Political Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

San Francisco Voters Are Buying What Daniel Lurie Is Selling Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

With primary week drawing to a close, San Francisco’s early returns suggest that two people not on the ballot have come out on top: Mayor Daniel Lurie and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Scott, Marisa, Guy and KQED’s Sydney Johnson turn to the races and ballot measures in San Francisco, analyzing what the results so far tell us, even with nearly half the votes still left to count.

Track the latest election results here.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s Slow Count and What the Results Mean So Far Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Why does it take so long to count votes in California, and what do the results tell us so far? Marisa, Scott and Guy make sense of the primary election with Melanie Mason, Politico's California Bureau Chief and co-author of the California Playbook. They discuss President Trump's election fraud allegations, early returns in the governor's race, the first post-Proposition 50 redistricting maps in action and the Los Angeles mayor's race.

Track the latest election results here.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Races to Watch as Election Results Roll In Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

California’s primary election results are trickling in, but many races remain too early to call. KQED’s politics team digs into the early numbers in the governor’s race, where Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra lead with Democrat Tom Steyer in third place. Plus: competitive congressional races, the insurance commissioner’s contest and the Los Angeles mayor’s race.

Track the latest election results here.

For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out ⁠KQED’s Voter Guide⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Steyer Vows to Challenge Corporate Power and Protect Workers from AI May 30, 2026

Show notes

Democratic activist and billionaire investor Tom Steyer has won support from progressives in his bid for governor. Although critics have questioned whether his tremendous wealth distances him from the concerns of everyday Californians, Steyer argues he has the independence to take on utilities and oil companies.

Earlier this week, Steyer took questions from a live audience at a KQED town hall moderated by Guy Marzorati.

For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out ⁠KQED’s Voter Guide⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Primary Crunch Time May 29, 2026

Show notes

California’s unpredictable race for governor is in the final stretch. Scott, Marisa and Guy dissect the final polls as an unusually high number of Democratic voters have yet to return their ballots. Plus, they spotlight a few other down-ballot races worth watching before voting ends.

For election information including our voter guide, go to kqed.org/voterguide.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's Only Toss-Up House Race May 28, 2026

Show notes

Democrats have long had their sights on Congressional District 22 in the Central Valley, where Republican Rep. David Valadao has managed to hold onto the Democratic-leaning district for most of the past 13 years. Cook Political Report lists it as the only toss-up House race in the state after last year’s redistricting measure flipped five Republican-held seats blue.

Now, two Democrats are competing for the chance to face Valadao in the November general election: moderate state Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains and progressive college professor Randy Villegas. CalMatters politics reporter Maya C. Miller joins Scott, Marisa and Guy to break down the key differences between the candidates, their campaign attacks and the issues that matter most to voters in the district.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox.

For election information including our voter guide, go to kqed.org/voterguide.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Cuts a $1.8 Billion Deal With Himself May 26, 2026

Show notes

President Donald Trump and the Justice Department, led by his appointee Todd Blanche, have reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Services. The deal includes a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for people who claim to be victims of government retaliation. It also includes an addendum providing widespread legal immunity to the president, his family and their businesses.

Critics are calling it a slush fund and government-sanctioned corruption. Marisa is joined by Danny Nguyen, a reporter at Politico covering the I.R.S., to explain why the deal is drawing bipartisan backlash.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox.

For election information including our voter guide, go to kqed.org/voterguide.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chad Bianco Wants to Slash Taxes and Regulations May 23, 2026

Show notes

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco promises that if elected governor, he will cut taxes, shrink government and root out fraud. At a KQED town hall earlier this week moderated by Marisa Lagos, Bianco took wide-ranging questions from a live audience on topics including public schools, housing shortages, road conditions and immigration.

For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out KQED’s Voter Guide.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cracking Open and Breaking Down San Francisco’s Ballot May 22, 2026

Show notes

Marisa, Guy and KQED’s Sydney Johnson crack open San Francisco’s ballot and dig into the competing business-tax measures Proposition D and Proposition C, the Sunset District supervisor’s race and what an ideal election night would look like for Mayor Daniel Lurie, who’s weighed in on all of it.

Plus, they discuss the race to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress and her endorsement this week of San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox.

And join us for a town hall at KQED with Tom Steyer, a top Democrat in the race for governor. Steyer will be talking with KQED’s Guy Marzorati and taking audience questions on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:00pm at KQED headquarters in San Francisco.

You can register for the event at KQED.org/events.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The $7 Hamburger Case That Could Transform California’s Bail System May 21, 2026

Show notes

Now that all of the governor debates are behind us, Marisa and Guy discuss what the latest polls reveal about where the candidates stand. They also examine the closing arguments from the top two Democratic contenders: Xavier Becerra is asking voters to judge him by his record, while Tom Steyer wants them to judge him by his enemies.

PG&E Spends Millions Against Tom Steyer. What’s Behind the Clash?

Xavier Becerra Says He Will Fight for California. Who Did He Fight for as AG?

Plus, a recent California Supreme Court ruling in favor of a man who spent six months in jail after using someone else’s credit card to buy a $7 hamburger could fundamentally reshape the use of cash bail in the state. Marisa is joined by Marsanne Weese and Rose Mishaan, the two attorneys who litigated the case and won.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox.

You can register for the event at KQED.org/events.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected