE SAME. YOU KNOW, 57% OF CALIFORNIANS BELIEVE THAT WE’RE HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND WE’RE ON THE WRONG TRACK. AND I THINK DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING A LONG, HARD LOOK AT THAT AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE EVEN BE VOTING FOR DEMOCRATS AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER? ALL THEY HAVE TO OFFER RIGHT NOW IS MORE OF THE SAME PATH OF THE WRONG DIRECTION. AND REPUBLICANS ARE LITERALLY THE OTHER DIRECTION. MY FULL CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH PARTY CHAIRS ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW ON CAL POLITICS 360.COM. WE’LL CONTINUING OUR COVERAGE OF THE GOVERNOR’S RACE. MY SIT DOWN CONVERSATION WITH DEMOCRAT ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, HOW HE PLANS TO LOWER EVERYDAY COSTS FOR CALIFORNIANS. HOTTEST ONE THERE. NEW LOCO TENDERS LET’S GET LOCO! EL POLLO LOCO. THIS YEAR, CALIFORNIA VOTERS WILL CHOOSE THEIR SO EVERY WEEK LEADING UP TO THE JUNE PRIMARY, WE’RE. WE’VE BEEN HEARING FROM ONE OF THE TOP CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE STATE’S HIGHEST POSITION. I SAT DOWN WITH DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA TO GET HIS THOUGHTS ON THE MAJOR ISSUES IMPACTING CALIFORNIANS. SITTING DOWN WITH ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA IN LOS ANGELES, I BELIEVE WE NEED A PROVEN PROBLEM SOLVER. THE DEMOCRATIC FORMER MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PITCHING HIMSELF AS A GOVERNOR WHO WOULD SERVE ONE TERM TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO THE NEXT JOB. SO I’VE SAID EVERY DAY I SERVE EVERY DECISION I MAKE WILL BE BASED ON DOING THE JOB, NOT KEEPING THE JOB, OR LOOKING FOR THE NEXT ONE. I WANT TO BE GOVERNOR. I WANT TO FIX WHAT’S BROKEN, AND THEN I’LL RIDE INTO THE SUNSET, VILLARAIGOSA SAYS. POLICIES PASSED OUT OF SACRAMENTO ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DONALD TRUMP ISN’T THE ONLY REASON WHY THINGS ARE AS BAD AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW HERE IN CALIFORNIA. YES, HE’S MADE THEM WORSE. HE’S ICE RAIDS, THE TARIFFS, THE FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE EMERGENCY RELIEF THAT, YOU KNOW, BOTH ALTADENA AND THE PALISADES DESERVE. BUT THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT WE CREATED. AND I’VE SAID WHETHER IT’S GAS PRICES, UTILITY COSTS, HOME PRICES, RENT, HOMELESSNESS, WE’VE GOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE ARE SACRAMENTO POLICIES. IT’S THAT DONALD TRUMP, HE SAYS IF ELECTED, HE WOULD REIN IN STATE SPENDING AND DO MORE TO TACKLE WASTE AND FRAUD ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HE SAYS HE WOULD INVEST MORE MONEY INTO STUDENTS WHO ARE FALLING BEHIND IN BASIC SUBJECTS. WHEN I WAS SPEAKER AND MAJORITY LEADER, I LED THE EFFORT FOR CLASS SIZE REDUCTION. I’M THE AUTHOR OF THE BIGGEST SCHOOL BOND IN HISTORY UP UNTIL THAT TIME, A $9.2 BILLION BOND TO MODERNIZE AND BUILD NEW SCHOOLS. WE CAN’T JUST THROW MONEY AT THE PROBLEM. ON HEALTH CARE, HE SAYS HE THINKS THE STATE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS, BUT WITH A FEE. HOW WOULD YOU BROADLY, FOR EVERYONE, LOWER COSTS FOR PEOPLE IN THIS STATE? WELL, LET’S TAKE ON GAS PRICES AS AN EXAMPLE. FIRST THING, WE’RE GOING TO DO A MORATORIUM ON REGULATIONS THAT RAISE THE COST OF GAS AND JEOPARDIZE THE EXISTENCE OF ANY MORE REFINERIES, BY THE WAY, THEY PRODUCE THE CLEANEST FUEL IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AMONG THE CLEANEST FUEL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WE NEED AN ALL OF THE ABOVE STRATEGY WE’RE SEEING WITH WITH THE IRAN WAR, THAT REFINERIES ARE ACTUALLY A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. IT’S WHY WE HAD SO MANY REFINERIES ON THE WEST COAST DURING WORLD WAR TWO. SO WE NEED COMMON SENSE. WE NEED A CHIEF EXECUTIVE THAT UNDERSTANDS IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT IDEOLOGY AND GREAT IDEAS. