Meet Californians stumping in swing states

California is a sure thing for Democrats in the presidential race. So some supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris are heading to Arizona and Nevada — two neighboring states where the outcome is uncertain and could help determine who wins. 

CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra spoke with volunteers from Los Angeles who traveled to Las Vegas to knock on doors for the Harris campaign. Among them were Lauretta Darling and her mother Charlotte Barney, who cited abortion rights as an important issue. Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal protections for abortion, after Donald Trump appointed three justices as president.

• Darling: “To know that my daughter, my grandkids, my great-great-grandkids, other women to come will not have that right definitely tears me apart. And we need to get that restored.”

The volunteers later joined a two-bus caravan with Latino lawmakers and members of the nonprofit National Domestic Workers Alliance.

On the other side, the California Republican Party is focused on winning the state’s swing congressional districts.

• Ellie Hockenbury, spokesperson for the California GOP: “The best way for California Republicans to support President Trump is to secure a GOP House majority to help him implement his agenda in Washington.”

Read more about Californians canvassing in swing states in Ana’s story.

But the volunteers might have their work cut out for them — especially if they, say, run into former Californians who fled to Nevada. 

Over the last four years, more than 158,000 Californians have moved to Nevada — making up nearly 43% of its population growth. Some ex-pats who find Nevada’s taxes and business regulations more agreeable could help Trump win their adopted state, reports Politico.

Speaking of the presidential race: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the list of big-name Republicans endorsing Harris. In a lengthy social media post Wednesday, he said he doesn’t like either party and hates current politics, “which, if you are a normal person who isn’t addicted to this crap, you probably understand.” 

But he said he can’t support Trump because of his divisiveness and hate; because another term would “just be four more years of bulls–it with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful;” and “because rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets.”

• Schwarzenegger: “To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America is a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious. And I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”

Homelessness is one of the top concerns among California voters, and the outcome of many contests next week could directly impact unhoused residents — such as statewide propositions related to rent control and crime, local mayoral races and more.

But the people who are most affected by homelessness policies often have little say themselves — the 186,000 unhoused residents in California. 

As CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall and politics reporter Yue Stella Yu explain, while homeless people can be eligible to vote and some counties and nonprofits are trying to help them, they still face many challenges. (Other groups also struggle for voting access, including people with disabilities, inmates and non-English speakers.)

If an unhoused resident can’t receive a mail-in ballot, for example, they must go to a polling place. But this can be difficult if they have no way of getting there, or they’re concerned their belongings will be stolen once they leave their encampment. Without access to the internet or other media, it’s also hard to stay informed.

Even if a homeless person knows where their polling place is located, there’s still no guarantee that they can submit a ballot on Election Day.

• Nanie Crossman, who lives in an RV in West Oakland: “Plans are hard to keep out here. If you make plans, something will happen.”

Learn more about voting among unhoused Californians in Marisa and Stella’s story.

Voter demographics: Political Data Inc. crunched the final California voter registration numbers and found that Republicans have picked up 1 percentage point since 2020, to 25% (Democrats remain at 46%); Latinos have gained 2 percentage points among ethnic groups, to 28%; and those 65 and older have increased by 2 percentage points, to 24% of the electorate, while those ages 18 to 34 have lost 2 percentage points, to 28%.

From CalMatters business reporter Malena Carollo:

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Wednesday that seeks to address the state’s high energy costs for ratepayers. Under the order, several state agencies are directed to examine existing programs that affect ratepayers and submit recommendations for cost savings by Jan. 1.

One of the agencies, the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates power companies in the state, must determine whether any costs ratepayers are currently shouldering might be paid from elsewhere. The commission must immediately change or wind down “any underperforming or underutilized programs” or programs that have a greater cost than benefit to ratepayers.

The governor called for particular scrutiny of spending aimed at avoiding wildfires. Following a number of fires started by aging power lines — including the deadly 2018 Camp Fire ignited by Pacific Gas & Electric’s equipment — utilities are hardening the grid against wildfires. They are doing this largely by burying above-ground lines in high-risk areas, a costly process. PG&E was approved for several rate hikes this year alone.

Newsom’s order calls on the utilities commission and the state’s Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety to focus on potential changes to “wildfire safety oversight processes” for the utilities, as well as “cost-effective wildfire mitigation measures.” 

California has among the highest electricity rates in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Newsom, in a statement: “We’re taking action to address rising electricity costs and save consumers money on their bills. California is proving that we can address affordability concerns as we continue our world-leading efforts to combat the climate crisis.”

California’s salmon season has been canceled two years in a row, and could happen for a third year. What do the early numbers show? Find out from CalMatters environment reporter Alastair Bland.