Evan Low’s recount revenge

Presented by SEIU-UHW: Inside the Golden State political arena
Jun 12, 2024 View in browser
 
POLITICO California Playbook

By Dustin Gardiner and Lara Korte

Presented by SEIU-UHW

Evan Low speaks onstage.

Assemblymember Evan Low. | Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for CAPE

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: STILL COUNTING — Assemblymember Evan Low is apparently still smarting from a contentious recount in his March primary race for an open House seat in Silicon Valley — even though he came out ahead.

Low told Playbook that he plans to unveil legislation today to overhaul California’s recount process due to the “lingering bad taste” from his experience.

Low had been tied for second place with Joe Simitian, a third Democrat, and headed for a three-way November contest when a former staffer for first-place rival Sam Liccardo requested a recount … falsely claiming in the paperwork that it was on Low’s behalf.

His new bill would require anyone who requests a recount, which can easily cost the requester six figures, to immediately disclose their major funding sources. It would also trigger automatic recounts in extra-close races, where the candidates are separated by less than 25 votes or 0.25 percent of the ballots cast.

“I was just beside myself seeing a public document stating that there was a recount being processed in my name,” Low said of the request from former Liccardo staffer and donor Jonathan Padilla, which threw the outcome into limbo for weeks. “It just doesn’t pass the smell test.”

The primary race for retiring Rep. Anna Eshoo’s safe Democratic seat in Silicon Valley caused a stir when Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian each received exactly 30,249 votes in the initial count — a statistical anomaly that would have allowed for Low and Simitian to both advance to the general election.

Low won the recount with five additional votes that guaranteed him the second spot on the November ballot. But he has continued to allege that Liccardo, a former mayor of San Jose, coordinated the request in a play to remove one of his competitors and make it a traditional two-way contest.

Liccardo, who easily finished first in the primary, denied having any role in the recount request. Liccardo responded to Low’s allegations by suggesting that the lawmaker opposed a democratic process designed to ensure every vote was counted.

Low’s bill appears designed, at least in part, to keep questions swirling around the controversy. Low has continued to lambast Liccardo — who is still seen as the frontrunner — and his allies over the brouhaha, calling it a “dark money” operation.

The super PAC behind the recount, which was expected to cost more than $350,000, won’t be required to disclose all of its donors until July. A recent filing shows at least one funding source: A different super PAC bankrolled by billionaire Michael Bloomberg gave $102,000 to the committee behind the recount, as the Mercury News first reported.

Low’s legislation would require supporters of voter-requested recounts to disclose any contributions of $10,000 or more within 24 hours.

Even Eshoo, who backed Simitian in the primary, has expressed concern about the opaque funding sources of the recount effort in her district. She posted on X in April that without that immediate disclosure, “a dark shadow is cast across the landscape.”

GOOD MORNING. Happy Wednesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.

You can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte.

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

 

A message from SEIU-UHW:

The Healthcare Minimum Wage Law is set to give hundreds of thousands of our caregivers a raise on July 1st. This pay increase is long overdue for workers and more important than ever for patients, whose care is being jeopardized every day by the short staffing crisis. A $25/hour minimum wage will ensure that facilities across the state can retain experienced staff and attract new workers to the field. Learn more.

 
FOR GOOD MEASURE

Governor of California, Gavin Newsom attends the "From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience" 3-day summit organized by The Pontifical Academy of Sciences at The Vatican, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Gov. Gavin Newsom. | AP

HOLLYWOOD IN THE SPOTLIGHT — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is providing backup to unions as they argue that a November ballot measure to restrict new taxes — which would be retroactive to January 2022 — could void film and tax credits the state extended last year.

The “Taxpayer Protection Act” would — in addition to raising the voter-approval threshold for some new taxes to two-thirds — require that voters approve state-level taxes passed by the Legislature.

In a legal analysis obtained by Playbook, Newsom’s office argued that because the legislative extension of the Film and TV Tax Credit could result in some studios paying more in taxes, voters may have to sign off on the program for it to remain in effect.

The analysis comes as unions and local governments make a broader argument to Democratic lawmakers that the initiative could void several signature programs.

Newsom and labor groups have asked the California Supreme Court to keep the measure off the ballot, arguing it’s unconstitutional, and have said it would deprive local governments and schools of needed revenues. A Supreme Court ruling on whether to strike it from the ballot is expected soon. — Blake Jones

In this aerial photo is farmland in rural Solano County, Calif.

