Vote Like Your State Depends On It: The California Jungle Primary Explained
California's primary election is here, and it's shaping up to be a wild ride. With ballots hitting the mail, we're diving deep into the crucial races that could change the state's political landscape. Today, we’re chatting with Michelle Singleton, a local expert who knows the ins and outs of the Riverside County scene. We’ll break down the stakes, especially with the governor's race looking like a game of musical chairs—61 candidates and only two can advance! So, whether you're a seasoned voter or just dipping your toes into the electoral waters, we've got the lowdown on when and how to cast your vote, plus why your participation is absolutely vital. Buckle up, because we're about to explore how you can make your voice heard and help steer California in the right direction!
Takeaways:
- California's upcoming primary election is crucial, with ballots arriving soon, so gear up!
- Voter turnout is key, especially with Democrats outnumbering Republicans nearly 2 to 1 in California.
- The jungle primary system means the top two candidates advance regardless of party, so strategize wisely!
- It's vital to familiarize yourself with the candidates and their stances to make an informed choice.
- Utilizing resources like the California Voter Index can help you track polling and candidate viability effectively.
- Increased Democratic turnout can significantly impact the primary, so encourage your friends to vote!
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- California Democratic Party
- Riverside County Democratic Party
- California Voter Index
- Wikipedia
- Ballotpedia
Mentioned in this episode:
Andrea Garcia for Judge
The Riverside County Democratic Party proudly endorses Andrea Garcia for Superior Court Judge, Seat 10
Transcript
Welcome to Democracy on Fire.
Speaker A:So glad you're here.
Speaker A:California has a big primary election coming up shortly.
Speaker A:The ballots are in the mail and will be arriving soon.
Speaker A:Today we'll be discussing the big races, what's at stake, and why it's so important to vote.
Speaker A:And we'll get into the logistics of voting when, where, how, and how to find information.
Speaker A:My guest is Michelle Singleton.
Speaker A:She's the California Democratic Party's organizer for Riverside county and chair of the Riverside County Democratic Party's political action committee.
Speaker A:Welcome, Michelle, so good to see you.
Speaker B:Thank you, Kay.
Speaker B:Likewise.
Speaker B:Glad to be here.
Speaker A:Well, let's start with the big race, the California governor's race, where there's been a lot of activity recently going on with Eric Swalwell dropping out.
Speaker A:It's a huge field, 61 candidates qualified.
Speaker A:And California has what's known as a jungle primary, where the top two candidates vote getters and the primary advance to the general regardless of party.
Speaker A:And because there are only two Republicans on the ballot and dozens of Democrats who are splitting up the Democratic share of the vote, it's possible that two Republicans might advance.
Speaker A:And there's been a lot of concern about that.
Speaker A:We are recording this podcast a few days after the nexstar debate on kron, which was the first big debate since Swalwell dropped out.
Speaker A:And that's where we saw the two Republicans on stage, Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, competing to outdo each other on defending our president Donald Trump and his disastrous policies.
Speaker A:So we also had four Democrats in that debate, those who were polling the highest at the time.
Speaker A:And it would be a disaster for California if either of those Republicans got in there.
Speaker A:Their remarks in that debate were just over the top, unacceptable for the kind of leadership that we need now.
Speaker A:So we really need to do everything we can to be sure that we get at least one of the Democrats into the lineup for the general.
Speaker A:And we have an impressive lineup of qualified people, Democrats, all of whom could competently lead our state.
Speaker A:But ultimately it does come down to one.
Speaker A:And how can we be sure that we get at least one of these qualified and impressive Democrats into the top two on the general ballot?
Speaker A:Do you have thoughts about that, Michelle?
Speaker A:What are you thinking about this situation?
Speaker B:Yeah, this is probably the question and concern I hear most on a day to day basis.
Speaker B:We know how important and vital California is not only to the rest of the nation, but really to the world.
Speaker B:And so, of course, our leadership is something we need to take incredibly serious and important and cannot afford to let either of those two have a chance at that, at that seat, because it would be disastrous not only for us here in California, but, like I said, nationwide and worldwide.
Speaker B:So one of the things that does give me some pause and some comfort in knowing is that in California, registered Democrats almost outnumber registered Republicans, like 2 to 1.
Speaker B:So Republican Party is a third party in California.
Speaker B:We have more independent voters registered than we do Republican voters.
Speaker B:So we do have a huge number of voters that if and when, hopefully this year, they feel empowered to really turn out in record numbers.
Speaker B:That's going to help, in and of itself ensure that at least one, if not two Democrats make it through the top primary.
