The Californian on Trump’s 2022 list + Flat recall support + Californians in the gig economy
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
SETTLING SCORES
via David Lightman
Former President Donald Trump is out to settle scores with the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him. And that could mean trouble for Rep. David Valadao.
Valadao, who represents a San Joaquin Valley district that President Joe Biden won easily last year, was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after a mob of Trump’s supporters overran the U.S. Capitol in January.
“There’s still a lot of anger about what (Valadao) did,” said Fred Vanderhoof, Fresno County Republican chairman.
Especially in Trumpworld.
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said the Republicans who backed impeachment are “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Nothing they do at this point will bring them back to Congress.”
Trump’s advisers have been meeting at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to discuss 2022 midterm election strategy, and people in Trumpworld say that the Valadao race is on their radar.
But Valadao might not be at the top of Trump’s target list for next year’s midterms, said an adviser who asked not to be named, noting that the state’s primary process and post-census congressional redistricting for 2022 are factors.
Trump, who is still barred from major social media platforms, has not targeted Valadao — yet — but his ardent supporters are plotting to make things uncomfortable for the congressman.
Chris Mathys, a former Fresno Republican city councilman challenging Valadao, is eager to talk about the former president. He attended the “Save America Summit” at the Trump National Doral resort in Florida last month.
“I support Mr. Trump’s efforts to make sure elections are not stolen and to stop the flow of illegal immigrants coming across our borders,” he said.
Read more on how Valdao’s team is getting ready for 2022 in our story today.
POLL FINDS RECALL SUPPORT UNCHANGED SINCE JANUARY
Support for the recall against California Gov. Gavin Newsom hasn’t changed since January, according to a new poll released by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.
That’s not a good sign for recall supporters, as just 36% said that they support recalling the governor, compared to 49% who said they will vote to oppose the recall. Another 15% remain undecided.
“Newsom benefits from the improving situation with the pandemic but there are still some warning signs — the low interest of Democratic voters and the substantial number of undecided voters. But the Governor is now in better shape and is helped by the absence of a compelling GOP alternative,” said IGS Director Eric Schickler.
Though Democrats are largely supportive of Newsom, 48% of Democrats said they favor having a prominent Democrat included among the replacement candidates, compared to 29% who said they didn’t. Another 23% said they are undecided.
None of the four prominent Republicans currently running for governor — Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, former Congressman Doug Ose and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner — has netted much in the way of support, according to the poll.
Faulconer and Cox both received 22% support from registered voters, while Ose had 14% and Jenner had 6%.
The poll finds that Newsom’s job approval is 52%, while 43% disapprove of the job the governor is doing. Three months ago, Newsom’s approval and disapproval ratings were dead even, according to IGS.
HOW MANY CALIFORNIANS WORK IN THE GIG ECONOMY?
Via Jeong Park...
Nearly 1.3 million Californians worked for apps such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart during the pandemic, according to a report compiled by the Protect App-Based Drivers & Services Coalition, made up of companies and organizations that lobby for the services and their “independent, app-based jobs.”
Those workers earned more than $4.2 billion in income from those apps from March 1, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021, according to the report. More than 800,000 Californians started working for those apps for the first time during the pandemic, the report said.
“Doing rideshare and delivery was a great option for me during the pandemic,” Al Porche, an app-based rideshare and delivery driver from the San Diego area, said in the coalition’s press release rolling out the report. “Driving when, where, and for how long I wanted to, helped me stay afloat throughout the recession. As California starts to reopen, I plan to continue doing this type of work because of the flexibility and earning potential it offers.”
The report comes as California and the nation continue to face questions over how to classify gig workers, even after the passage of Proposition 22 which generally exempted them from the California law that requires businesses to give employment benefits to more workers.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor revoked a Trump-era rule which would have made it easier for those companies to classify their workers as independent contractors for the purpose of federal laws and benefits.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A minor clarification, TJ Cox is keeping his #CA21 options open depending on future circumstances, much in the same way I’m keeping my options open to establish a gorilla kingdom on a private tropical island, depending on future circumstances.”
- Rob Pyers, research director for California Target Book, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the launch of a new racial justice bureau among other initiatives to tackle hate crimes statewide in a press conference Tuesday morning, via Ashley Wong.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Tuesday a proposal to spend $12 billion on affordable units and prevention services to help solve homelessness as part of his $100 billion COVID-19 economic recovery plan, via Hannah Wiley.
One of the few female maintenance workers at a California prison is suing the corrections department, alleging her former boss repeatedly harassed and undermined her because of her gender, via Wes Venteicher.