Political Breakdown

Democrat Adam Schiff will face off against former baseball star Republican Steve Garvey in November, ensuring that California will soon be without a female U.S. senator for the first time in 32 years. Plus, Democrats seem to have avoided disaster in a Central Valley House district that they want to flip from red to blue. Scott and Marisa break down results from Tuesday’s primary election with San Francisco Chronicle political writer Joe Garofoli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both President Biden and former President Trump overwhelmingly win their party’s primary in California and most other Super Tuesday states. Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey will face off against Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for California’s coveted U.S. Senate seat this November. Marisa Lagos, Scott Shafer and LAist's Austin Cross are joined by a slew of guests to analyze the Super Tuesday results so far. From our California Newsroom live special coverage of California’s primary election, which aired at 9pm PST. Read more live updates: Primary Election 2024 Live Updates: Bay Area and California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Concerns over crime and public safety are the backdrop for a lively and very competitive race to be L.A. County’s top prosecutor. When he first ran for office four years ago, incumbent George Gascón promised to make big changes, like not seeking the death penalty, not charging juveniles as adults and getting rid of cash bail. Now he's facing an uphill battle, with 11 candidates challenging him — including three of his own deputies. Scott and Marisa are joined by LAist correspondent Frank Stoltze to talk about the dynamics of the race, the stakes for criminal justice reform and Gascón's chances for political survival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, candidates for office in San Francisco have been allowed to include Chinese names to appear on bilingual ballots. But after complaints that some of those Chinese names are a little over the top, with Chinese characters symbolizing qualities like “virtue” or “power," local elections officials are cracking down. Scott talks with reporter Han Li, who has been covering this for the San Francisco Standard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days before the Super Tuesday primary, Governor Gavin Newsom joins Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer to talk about his ballot measure to build mental health treatment facilities and how he thinks the state should be handling retail theft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles Congressman Adam Schiff built his reputation in Washington as former President Trump’s chief nemesis. Now he’s hoping to parlay that role into a U.S. Senate seat. Scott and Marisa talk to Schiff about his support for Israel, his evolution from a tough-on-crime Democrat to now embracing reform and what he wants to do if elected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of the most competitive House races in the U.S. are here in California’s Central Valley, where two incumbent Republicans are locked in tight reelection races. Scott and Marisa are joined by KVPR's Joshua Yeager to analyze why the two districts are such a challenge for Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cook Political Report is the gold standard in covering campaigns. Its founder Charles Cook started it in 1984 to provide unbiased, nonpartisan analysis of every House and Senate race in the nation. One of the tools Cook developed is a shorthand for analyzing those races — a rating system that ranges from solid Republican to solid Democrat to “toss-ups," which are races that could go either way. On today's Political Breakdown, Scott chats with Cook about how analyzing political campaigns has changed, and his decision to step back and have Amy Walter be the lead face of the Cook Political Report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of the last three decades, California had two female senators – Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. But after the November election, there’s a chance we’ll have two men. Scott, Marisa and Guy are joined by Los Angeles Times reporter Benjamin Oreskes, who recently wrote about how women appear to be the reason why California's streak of female senators may be ending. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Porter won the Orange County House seat in 2018, flipping a Republican district blue. Now, the self-described "mini-van driving mom" is in a tight race for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Dianne Feinstein. Marisa and Scott chat with Congresswoman Porter about her Iowa roots, consumer advocacy and the key differences between herself and fellow Democrats Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter is in a tough race for the U.S. Senate, two Democrats vying to replace her in the House are engaged in a knockdown, drag-out race. Plus, 15 candidates are vying to replace Congressman Adam Schiff. Scott and Marisa chat with POLITICO's Melanie Mason about the most competitive congressional races in Southern California. We’ll continue covering the California congressional races over the weeks leading up to Super Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa Protests over the Israel-Hamas War continue dividing Democrats, with disagreement over what the Biden Administration should do. Scott and Marisa talk about what this means as President Biden visits California this week to fundraise. Then, Guy Marzorati joins Olivia Allen-Price, host of Bay Curious, to break down everything you need to know about Proposition 1. It’s the only statewide ballot measure in the March primary, and it's meant to address homelessness, drug addiction and mental illness. Bay Curious Breaks Down Prop. 1 Transcript: Proposition 1 — Behavioral Health Funding Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's top stories in politics, including why labor won't take no for an answer in Sacramento and Democrats' big win in the New York special election to replace George Santos. Plus, is an intra-party primary squabble killing Democrats' chance to pick up a GOP House seat? