(Inside California Politics) \u2014 Two political insiders weighed in on the governor\u2019s race \u2014 and the race for mayor of Los Angeles \u2014 in a panel discussion this week hosted by Inside California Politics host Nikki Laurenzo.<\/p>\n
Asked about a new Inside California Politics\/Emerson poll showing a lead for Rep. Eric Swalwell, Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta joked that \u201cthe race is over.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m kidding,\u201d Acosta said. \u201cI think if we were going to be on this show every time there was a poll, we\u2019d be on it every two days. Because all we\u2019re going to see between now and election day are new polls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite fluctuations in individual surveys, he said there haven\u2019t been major changes in the overall state of the race. 25% of voters are still undecided, which Acosta said means the contest is still fluid.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you see this much undecided \u2026 you start to worry about turnout \u2014 worry in that, if you care about healthy civic engagement, you want higher than that 40% type turnout,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because, in the view of both Acosta and Republican strategist Rob Stutzman, the outcome of a Democrat-versus-Republican general election means the contest is all but over, even if the contest is marked by low enthusiasm and low turnout.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s two Democrats, it\u2019s game on\u2026 As a Republican, that\u2019s what I want,\u201d Stutzman said. \u201cIf it\u2019s two \u2018Ds,\u2019 they\u2019re going to have to talk about the issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Big spenders<\/p>\n
A new Politico\/UC Berkeley poll shows Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer rising in the race \u2014 but is his major self-funding strategy actually working?<\/p>\n
Acosta said he thinks former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter\u2019s chances are underrated. She hasn\u2019t yet started spending big, and a large number of voters say they would list Porter as their second choice. That could help Porter if the other two top Democrats, Steyer and Swalwell, aim at each other.<\/p>\n
Stutzman thinks San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan\u2019s campaign needs the independent expenditure that\u2019s receiving Big Tech backing to start spending: \u201cPeople need to know he exists.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir money needs to come in behind Mahan,\u201d Stutzman said. \u201cIf it does, they get their proxy fight: tech versus labor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The LA Mamdani?<\/p>\n
The Inside California Politics poll shows incumbent mayor Karen Bass leading, but she\u2019s receiving less than 20% of voters\u2019 support, as more than half of Angelenos are undecided.<\/p>\n
Can Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman replicate the meteoric rise Zohran Mamdani managed to pull off in New York City against a similarly unpopular mayor?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a special candidate in New York, and I don\u2019t see any candidate in LA that can fit that and become viral with these videos,\u201d Acosta said.<\/p>\n
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