In this aerial photo is farmland in rural Solano County, Calif. | Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP

FIELD OF DREAMS — California Forever’s rezoning initiative qualified for the Solano County ballot on Tuesday, bringing the utopian dream of Bay Area tech investors and venture capitalists one step closer to reality.

The initiative, which garnered 20,473 signatures, would transform the wheatfields 50 miles northwest of San Francisco into a futuristic city. If voters approve the measure, nearly 20,000 acres would be rezoned from “agricultural” to “new community.” The development could host up to 400,000 residents.

The measure will now go before the Solano County Board of Supervisors. — Will McCarthy

 

HAPPENING 6/18 — A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION IN CA: California’s adoption of zero-emission vehicle policies will change the transportation landscape over the next two decades. How will the transition impact current transportation infrastructure and how will lawmakers fund future changes? Join POLITICO on June 18 to hear from lawmakers, industry officials and stakeholders to examine the future of transportation infrastructure, from transit, pedestrian and bike lanes to local streets, roads, highways, bridges and overpasses. REGISTER HERE.

 
 
CANNABIS CORNER

100111_cheech_chong_rtrs_218.jpg

Stoner icons Cheech & Chong.

DEMOCRACY, MAN — Two of the biggest names in marijuana appear to be making moves in Sacramento.

Cheech & Chong Global Holdings, Inc. registered as a lobbyist employer on Tuesday. The California-based company, founded by and named after that iconic 70s comedy duo, has been selling all kinds of marijuana products and paraphernalia since 2020.

The lobbying registration is still being vetted, and what exactly the company wants to lobby on in the state Capitol is unclear. Our inquiries to the company’s Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Black went unanswered.

Federal authorities announced last month a move to relax restrictions on marijuana by reclassifying the drug from the most restrictive category on the federal list of illegal drugs to a moderately restrictive category. That change could have massive implications for California’s multibillion-dollar annual cannabis industry.

 

A message from SEIU-UHW:

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ON THE AGENDA

BUDGET TIME — The Budget Committees in both the Assembly and Senate will hear bills related to Proposition 98 spending today.

IN THE ASSEMBLY — The Education Committee will hear state Sen. Caroline Menjivar’s bill that would require public high schools to provide condoms to students and state Sen. Anthony Portantino’s bill which would let schools adopt policies allowing students to carry opioid antagonists like Narcan and stock fentanyl test strips.

CLIMATE AND ENERGY

POST-INSURANCE WORLD — California’s leaders are trying hard to coax property insurers back to the state. But some communities are already thinking of ways to survive without them at all. Read more about the future they’re imagining in yesterday’s California Climate.

TOP TALKERS

— People across the country are furious about the skyrocketing price of homes. Here’s what six governors, including California’s Gavin Newsom, are doing about it. (POLITICO)

— Planned Parenthood privately opposed “shield laws” in California and two other states that protect doctors offering telehealth abortion services in states where the procedure is restricted. (San Francisco Chronicle)

AROUND THE STATE

— As the state prepares to pass new rules to protect workers from indoor heat, Newsom has demoted the chairperson of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board and removed another member who criticized the administration. (CalMatters)

— Hollywood stars are stepping up for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. (POLITICO)

— San Diego’s city council unanimously rejected a measure to ask voters if a new municipal electrical utility should oust San Diego Gas & Electric (San Diego Union-Tribune)

— The San Francisco teachers’ union is backing moderate school board candidates for the first time in at least a decade. (San Francisco Chronicle)

 

A message from SEIU-UHW:

California’s short staffing crisis affects patients everywhere by delaying care and putting unsustainable strain on our caregivers. With the skyrocketing cost of living we’re seeing across California, it’s more important than ever to make sure healthcare workers are being paid a liveable wage. Not only will that help hundreds of thousands of workers take care of their families, it will improve patient care by keeping caregivers on the job and encouraging more Californians to join the industry.

Additionally, the impact on the state budget has been exaggerated, with much of the costs predicted to be offset by workers no longer relying on state-funded services like Medi-Cal after receiving higher wages. See this in-depth UC Berkeley Labor Center report for more details.

 
PLAYBOOKERS

BIRTHDAYS — Melanie Barker of the CA Association of Realtors … Jack Yao of SC Strategies …

BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Monday) state Sen. Bill Dodd (favorite libation: “Napa cab or Carneros Chardonnay)

WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form. Disclaimer: All information will be verified.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@politico.com.

 

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Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner

Lara Korte @lara_korte

 

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