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO WORK TO ADDRESS THE STATE’S HOUSING CRISIS. HE SAYS HE’LL PUSH TO FAST TRACK PERMITTING FOR MORE HOMES TO BE BUILT ON HOMELESSNESS. I TELL PEOPLE ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, THAT MOVIE WHERE IT WAS SO EASY TO PUT PEOPLE IN A MENTAL INSTITUTION BACK THEN, IN THE 50S, NOW IT’S IMPOSSIBLE. BOTH ARE EXTREMES. THERE’S A MIDDLE. WE NEED LOCKED MENTAL INSTITUTIONS, AND WE NEED TO SAY THE FOLLOWING. WE WON’T CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS, WILL WE? WE WILL BE COMPASSIONATE. BUT CHAOS ON THE STREETS OF CALIFORNIA CITIES IS UNACCEPTABLE. SELLING DRUGS IN FRONT OF CITIES, IN FRONT OF COPS IS CHAOS. VILLARAIGOSA IS A MORE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD CANDIDATE ON THE ISSUES. AMONG THE TOP PEOPLE RUNNING FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR, HIS POLL NUMBERS HAVE BEEN LOWER. ONCE YOU’VE BEEN A MAYOR, YOU REALIZE YOU COME IN WITH YOUR IDEAS AND YOUR BIASES, AND THEN YOU REALIZE, WELL, IF THAT’S NOT WORKING, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE. I DON’T THINK THAT’S MODERATE. I DON’T THINK IT’S CONSERVATIVE. I DON’T THINK IT’S PROGRESSIVE. I THINK IT’S WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE IN THESE JOBS. IS IT HARD? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE BREAK THROUGH? I THINK BOTH ME AND MAHON HAVE DISCUSSED MAYBE PEOPLE AREN’T LOOKING FOR COMMON SENSE AND A, YOU KNOW, A MIDDLE BETWEEN TRUMP, MAGA POLITICS AND WHAT WE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA, WHAT I’VE SAID NATIONALLY, WE’RE THE PINATA FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO DEMOCRATS. AND WHAT I TELL DEMOCRATS, WHEN YOU LOSE THE MIDDLE AND THE MIDDLE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH THEIR HANDS, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING FAMILIES AND, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES. WHEN YOU LOSE THE MIDDLE, THE WAY WE HAVE TO THE RIGHT, YOU BETTER LOOK IN THE MIRROR. WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM FOR HIS TWO TERMS AS GOVERNOR? WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT. SO AS AN EXAMPLE, I’D GIVE HIM A D-MINUS ON AFFORDABILITY. I’D GIVE HIM AN A ON A UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE. AND THE WAY HE EXPANDED HEALTHCARE, I’D GIVE HIM A D ON GAS PRICES, BUT I’D GIVE HIM AN A MINUS ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE’S DONE FOR EARLY KINDERGARTEN PRE-KINDERGARTEN. THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE CALIFORNIA. STRONGER. BETTER. BRIGHTER. RIGHT NOW ON CAL POLITICS 360.COM. YOU CAN WATCH MY FULL CONVERSATION WITH ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA RIGHT NOW. A SEARCH FOR ANSWERS INTO WHAT LED A TANK HOLDING TOXIC CHEMICALS TO OVERHEAT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 50,000 PEOPLE ARE BACK HOME AFTER BEING EVACUATED BECAUSE OF IT. FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN FEARFUL OF A CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSION, BUT WHAT LAWMAKERS ARE NOW TRYING TO DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM EVER THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE BACK TO THEIR REGULAR ROUTINES AFTER AN OVERHEATING CHEMICAL TANK IN ORANGE COUNTY PROMPTED 50,000 PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES FOR DAYS. FOX 11 LOS ANGELES BRINGING VIEWERS AERIAL COVERAGE. FIREFIGHTERS HAD BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE TANK, FEARFUL THAT IT WOULD EXPLODE, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. NOW, OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW TO PREVENT A SITUATION LIKE THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. THE AREA’S DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DEREK TRAN, HAS LAUNCHED THE PROCESS FOR AN OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT, AND THE COMPANY, GKN AEROSPACE. HERE’S PART OF MY CONVERSATION WITH REPRESENTATIVE TRAN. STATE LAWMAKERS SIGNALED TODAY THAT WE MAY SEE SOME PROPOSALS TO TRY TO FURTHER REGULATE OR PREVENT THIS SITUATION FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. GOVERNOR NEWSOM ALSO RAISED SOME CONCERNS AROUND POSSIBLE FUNDING AND REGULATION ISSUES COMING OUT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. JUST WHAT ARE WHAT ARE YOU HEARING IN THAT SPACE? COULD THERE BE MORE REGULATIONS OR RELAXED REGULATIONS AND RELAXED FUNDING ON THIS? LOOK, I UNFORTUNATELY, FROM THE FEDERAL STANDPOINT AND FROM THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THEY’RE THEY’RE TRYING TO PULL BACK ON A LOT OF THESE GUARDRAILS TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY. RIGHT? THEY DO NOT WANT THESE CORPORATIONS TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF WHAT EXACTLY THESE CORPORATIONS ARE DOING IN, IN THESE COMMUNITIES, BACKYARD. THEY DON’T WANT TO TELL US WHAT TYPE OF CHEMICALS THEY’RE WORKING ON, WHAT TYPE OF PRODUCTS THEY’RE MAKING. AND THAT’S PART OF THIS ADMINISTRATION’S ROLLBACK ON THOSE