Speaker B:So I think one of the things that we can all focus on is just making sure everybody that we know, friends, neighbors, get involved, volunteer, whatever it may be, but just turn out this.
Speaker B:This primary election because it will be a numbers game.
Speaker B:And just by having a sheer number of Democrats show up, that helps increase the odds of, like I said, at least one Democrat, if not two, making it through the primary.
Speaker B:The other thing I would say I was, you know, as a lot of frustrated voters have, have brought to our attention, the California Democratic Party reached no consensus back in February when we had our endorsing convention.
Speaker B:And again, a lot of that had to do.
Speaker B:We had such a wide field, and a candidate would have needed 60% of the over 3,000 delegates in the state in order to earn that endorsement vote.
Speaker B:So while, yes, frustrating that there isn't a clear candidate that at least the party is backing for the primary, what the state party has done, and our chair, Rusty Hicks, has, I think, very wisely led us in, is that the party has invested in its own own polling.
Speaker B:On our California Democratic Party website, we have what's called the California Voter Index, and this is an independent polling firm.
Speaker B:You can read about how they're getting all their information, but it's an incredibly strong poll.
Speaker B:And then the party itself is publishing those results about every two weeks right now.
Speaker B:And so, you know, kind of really making it public.
Speaker B:This is a very effective, widespread poll that is taking place and publishing those results, along with our chair advocating that, you know, candidates that are polling below double digits, which all but three are, to carefully look at their campaigns, and if they're not gaining the support, the funding, the field, you know, all of those different factors, to strongly consider dropping out and endorsing another candidate.
Speaker B:We saw Betty Yee earlier this week kind of take and reflect on that advice and, you know, wonderful Democrats, she's done wonderful things in office.
Speaker B:She would have made a great governor.
Speaker B:But again, she saw her campaign, saw that there wasn't a pathway and got behind.
Speaker B:So I think by having the California Voter Index out there, it's just another tool that we can all look at to really see who is pulling in the resources that's going to be needed to make it through the primary and you know, focusing and fine tuning our vote as vote individual voters around those that are pulling the highest.
Speaker B:And like you said, we've got an abundance of talent.
Speaker B:Any one of them would wonderfully lead our state.
Speaker B:But in this situation, I think we do need to look at who is the most viable and, and really consolidate around those that are pulling really well according to that, that index.
Speaker B:So those would be my two things.
Speaker B:We really got to focus on just getting Democratic turnout because it is a numbers game.
Speaker B:We already outnumber the opposition.
Speaker B:So the more we can increase at a local level all the throughout the state, the better we're going to be off.
Speaker B:And then the second is look to, to those candidates that are pulling well over, you know, double digits, that are getting those strong endorsements, that are getting, you know, increasing in their, in their polling, increasing in their campaign donations, increasing in their, their voter outreach and coalesce behind them.
Speaker A:Do you want to mention the top three polling at the time of this recording?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:So right now, our last one that the California Voter Index poll that, that was released the last week, or I'm sorry, earlier this week, has Javier Becerra at the top closely right behind is Tom Steyer.
Speaker B:And then about two points below both of them is a Katie Porter.
Speaker B:And then from there it drops down to single digits, less than 5% with Matt Mahan.
Speaker A:So one of the suggestions I heard from Robert Hubble on his weekly podcast was that it might make sense to consider waiting not to vote immediately.
Speaker A:Although that's what the voter guide says, as soon as your ballot comes in the mail, you should mark it right away and send it back.
Speaker A:But while things are still sorting out and we're going to have several more debates coming up in the next few weeks, he says I'm going to wait until the last week in May and whoever's ahead, then that's who I'm voting for of the Democrats because that will help us, you know, giving it a little more time to see how the polling is going.
Speaker A:And he was saying it may not be my favorite person, but they're all good and I'm going to vote for that person because it's so crucial that we get one of them, at least one of them into the top two.
Speaker A:So that's a strategy to consider.
Speaker A:Is waiting continuing to watch, checking that California Polling Index is a great source of information.
Speaker A:So glad to see the party doing that.
Speaker A:And I'm sure there'll be other public polls as well that will be available to us.
Speaker A:So very interesting situation that we're in.
Speaker A:And I guess whether we like this general primary system is a topic for another day.
Speaker A:But it does seem odd, you know, that here we it obviously did encourage a lot of people to run.
Speaker A:In preparing for this show, one of the things I've noticed is that there doesn't seem to be at least that I found a single source of information where a voter could go to learn about everything that's on the ballot and all the different races.
Speaker A:The statewide voter guide, for example, doesn't have information about the congressional races which are also hugely important.
