It would be fair to say that as voters in last month’s presidential election were giving Republicans control of all three branches of the federal government, they were tacitly rejecting the left-leaning cultural values that California politicians constantly espouse.

Dan Walters

CalMatters

Opinion

Republican Donald Trump’s campaign effectively weaponized Vice President Kamala Harris’ California roots in sweeping the battleground states, most notably in an ad featuring a video clip of her advocating sex-change surgery for transexual prison inmates.

“Kamala is for they/them. Trump is for you,” the spot concludes. Post-election analysts, including the New York Times, have cited it as the single most effective ad of the campaign.

Furthermore, the results also imply that the Harris campaign’s focus on abortion rights, another favorite theme of Gov. Gavin Newsom and other California political figures, didn’t help her.

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Economic Issues Drive Voter Decisions

Voters in states that opted for Trump, including neighboring Nevada and Arizona, were primarily driven by economic issues, specifically inflation in living costs during the administration of Harris and President Joe Biden.

Whether the administration was actually responsible for inflation is debatable, but also beside the point. When voters are dissatisfied with the status quo, for whatever reason, they often take it out on the party in power at the moment.

Harris easily defeated Trump in California, as expected, to claim its 54 electoral votes, but the state was not immune to the issues that brought her downfall elsewhere, particularly the cost of living.

California’s families must cope with arguably the highest prices for the necessities of life of any state — such things as housing, gasoline and electric power. Even commodities which should be less expensive in California, such as food, are costly because producing, packaging and selling them reflect the high expenses of suppliers.

The cost of living is the major factor in California’s having the nation’s highest rate of functional poverty, 15.4%, as calculated by the Census Bureau. Using a similar methodology, the Public Policy Institute of California calculates that in 2023, 31.1% of Californians were living either in or near poverty.

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Democrats Prioritize Affordability in New Legislative Session

In the aftermath of the election, the Democrats who dominate all branches of state government have suddenly discovered that the cost of living is a burning issue that should be addressed. As the Legislature reconvened this week for its biennial session, its leaders said doing something about living costs will be a high priority.

“Our constituents don’t feel the state of California is working for them,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas told colleagues as the session began. “That’s their lived experience in this moment. Our task this session is urgent and clear. We must chart a new path forward, and it begins by focusing on affordability.

“California will always be America’s destination for dreams and opportunities,” he added. “But we need to consider every bill through the lens of Californians who are anxious about affordability. Specifically, we must focus on building more housing and lowering energy costs.”

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However there’s not a lot that Newsom and legislators can do to materially affect the cost of living. If anything, prices for one vital commodity, gasoline, will likely see a big jump because Newsom’s Air Resources Board has just ordered changes in fuel to lower greenhouse emissions.

Republicans have been urging Newsom to set aside the decision, but he has defended it as a necessary element of California’s campaign to reduce hydrocarbon use.

Moreover, electric power costs are increasing sharply as utilities bury power transmission lines to reduce their role in wildfires.

California’s politicos are talking a good game about inflation, but whether they can and will deliver remains very uncertain.

About the Author

Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He began his professional career in 1960, at age 16, at the Humboldt Times. CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.

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