NOTIFICATION. I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I PLAN ON DOING WHEN I GET BACK TO D.C. IS TO START IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION WHERE WE ARE LETTING OUR COMMUNITY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENING INSIDE OF THEIR BORDERS, RIGHT BEHIND IN THEIR BACKYARD. THESE RESIDENTS OF MINE, THEY THEY NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THESE COMPANIES, THESE COMPANIES AND THE CHEMICALS THEY’RE WORKING WITH. IT’S JUST A SAFETY ISSUE. I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL SAFE? I MEAN, DO YOUR CONSTITUENTS FEEL SAFE RIGHT NOW? NO. I CAN TELL YOU, AT A TOWN MEETING YESTERDAY, AND THERE WERE QUITE A FEW CONSTITUENTS THAT LIVED RIGHT NEXT TO THE CHEMICAL LEAK. AND THEY THEY ARE JUSTIFIABLY, JUSTIFIABLY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE AIR. AND IF THIS CAN HAPPEN AGAIN OR THE TANK NEXT TO IT MAY MAY EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS AND THE COUNTY OFFICIALS WHO DECLARED THAT AREA SAFE, I TRUST THEM, AND THESE ARE THE HEROIC FIRST RESPONDERS WHO, YOU KNOW, FROM DAY ONE, SINCE THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED, HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN MAKING SURE THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY WAS PARAMOUNT AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE TRAN AND I ALSO TALK ABOUT THE BEGINNING STAGES OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE, AND HIS CONVERSATIONS SO FAR WITH THE GKN AEROSPACE, A MAJOR CHALLENGE FACING CALIFORNIA COLLEGES. HOW WILL THEY ADJUST TO THE RISE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND PROTECT THE FUTURE WORKFORCE? HOW THE TOP CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PLANS TO RIGHT NOW, CALIFORNIANS ARE DECIDING WHO WILL BE OUR NEXT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. IT’S LARGELY SEEN AS A CEREMONIAL ROLE, STEPPING IN FOR THE GOVERNOR WHEN THEY’RE OUT OF STATE. THEY ALSO SIT ON THE BOARDS OF THE STATE’S HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM. I SAT DOWN WITH THE TOP FIVE CANDIDATES FOR A WIDE RANGING DISCUSSION. I ASKED THEM WHAT THE RISE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS. OUR HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM READY TO ADJUST? HAVE ROLE IN MAKING SURE WE’RE BRINGING TOGETHER THE SMARTEST STAKEHOLDERS AND THINKERS IN OUR SOCIETY TO SAY, HOW DO WE GET AHEAD OF THIS? AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE PROTECTING PEOPLE AND PREPARING PEOPLE FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY? IT WILL REQUIRE CURRICULUM CHANGES. IT WILL REQUIRE THE WAY THAT WE LEARN, MAY NEED TO SHIFT, AND WILL REQUIRE THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME FOCUSING ON THINGS LIKE SCREEN TIME AND MENTAL HEALTH, ALONGSIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE NEW JOBS OUT OF AI. IT IS INCUMBENT ON, I THINK, THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO ALSO PARTNER BETTER WITH THE CSU COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE UCS TO PROVIDE THOSE PAID INTERNSHIPS, THOSE MENTORSHIPS, AND REALLY LET THE NEW NEXT GENERATION KNOW WHAT THE JOBS ARE. HOW DO WE GO AHEAD AND STRUCTURE, JUST AS THERE MIGHT BE DECLINE OF JOBS, THERE’S ALSO GOING TO BE THE CREATION OF NEW JOBS IN AI. BUT THE CHALLENGE FOR OUR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND ALL OUR SYSTEMS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RUN WITH THE ECONOMY, REALIZING SORT OF WHAT ARE THE SKILLS THAT AI CAN’T DO AND ENSURING OUR STUDENTS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THOSE SKILLS. NUMBER TWO, IT’S HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF WHERE WE’RE GOING TO BE, THE SHORTAGES, WE’RE GOING TO BE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND WHERE ARE THE JOBS NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME AS THEY WERE BEFORE. I ALSO ASKED THE CANDIDATES ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE STATE AND WORK WITH THE NEXT GOVERNOR. MY FULL CONVERSATIONS ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW ON CAL POLITICS 360.COM. RIGHT NOW. ALSO ON CAL POLITICS 360.COM. YOU CAN WATCH THIS WEEK’S FULL INTERVIEWS. AND WE ALSO WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. WHAT ISSUES DO YOU WANT US TO COVER ON THIS PROGRAM? SEND US AN EMAIL AT CONTACT AT CAL POLITICS 360.COM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR THIS WEEK’S CALIFORNIA POLITICS 360. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