Speaker A:And we will be having the top two advance in that situation as well.
Speaker A:So let's think for a moment before we get into the congressional races just about the logistics of voting for people who are infrequent voters or maybe new to California, new to your area, new to your district.
Speaker A:You may have questions.
Speaker A:Where are the best sources of information, Michelle, that people can go to to find out when, where, how to cast the vot.
Speaker B:So the top two places I would look for Riverside county is our registrar voters office.
Speaker B:If you're in another county I would check out your county's registrar of voters.
Speaker B:But for for Riverside, if you go to vote info.net that is where you are going to get everything and more that you would like to see.
Speaker B:So right now they currently have the list of all the candidates that have qualified to be on our ballots in Riverside County.
Speaker B:So that's from the governor's race all the way down to we even have like the city of Riverside votes for its city council in primary elections.
Speaker B:They're the only city that does that.
Speaker B:But you'll even see those candidates listed on that candidate list as we get a little bit closer to ballots dropping sample ballots will also be available on voteinfo.net to view.
Speaker B:We'll also they'll also post they do a great job.
Speaker B:They do an interactive map where you can actually click type in your address and then this map will show you where all your vote centers are.
Speaker B:So Riverside county uses a vote center process instead of a polling place.
Speaker B:So what vote centers are they are essentially like polling places.
Speaker B:So you can go to drop off your ballot starting about two weeks before election day you can actually go and vote physically in person as well.
Speaker B:And then if you have any questions, concerns you didn't receive your ballot by mail, you can also go to a vote center.
Speaker B:But it's not.
Speaker B:The vote centers aren't tied to your specific address or precinct.
Speaker B:You can go to anyone in the county.
Speaker B:So I for instance live in Menifee, but sometimes I have work in Palm Springs Springs.
Speaker B:So if I was working and away from home, I don't have to go to my vote center that's here in Menifee.
Speaker B:I could go to one in Palm Springs and they would still take my ballot, issue me a ballot if I lost one, you know, answer my questions.
Speaker B:So it's a really nice convenience that Riverside county provides to have these vote centers everywhere.
Speaker B:So again, on their website you'd be able to type in an address and see, see where all of the closest vote centers are to that address.
Speaker B:It also will provide you the hours that they're open.
Speaker B:Some are only on Saturdays, some are, you know, weekends, some are during the week.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So what hours they're open.
Speaker B:And then there's also a phone number for someone that you could call to get, you know, answer any questions that you, that you have.
Speaker B:They also have some really great informational videos about like the life of a ballot.
Speaker B:So you can actually watch the process of what happened happens with a, with your ballot and all, you know, everything that it goes through.
Speaker B:So it's just, it's a great, great source.
Speaker B:The other one that I would recommend is the Riverside County Democratic Party's website and you can just Riverside County Democrats take you right there.
Speaker B:And we have a tab specifically for elections.
Speaker B:One tab will have voting information and we will just use a lot of the information that the register vot voters have about the ins and outs of voting.
Speaker B:But then we also have an endorsement page.
Speaker B:And again, kind of going back to your previous question, we have a lot of contests this primary election where we didn't have a consensus candidate.
Speaker B:So there's no endorsement from the party.
Speaker B:And in those cases we're listing all of the Democrats that have qualified to be on the ballot.
Speaker B:Links to their websites and information so you can gain more information, knowledge and understanding about each of the Democrats running.
Speaker B:And where we have recorded debates or candidate forums, we're posting them all on that same page.
Speaker B:So it's essentially a one stop shop for Democrats in Riverside county to be able to go to see exactly who's been endorsed and where we don't have an endorsement, get information to help kind of guide their vote on which Democrat they want to support going forward for the primary election.
Speaker B:So I think those two sources really can help voters get the information they need.
Speaker A:And a couple other sources I would just mention that had some very interesting information are Wikipedia and Ballotpedia and they have lists of who has endorsed these candidates for governor and for Congress, how much money has been raised, just all kinds of information that helps you evaluate and understand who these folks are and what they stand for and what their accomplishments have been.
Speaker A:So those are other sources that are good to check out as well.
Speaker A:And I just wanted to mention we not only have everybody getting all the registered voters getting a ballot in the mail, which you can return by mail, and if you're going to be mailing it back in, you should do that at least five days before June 2, which is the final day, the so called election Day.
Speaker A:And so that would be my May 28th.
Speaker A:So if you're waiting to kind of determine who to vote for in that important governor's race, be sure that you vote.
Speaker A:You send in your ballot at least five days ahead of time if you're putting it in the US Mail.
Speaker A:And you can also use a Dropbox.
Speaker A:And are there more drop boxes than there are election centers?
Speaker A:That was my impression is there's additional places around the county that you can find a Dropbox.
Speaker A:And the California Voter Guide does have some of this information about where to go to get this.
Speaker A:So that's another thing you'll have in your mail to be able to give you instructions.
Speaker A:And so those are the options.
Speaker A:Vote by mail, vote in person, vote early, and plenty of opportunities.
Speaker A:And I know that one of the, one of the things that's off putting to people is they feel like, well, geez, I don't know who, I don't know who all these people are.
Speaker A:And there's people on here I never heard of, and so on and so on.
Speaker A:So I think having information is really positive and helps people feel empowered that they can do it.
Speaker A:And I guess if all else fails, you know, you can vote the party label or you can just leave it blank.
Speaker A:You know, you, you're not obligated to vote for things that you don't know or don't understand or don't have an opinion about.
Speaker A:But we do need you to show up.
Speaker A:So everybody please get tuned in and figure out a plan and who you're going to be voting for and which of these options you're going to pursue.
Speaker A:Let's turn to the federal races, control of Congress is incredibly important this moment in our history.
Speaker A:And I understand that California would be electing 52 members of Congress and that because of Proposition 50 that passed last year, many districts have been significantly changed.
Speaker A:So one thing I hear a good bit from folks is I don't know which my new district is.
Speaker A:How do people find out what their new district is under Prop 50?
Speaker B:Again, I would go to the Riverside County Democratic Party's website.
Speaker B:We've got a really neat map that one of our California Democratic Party partners have put together with all the, it's, it's a kind of based on a Google map.
Speaker B:So it has the old districts, but then you can put the new district overline and you can zoom into the street level so you can see really where those, those borders cut across.
Speaker B:So that's, that's definitely a good one.
Speaker B:You'll also notice on your primary ballot when you get it, it will have your new congressional district.
Speaker B:So you'll know what number you're, you're in.
Speaker B:So that'll, that'll kind of be an easy way to, to know.
Speaker B:Every single seat is, is up in the primary.
Speaker B:So, and it will be based on the new boundaries.
Speaker A:So of course, the intent of Proposition 50 was to push back against the redistricting war started by the Republicans, the President, the people in Texas who decided they needed to redistrict mid decade and started this process that has been happening now in a number of states.
Speaker A:And California was successful in passing Prop 50.
Speaker A:And at the time, as I recall, we're going to pick up five Democratic seats.
Speaker A:The potential for that.
Speaker A:How's that looking?
Speaker A:Are there some battleground, close selections in the California lineup that you're aware of?
Speaker B:Yes, yes.
Speaker B:This is actually my, my passion and my project right now for this, this year.
Speaker B:So very excited to talk about this.
Speaker B:So, yes, we passed Proposition 50 overwhelmingly.
Speaker B:It was a huge success in California for Riverside county.
Speaker B: ounty that voted for Trump in: Speaker B:So I think that kind of gives us some idea of the momentum change and drive that we're seeing here in the county.
Speaker B:And our county is, I feel like it's incredibly lucky and privileged to be on the forefront in one of these battleground seats.
Speaker B:So like you mentioned, we do have 52 seats in Congress that come from the state of California after Prop 50.
Speaker B:We are pretty much guaranteed now that 46 of those seats will result in a Democrat being elected or reelected.
Speaker B:And we now have two battleground seats.
Speaker B:So the goal and what we will do, I should say it's our goal, but it is what we are going to accomplish this year and is to flip those two battleground seats, where we currently have a Republican incumbent, flipping it blue, and then we will be able to send a delegation of 48 Democrats to the House to take back the House, actually.
Speaker B:So it's really exciting.
Speaker B:So here in Riverside county, One of those two battleground states, our districts is Congressional District 4, 48.
Speaker B:This is a seat that's currently held by Darrell Issa.
Speaker B:I like to completely celebrate and brag about our amazing volunteers in Riverside County.
Speaker B:We started early.
Speaker B:We were organizing, we were talking to voters about, you know, what issues and concerns are top on their mind.
Speaker B:You know, just having these really robust conversations with folks and letting them know what new district they're in and then how important in having those.
Speaker B:Getting those issues and concerns addressed, how important it will be to make sure we flip this seat in November.
Speaker B:So I think by starting so early, literally on the day, the filing deadline day, Darrell Issa announced that he would be retiring.
Speaker B:So I think we scared him.
Speaker B:When Prop 50 first passed, he was thinking about moving to Texas and running for Congress there.
Speaker B:The President told him to stay in California.