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are billionaires taking over politics in the Golden State? Marisa and Scott sit down with longtime political insider and journalist Gil Duran to talk about the ongoing political plays by tech and finance elites in San Francisco, Solano County and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is retiring after more than 30 years representing Silicon Valley, and several well-known Democrats are vying to replace her. Scott talks to Guy Marzorati, who lives in that congressional district and has been following the race closely. We'll continue covering the most competitive congressional races in California over the next three weeks leading up to Super Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2014 criminal justice ballot measure Prop. 47 has been the subject of discussion, debate, criticism and pushback for years. Critics blame Prop. 47 for what they say is a rise in property crimes like shoplifting — but is that real, or just perception? Would changing Prop. 47 to toughen penalties reduce high profile smash and grab crimes? Or does law enforcement already have the tools to prosecute that? Marisa Lagos joins Scott Shafer to discuss what she found after months of reporting. Read more: Prop 47's Impact on California’s Criminal Justice System Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Members of California’s Legislative Black Caucus released its list of priorities following recommendations from the state’s Reparations Task Force. They include 14 bills aimed at addressing inequities in education, healthcare, criminal justice and business … but no mention of cash payments. KQED’s Scott Shafer and Annelise Finney discuss the process so far with LA Times columnist Erika D. Smith, who calls the recommendations “half-baked and disorganized.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Senate race is heating up with battling TV ads ahead of next week's second candidate debate. Plus, the congressional race for Katie Porter's Orange County House seat gets down and dirty with two Democrats trading allegations. Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's top political news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another day in court for former President Donald Trump — this time, the Supreme Court considers whether he can be taken off the Colorado presidential ballot. Marisa and Scott talk with Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School, about the oral arguments and other legal questions Trump is facing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed — in part due to a surprising defection from a conservative House member from California. Plus, the congressional race to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is getting nasty in Kern County, as MAGA Republicans pile onto McCarthy's anointed successor, Assemblymember Vince Fong. Scott and Marisa chat about all that with Jeremy B. White, senior political reporter for POLITICO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latino voters are likely to play a big role in determining the outcome of races up and down the state and up and down the ballot this year. About a quarter of the Latinos who are eligible to vote in the entire nation live here in California. But for candidates trying to win over Latino voters, there are some obstacles. For a better sense of the state’s growing Latino electorate, Scott Shafer spoke with Matt Barreto of the Latino Policy and Politics Institute at UCLA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ballots for the March 5th primary election are arriving in mailboxes across the state this week. In California, the titles and summaries for ballot measures are written by the attorney general, but some say Democrats in the job too often put their thumb on the scale with skewed summaries to help their allies. Plus, the life and death of legislation in Sacramento. Why are some bills introduced knowing they'll never make it out of committee, much less to the governor's desk? Scott and Marisa chat about all this with CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal. Also: KQED has a voter guide! Check out our roadmap to voting in California at kqed.org/voterguide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New fundraising totals in the U.S. Senate race show Adam Schiff with a huge monetary advantage over fellow Democrats Katie Porter and Barbara Lee and Republican Steve Garvey. Plus, does the GOP have a Taylor Swift problem? Scott, Marisa and Guy take a look at some of the top stories bubbling up in the world of politics this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With migrants attempting to cross the U.S. southern border in record numbers, immigration is becoming one of the top issues in this year’s presidential campaign. President Biden is adopting some hard-line positions, even vowing to "shut down" the border if Congress passes a bipartisan deal. Marisa and Scott dig into the crisis at the border with Hamed Aleaziz, an immigration reporter for the New York Times who's covered the issue since former President Trump’s tumultuous term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dean of UC Berkeley’s Law School has signed onto a legal brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that Donald Trump is ineligible to be president due to his participation in the January 6th insurrection. Scott