Newsom stands by Biden to the bitter end

As fellow Democrats’ calls for President Joe Biden to bow out of his re-election campaign reach a fever pitch, Gov. Gavin Newsom remains a loyal foot soldier to the president, saying he’s “all in, no daylight” during an interview with CBS News last week.

But while such unwavering support could be risky for Newsom if things were to go south for Biden, some political analysts say that standing behind the president benefits the governor for the most part — at least among Democrats, writes CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff. 

According to Catherine Lew, a political consultant who worked on Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign in 1992, Newsom has “the long game in mind.” On a national level, Newsom is a relatively new political player, and he can build relationships, snag endorsements and fundraise by staying in lockstep with the party establishment. These would become especially handy in the event that the governor decides to run for high office in the coming years — a speculation he has repeatedly denied. 

If Biden does somehow win in November, Newsom could also be hailed as a heroic defender. But if he doesn’t, Democrats are unlikely to hold his fealty against him, says Matt Rodriguez, a Democratic consultant who worked on presidential campaigns including Barack Obama’s. “Voters’ memories are short, particularly when there are other pressing, day-to-day, quality-of-life issues,” he said.

By comparison, other notable politicians being floated as potential presidential candidates have taken a more reserved approach. For instance, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — who serves as Biden’s campaign co-chairperson — told CNN last week that “it wouldn’t hurt” for Biden to take a cognitive test.

Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click said there is no grand design behind the governor’s loyalty, and that it is merely a recognition of Biden and his accomplishments.

Click, in a text message: “Governor Newsom’s advocacy for the President and his administration reflects … a clear view of the real danger a second Trump administration would have for California and democracy in America.”

Besides the possibility of another Trump presidency, Biden could also impact down-ballot Democrats who are running in competitive districts by remaining in the race. Because of these concerns, other California Democrats have publicly stated that they believe Biden should step down. U.S. Rep. and Senate hopeful Adam Schiff has been the highest-profile official to date, and Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno said in a statement Thursday that it is time for Biden to withdraw “for the good of the country.” 

Read more on Newsom’s positioning during the Democratic drama in Alexei’s story.

November election: It’s not too early to get informed. Read up on the 10 ballot measures and the history of propositions in California. Check out our Voter Guide, including the FAQ on how to vote. And keep up with CalMatters coverage.

After initial backlash from water suppliers and state analysts over proposed water limits that were too stringent, the California Water Resources Control Board approved updated conservation rules for urban water usage earlier this month. 

The new regulations do not apply to individuals, but instead allot water budgets for 405 cities and other suppliers serving 95% of Californians. Some regions will be hit harder than others, writes CalMatters water reporter Rachel Becker.

For example, with its dense housing and foggy weather, San Francisco is expected to meet its 2040 mandate without any additional cuts. About 880,000 of its residents use on average 42 gallons of water per person, per day — about half the amount of water the state averaged last year.

But regions including the Sierra Nevada, the Inland Empire, parts of the Central Valley and others will need to reduce their usage by as much as 30% on average. North of Sacramento, the low-income community of Linda in Yuba County faces a 43% reduction.

Brian Davis, general manager of the Linda County Water District: “It puts us in the seat of having to be the bad guy for what may be a miniscule amount of savings.”

Still, the rules are expected to decrease water usage per person by nearly 22% through 2050, compared to 18% without them. And state analysts estimate customers and water suppliers will save about $1.4 billion.

Check out how the water conservation rules affect your city or agency using our lookup tool in Rachel’s story.

Urging audience members to speak up for others “because you might be on the menu tomorrow,” Assemblymember Corey Jackson underscored the shifting targets of hate crimes during a panel discussion on discrimination and inequality in the Inland Empire.

As CalMatters San Diego and Inland Empire issues reporter Deborah Brennan explains, the Moreno Valley Democrat spoke Tuesday night at an event sponsored by Zócalo Public Square and California Humanities in Riverside.

Jackson was joined by moderator Brian Levin, a co-founder of the Cal State San Bernardino’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism; Candice Mays, the director of the Mapping Black California Project for Riverside-based Black Voice News; and Luis Nolasco, policy advocate and organizer with ACLU Southern California.

Levin said that hate crimes rise every presidential election year, and news events tend to drive hostility against certain groups at various times.

The latest report in June from California’s attorney general bears this out: Amid a rise in anti-LGBTQ bills introduced last year and the Gaza war, reported hate crimes against LGBTQ, Jewish and Muslim people in the state increased across the board. Meanwhile, with the peak of the pandemic now passed — during which some politicians blamed China for the outbreak — incidents against Asians decreased from 140 in 2022 to 125 in 2023. And despite a decrease in hate crimes against Black Californians, anti-Black bias events “remained the most prevalent.”

Overall, the report found that hate crimes decreased in California by 7.1% in 2023. But in major American cities, hate crimes rose by double digits last year, according to Levin. Hate crimes, and other acts of aggression, often also go unreported, said May.

Mays: “It’s not always violent or verbal. It’s often what someone didn’t do. The first black homecoming queen not getting her picture put in the yearbook; a little boy not being woken up while asleep on the bus, and waking up in the bus yard. These are also variations of hate crimes.”

Read more about the event in Deborah’s story. And watch it here.

A closely-watched ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court will give local officials more power to shut down homeless encampments. CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall and producer Robert Meeks have a video version of her story on the potential impact in California. Watch it here.

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