California Politics Podcast

It started as a ploy to scare Texas out of redrawing its congressional map and ended with California voters approving a new map of their own, one that could help alter the balance of power in Washington. Host Beth Ruyak talks with Paul Mitchell, head of Redistricting Partners and the person who drew the Prop 50 maps, and LA Times political writer Seema Mehta about how it happened. They discuss the five seats Democrats hope to pick up in California on Nov. 3 and the current odds of victory or defeat. They also consider whether the changing political landscape could determine if California’s independent commission will take back the job in 2031.

Climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain joins host Beth Ruyak to explain why this winter’s El Niño sharply raises California’s risk of heavy rain, flooding and coastal erosion this winter. They also discuss Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to declare a state of emergency, and whether the state should allow homes to be built in fire and flood zones.

After the only debate so far in California’s governor’s race, LA Times reporter Nicole Nixon and CalMatters reporter Jeanne Kuang join host Beth Ruyak. They break down the matchup between Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra and Republican candidate Steve Hilton, including Becerra’s push to tie Hilton to Trump, a heated exchange on immigration, and Hilton’s attention-grabbing new ad and internal poll. They also ask whether anything can still shift the race in its final weeks.

Legendary journalist George Skelton has covered nine California governors. In our first episode, the L.A. Times columnist sizes up the governors he's known, what made them successful and whether the next one can measure up. Then, L.A. Times politics editor Phil Willon joins us to discuss why state politics coverage matters now more than ever.