Speaker B:But then again, I think it's the organizing, the moment momentum, the energy that we are seeing on the ground where he's like, I'm retiring.
Speaker B:So we now have an.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:Instead of it just being a battleground red to blue seat, it is an open seat.
Speaker B:And again, I think we are so privileged and honored, but also have a lot of responsibility here in Riverside county to make sure that we deliver for the rest of the nation and flip that seat.
Speaker B:So very, very exciting race rate right here in Riverside County.
Speaker B:So, you know, like you're saying earlier a lot of times when it comes to presidential elections and things like that, Californian voters are just like, yeah, you know, our electoral votes are going to go to the Democratic president, you know, this and that or candidate.
Speaker B:So it's really exciting that this election cycle, we, we really, you know, taking back the House and holding this administration accountable runs not only right through California, but through Riverside County.
Speaker A:What's the other battleground state in our district in California?
Speaker B:The other one is congressional district 22.
Speaker B:It's kind of up in the Bakersfield area.
Speaker B:I have a couple colleagues working up there as well.
Speaker B:Incredibly hard to flip that seat.
Speaker B:It's currently held by David Vallejo, who it's One, the top congressional district in the state of California to receive Medicaid benefits.
Speaker B:And of course, the Republican incumbent was one of the ones that voted for the big beautiful bill that cut all of that.
Speaker B:So it's definitely, you know, made some votes and some decisions that have directly impacted the day to day lives of his constituents.
Speaker B:And he's feeling that pressure, too.
Speaker B:Had the opportunity, opportunity to go up in canvas and talk to voters in Bakersfield back in February.
Speaker B:And you could really feel again, that same momentum and just, you know, people being fed up and ready for change.
Speaker B:So feeling good about both 48 and 22.
Speaker A:Let's just quickly mention that there are a number of other statewide races on the ballot that we won't have time today to get into depth.
Speaker A:But we have the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Board of Equalization members, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the State assembly and state Senate races for the California legislature are also up.
Speaker A:So it's going to be a lot of important votes to cast and some of the sources we've already mentioned will be places to find out about those races and figure out who you want to support for those contests.
Speaker A:So let's close with this, Michelle.
Speaker A:What is at stake in this election and why is it particularly important.
Speaker A:Important to vote in this primary?
Speaker B:Yeah, so I, you know, California really leads the way and in so many different aspects.
Speaker B:But that's not to say that we don't have our own issues, problem concerns here that need to be addressed.
Speaker B:Cost of living, housing, you know, all the things impacting working families and voters and people here in our beautiful state.
Speaker B:So if we think about this primary election, this, this is really, you know, giving us the opportunity as voters to be empowered to pick strong candidates that will help lead us here locally in overcoming some of the challenges our state is facing, but to also help lead us in the nation and set the tone.
Speaker B:A lot of times, the way California goes, so goes the nation.
Speaker B:We are definitely a model state for the rest of the country.
Speaker B:And so as California voters, we are so empowered to be able to help pick that, that leadership, whether it is at the governor's level, whether it's our superintendent of Public instruction in our schools, you know, down to our state legislature, which by the way, I will say we have a super majority that we plan to keep.
Speaker B:So even if something off the wall happens, a Republican governor is going to be met with a lot of opposition through our legislature.
Speaker B:So, so incredibly important that we vote and we keep that super majority there and then all the way down to our local, county and local offices.
Speaker B:All of it works together to deliver for Californians.
Speaker B:And the primary election is voters opportunity.
Speaker B:Yes, we love endorsements, right?
Speaker B:We like to know who the institutions and the groups and organizations that we trust are getting behind.
Speaker B:But it's really a moment of power for voters to pick what type of leadership they want to see at all levels.
Speaker B:So I highly encourage everybody to, you know, lock in, you know, get information where you can ask questions and get that ballot in.
Speaker B:Make your voice heard for the type of leadership you want to see at all levels for you, your family, your neighbors, community, and for our future.
Speaker A:Thank you so much, Michelle.
Speaker A:It's been great having you here.
Speaker A:In closing, there's always something important at stake in our elections, and that is especially true this year considering what we were up against.
Speaker A:The elections this year are absolutely crucial to getting our country out of this mess.
Speaker A:Your vote is your voice.
Speaker A:And now is the time for all of us who are California voters to raise our voices by returning our ballots either through the US Mail, the dropboxes, or voting in person at the polls or the vote centers on June 2.
Speaker A:Democracy is on fire and voting is how we extinguish the flames of fascism.
Speaker A:We can do it.
Speaker A:You can be part of it.
Speaker A:Thanks for listening.