California Politics 360 full episode | Final days until the June primary

Voters will decide who they want in several statewide races, including the next governor

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Updated: 8:25 AM PDT May 31, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

We are a few days away from the June primary. Voters will decide who they want in several statewide races, including the next governor. It will also be the first time that voters will be selecting U.S. Representatives under the new congressional maps. The top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will move on to the general election. On California Politics 360, Ashley Zavala sat down with the leaders of the two statewide political parties: Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks and Republican Party Chair Corrin Rankin. This year, California voters will decide who they want to be their next governor. Every week leading up to the June primary, we heard from one of the top candidates running for the state’s highest position. This week, Zavala sat down with Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa to get his thoughts on the major issues impacting Californians. Fifty thousand people are back to their regular routines after an overheating chemical tank in Orange County prompted mass evacuations. Zavala sits down with Rep. Derek Tran, who has launched the process for an oversight investigation into the incident and the company, GKN Aerospace. Californians will also be deciding who will be the next lieutenant governor. Zavala sat down with the top five candidates based on fundraising for their party to see how they would help the higher education system adjust to the rise of artificial intelligence.KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.

We are a few days away from the June primary. Voters will decide who they want in several statewide races, including the next governor.

It will also be the first time that voters will be selecting U.S. Representatives under the new congressional maps. The top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will move on to the general election.

On California Politics 360, Ashley Zavala sat down with the leaders of the two statewide political parties: Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks and Republican Party Chair Corrin Rankin.

This year, California voters will decide who they want to be their next governor. Every week leading up to the June primary, we heard from one of the top candidates running for the state’s highest position. This week, Zavala sat down with Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa to get his thoughts on the major issues impacting Californians.

Fifty thousand people are back to their regular routines after an overheating chemical tank in Orange County prompted mass evacuations. Zavala sits down with Rep. Derek Tran, who has launched the process for an oversight investigation into the incident and the company, GKN Aerospace.

Californians will also be deciding who will be the next lieutenant governor. Zavala sat down with the top five candidates based on fundraising for their party to see how they would help the higher education system adjust to the rise of artificial intelligence.

KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.