talks with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky about that issue and all the other legal perils Trump is facing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s high-speed rail project has been way over budget and way behind schedule since voters approved it in 2008. But progress is actually being made. Scott talks with KQED transportation editor Dan Brekke and CalMatters reporter Yousef Baig about the impact of the high-speed rail project in the Central Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris’ push to rally voters in San José around support for reproductive rights ran headlong into protests on Monday, demanding an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza. Scott talks about that with Guy Marzorati, who was there before and during Harris' appearance. Plus, President Joe Biden is facing major problems with younger voters. They’re upset his climate change policies haven’t gone further, and they're disaffected by his unwavering support for Israel in its war with Hamas. Some think a push for decriminalizing marijuana use could help Biden win back voters under 30. Scott talks to David Downs, senior editor and reporter with Leafly.com, an online publication that covers marijuana policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the New Hampshire primary in the rearview mirror, the presidential race is heating up. Next up? South Carolina. Plus, Vice President Kamala Harris stumps in California, keeping abortion rights at the top of Democrats' agenda. And, how California politicians are stepping up to help President Joe Biden. Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's news in politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbara Lee is the only woman of color and the most progressive candidate running for U.S. Senate in California. If elected, it would be the cap to a long career that started with Shirley Chisholm's groundbreaking 1972 presidential campaign. Marisa and Guy chat with Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee in the first of Political Breakdown's interviews with the candidates hoping to claim the seat held for more than 30 years by the late Dianne Feinstein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A wave of layoffs decimates the Los Angeles Times newsroom, with cuts hitting younger journalists of color especially hard and upending the billionaire owner's promise to expand the paper's coverage of L.A.'s diverse communities. Scott talks with Geeta Anand, the dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and L.A. Times columnist Gustavo Arellano about the threat to local journalism and how sweeping media layoffs will affect coverage of a high-stakes election year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last night the four leading candidates for the U.S. Senate once held by Dianne Feinstein squared off in their first debate. The candidates spelled out their positions on the Israel-Hamas war, Trump, the economy and abortion. Scott and Marisa dissect the debate with POLITICO's California Bureau Chief Christopher Cadelago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is the latest Republican presidential candidate to drop out, a victim of bad poll numbers that show him far behind Donald Trump. Why do polls carry so much weight? And how do they shape voters' impressions of candidates? Scott talks with veteran pollster David Binder about the science of polling and the art of telling good ones from bad ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a new entry into the 2026 race for Governor of California. State Senate President Toni Atkins is seeking to become the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person to be governor. Plus, Scott, Marisa and Guy test out an AI bot made by Silicon Valley billionaires trying to get Dean Phillips elected as president. Relisten to past Political Breakdown interviews with some of the candidates running for California Governor in 2026: She Broke 2 Glass Ceilings in Sacramento. Will She Try for 3 Tony Thurmond on Culture Wars in California Schools Betty Yee on a Lifetime of Running the Numbers Eleni Kounalakis on the Lieutenant Governor's Role During the Coronavirus Outbreak and Lessons from Diplomacy in Hungary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a common complaint among Democrats: The GOP is winning the messaging war. So how can they do better? Marisa and Scott are joined by Democratic strategists Anat Shenker-Osorio and Jenifer Fernandez Ancona who released new research examining what economic messaging is most likely to work for Democratic candidates this election year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Democrats are split on immigration and border security, according to a new poll. KQED's immigration editor Tyche Hendricks joins Scott to break down how this could affect the 2024 elections. Then, Scott is joined by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to talk about what security means in the age of AI and rising doubts about the integrity of our elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were no big surprises in Monday’s Republican Iowa Caucuses. Donald Trump grabbed more than half the votes, leaving Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley to fight over the crumbs. Now it’s on to New Hampshire, where those three will once again square off. Scott and Marisa talk to POLITICO's Brakkton Booker about the state of the presidential race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze the week's top political stories, including a fresh poll showing California's U.S. Senate race is still very much up for grabs and the very real possibility that the top two will include one Republican and one Democrat. Plus, they look ahead to next week, when Republicans will brave the snow and cold in Iowa to caucus for their candidate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toni Atkins is the only person in California to have served as both speaker of the Assembly and president of the Senate in the past 150 years. The San Diego Democrat has broken several glass ceilings as a woman and a lesbian. Will she try to break another by running for governor in 2026? Marisa and Scott chat with Atkins about her path from growing up in Appalachia to the top of the California State Legislature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom today rolled out his plan for solving California's budget deficit. And the good news is the deficit according to Newsom is $38 billion, far less than the $68 billion shortfall that had been expected by many. Scott is joined by Marisa, who is in Sacramento covering the governor's budget blueprint. Then, they're both joined by Chris Hoene of the California Budget and Policy Center to sort through some of the big spending decisions ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 election will be the first where artificial intelligence, or AI, could play a big role — and not necessarily a good one. Today in Sacramento, the head of California Common Cause announced proposals to address the potential problems from things like deepfakes intended to confuse voters. Scott Shafer is joined by Jonathan Mehta Stein, head of Common Cause, to discuss threats posed by technology for this election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KQED is launching a new daily version of Political Breakdown today! So what should you expect and why now? Co-hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos sat down to talk about it. Then the rest of the KQED politics team joins them to chat through the big political news of the day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 legislative session is just underway and in addition to agenda items like closing a massive $68 billion budget deficit, the governor and lawmakers face many big issues on the docket. Scott Shafer and Guy Marzorati check in with CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal, who is in Sacramento as the Legislature kicks off with a Gaza protest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Breakdown debuted in 2017 as a podcast and radio program that unpacked politics with a California perspective. The show is an essential part of KQED, especially during presidential election years. That’s why we’re launching a daily version of Political Breakdown — on the air and in your podcast feed. Political Breakdown will be informative, fact-based and focused on democracy. It will be a news-driven show, unflinchingly taking on the topics of the moment while providing context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa and Scott close out the year by looking back at two interviews recapping legislative highlights at the state Capitol. They revisit a conversation with labor leader Tia Orr on 2023's "hot labor summer" and historic accomplishments by and for organized labor. Then, they revisit a conversation with the governor's chief of staff Dana Williamson and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg about historic reforms on mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa, Scott and Guy wrap up 2023 by looking ahead into what's sure to be a wild election year. They're joined by KQED's Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez and Politico's Melanie Mason to chat about big issues and campaigns to watch and even make some predictions for the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American West used to be Republican territory. But in recent years, Democrats have gained ground in formerly red states like Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. Marisa and Scott chat with LA Times political columnist Mark Z. Barabak about his series "The New West" and how this political shift transpired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott talks to CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal about the state's $68 billion budget deficit and the petition from Capitol staffers calling for a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Plus, as the death toll in that war continues growing in the Middle East, a very different kind of toll is being felt at elite universities. Scott dives into how the war is roiling campuses across the country with LA Times columnist Robin Abcarian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is losing another high-profile power broker now that Kevin McCarthy has announced he is resigning from Congress at the end of the year. What does this mean for his hometown of Bakersfield and the half dozen vulnerable Republicans running for reelection in California? Scott is joined by KVPR's Joshua Yeager, Republican political consultant Mike Madrid and Washington correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle Shira Stein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Utility companies are bracing for a future affected by climate change and evolving energy markets. Marisa and Scott are joined by Patti Poppe, the CEO of PG&E. Poppe has been trying to navigate these challenges and more since her tenure started in 2021, after the company emerged from bankruptcy for the second time in two decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a special Tuesday edition of Political Breakdown, Scott Shafer and veteran political journalist Carla Marinucci give us the state of play in American politics. Then, they’re joined by KQED transportation reporter Dan Brekke to talk about whether public transit in the state is facing an existential crisis. Plus: Tune in to find out who’s already ordered their BART ugly holiday sweater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices