1 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to a bonus episode of Bleep with Anannavarro. Today, 2 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: we're going to break down the California primary races. They 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: happened a little bit over less than a day ago. 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: But as we sit here right now, in the California 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: governor's primary, less than sixty percent of the vote has 6 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: been counted. In the La mayoral race, a little bit 7 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: more than sixty percent of the vote has been counted. 8 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: In other words, there are millions of votes left to count. 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: But we are going to go through who the leading 10 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: candidates are, where things stand now, and where they are 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: likely to go. So let's start with the California governor's primary. 12 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: It was an insane race. And why do I say 13 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: it was insane? Well, first of all, there were sixty 14 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: one people running. Sixty one people on the ballot as 15 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: running to be the next govern of California. That is 16 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: more choices than you get in a cheesecake factory menu. Also, 17 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: it is so far the most expensive governor's race in 18 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: US history. Part of the reason for that is that 19 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: one of the leading contenders is a self funded billionaire, 20 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: Tom Steyer, who has spent two hundred and fifty plus 21 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: million dollars trying to get himself elected in this governor's primary. Previously, 22 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: he has spent three hundred and fifty million dollars trying 23 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: to become the Democratic nominee for president. He failed at that, 24 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: but I can tell you when I was in la 25 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: last week, I realized he had everybody, every Jose, Maria 26 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: and Eduardo on his payroll. A lot of my Latino friends, 27 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: political operatives, influencers are on his payroll. Okay, so let's 28 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: go through where things stand right now. Right now, the 29 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: three leading contenders in the California governor primary are Steve Hilton, 30 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: he is the Republican in the race, endorsed by Donald Trump, 31 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: Javier Bessera. He's at twenty five percent, and Tom Steyer 32 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: is at nineteen. So Hilton at twenty eight, Besarah at 33 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 1: twenty five, Stire at nineteen. That could very well change, 34 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: because you say, in California they have this phenomenon that's 35 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: referred to as the Red Mirage, and it happens that 36 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: because of the way Republicans vote, some people prefer voting 37 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: by mail, some people prefer voting the day of. Because 38 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: of the way Republicans vote, the Republican heavy districts and 39 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: votes are tend to be counted early and come in early. 40 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: The Democrat votes tend to be by mail. There's a 41 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: lot of Democratic heavy areas like San Francisco that have 42 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: not fully reported yet, so there's this expectation that a 43 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: lot more Democratic votes will come in that could change 44 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: the order. My prediction is that Javier Besera makes it 45 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: to the general election. What we don't know yet is 46 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: if he's going to be facing Tom Steyer or Steve Hilton. 47 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: If the votes change dramatically right now, I would say 48 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: the likely matchup is Steve Hilton against Javier Bessera in 49 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: November for the next governor of California. So who is 50 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: Steve Hilton. Steve Hilton is from Great Britain. He was 51 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: a political operative there. He moved to the United States 52 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: over a decade ago to California. He is a Fox 53 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: News political contributor and commentator, a conservative mouthpiece on Fox News. 54 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: He has received the strong endorsement of Donald Trump, who 55 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: has tweeted and posted on several occasions asking Californians to 56 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: support him and come out and vote for Steve Hilton 57 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: Tom Steyer. Tom Steyer started a hedge fund. It's a 58 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: very successful hedge fund. He became a billionaire. He retired 59 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: from that hedge fund after growing it to be one 60 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: of the largest hedge funds. Retired from the hedge fund 61 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: and has become a progressive activist and organizer. He has 62 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: funded and founded organizations like next Gen, which engage young 63 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: people in politics. He has engaged in a lot of 64 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: climate activism. So he's a little bit of this tale 65 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: of two worlds. He's got that dichotomy going on, where 66 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: on the one hand, he is a billionaire self funding 67 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: this campaign, on the other hand, he is a progressive activist. 68 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 1: We don't know yet who's going to end up the 69 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: being the two top persons. I will tell you this, 70 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: if it ends up being styed, it will continue being 71 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: an incredibly expensive race because if he has spent two 72 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty million dollars in the primary, he will 73 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: probably spend that or more in the general election. Despite that, 74 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: my prediction is that Javier Basra will be the next 75 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: governor of California. What I observed in California, despite a 76 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: lot of discontent in that state, what I observed was 77 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: growing momentum around Javier Besera, and it was happening very organically. 78 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: I have known Javier Bessera for thirty two years, and 79 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: I know that it's thirty two years because when I 80 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: first met Javier Bessera, he was a young congressman in 81 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: the Judiciary Committee. I was a young lobbyist in my 82 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: early twenties, and Javier Bessera would often show up a 83 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: Judiciary committee markups of the immigration law holding his baby girl, 84 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: his little baby in his arms and feeding her. You see, 85 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: his wife, Carolina is a high risk obgyn doctor who 86 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: had to go off and be at work, Andavier would 87 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 1: be bring the baby with him and be feeding that 88 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: baby a bottle during committee markups. That baby is now 89 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 1: thirty one years old. Yeah, makes me feel very very old. 90 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: Javier has been in Congress. Then when Kamala Harris became 91 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: a Senator, she had been Attorney General. Javier was appointed 92 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: at her in general of California, and that role he 93 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: sued Donald Trump in the first term one hundred and 94 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: twenty two times, won many of those lawsuits. Then he 95 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: went on to serve as Joe Biden's Secretary of Health 96 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: and Human Services. So he has decades of political experience. 97 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: He is a very very steady force. He's not He's 98 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: not going to set the world on fire. He's not 99 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: going to be screaming from the rooftops. He's not going 100 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: to be doing what Gavin Newsom does and going at 101 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: Trump tweet to tweet and cussing and saying bad words 102 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 1: and putting out memes. That's just not his personality. He 103 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: is low key. He is low profile, does not raise 104 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: his voice, does not curse, barely drinks. But he is steady, 105 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: and he is a hard worker, and he is an 106 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: ethical guy. I suspect he will be the next governor 107 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: of California, making him the first Latino governor in modern 108 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: times in that state, a state that is forty one 109 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: percent Latina. Okay, so that's where we are on the 110 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: governor's race. Now let's talk about the LA mayor's race. 111 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: As you know, we also interviewed Karen Bass, the mayor there. 112 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: She is. She has won herself a spot and will 113 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: be running in the general election. The question is who 114 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: will she be running against. And Karen Bass has served 115 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: in Congress, has served in the state legislature, and has 116 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: served one term as mayor of LA. She's got a 117 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: lot of baggage. There is a lot of discontent, particularly 118 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: after the fires in LA, but she has got a 119 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: ton of experience. She could either be running against Spencer Pratt, 120 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: a reality TV former star from The Hills, one of 121 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: the original reality TV shows. He has run a campaign 122 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: based on a lot of AI means he's been bombastic. 123 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: He also is endorsed by Trump. Or she could be 124 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: running against Nitya Raman. She is a council member in LA. 125 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: She used to be an ally of Karen Bass. Today 126 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: she is competing against her. I know a lot of 127 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: people are not gonna like hearing this. I think that 128 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: Karen Bass will end up winning. Nitya Raman is to 129 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: Karen Bass's left, Spencer Pratt is way to her right. 130 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: I don't think a Trump endorsement does him any favors 131 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: in LA. And despite the fact that people are very 132 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: worried about the conditions there, I think her experience, I 133 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: think they're going to hold her their nose and vote 134 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: for Karen Bass. Let me tell you what I think 135 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: is the untold story that nobody is speaking about and 136 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: the name that nobody is mentioning here, which I think 137 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: is relevant, and that is Gavin Newsom. Gavin Newsom, as 138 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,839 Speaker 1: we all know, is term limited, not running again, but 139 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: wants to be the Democratic nominee in twenty twenty eight, 140 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: and I think many see him as the favorite. He's 141 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: certainly the favorite of many the activists who love the 142 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: way that he confronts Trump. But I'll study this after 143 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: having visited California and having observed this race and the 144 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: issues that are important in this race. There are a 145 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: lot of problems in California. Homelessness, housing crisis, capital flight, 146 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 1: brain drain, expensive expensive gas, affordability issues, the response to 147 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: natural disasters, criminality, and it goes on and on. People 148 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: in California are very dissatisfied with their local and state government. 149 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: And so I think that if Gavin Youso runs, what 150 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: he brings to the table is his experience as California governor. 151 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: But if Californias are saying that their government is bad, 152 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 1: that is not going to help him out at all. 153 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: So let's stay tuned and see how this shakes out. 154 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for tuning in to this bonus episode of 155 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: Bleep with Annanov and let's all do a little diddling 156 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: of California dream. Thank you all. Bleep with Anna Navarro 157 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: is a High Finite Media group production in partnership with 158 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 1: Iheart'mikududa podcast Network. For more of your favorite shows, visit 159 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.