Open season for Devin Nunes’ seat + GOP AG candidate banks $1M + Candlelight vigil planned
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
OPEN SEASON FOR DEVIN NUNES’ SEAT
via Adam Ashton
Democratic donors gave a lot of dough to underdog candidates vying to unseat Rep. Devin Nunes during the Trump administration. It didn’t work out for them.
Fresno prosecutor Andrew Janz hauled in $9 million for his 2018 run against Nunes and came within five percentage points. Phil Arballo followed in 2020, bringing in $5 million but falling by nine percentage points to the Republican.
Suddenly, the math looks more favorable to Democrats trying to claim a seat in the San Joaquin Valley.
Nunes announced Monday that he’s ending his 19-year run as a congressman to take a gig leading former President Donald Trump’s new social media venture. His move to conservative social media follows his advocacy for Trump during the former administration, and Nunes’ litigation against social media companies like Twitter and news media companies like McClatchy and CNN.
That change opens doors for Republicans and Democrats alike.
On the right, Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, congratulated Nunes on Twitter, saying “to all those who have been reaching out, thank you, I appreciate you.” A spokesman for state Sen. Andreas Borgeas, R-Fresno, confirmed he is “seriously considering” a run for the seat.
Other Fresno-area politicians that could potentially run include Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau, or Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld.
On the left, Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, touted the messages she’s getting from people encouraging her to run.
Hurtado and Mathis in their messages acknowledged the California Redistricting Commission will influence whether they decide to run. Its latest maps show Nunes’ district tilting blue, and Arballo, the proven fundraiser from 2020, plans to run again.
HOCHMAN BANKS $1 MILLION FOR AG
Via Lara Korte...
Republican Nathan Hochman has raised a million dollars for his campaign to unseat Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta next year, his campaign announced Monday.
Hochman, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney General and federal prosecutor, is a bit late to hitting the million mark compared to his challengers, Bonta, the Democrat and Sacramento DA Anne Marie Schubert, who is running as no-party-preference.
Per state records, at the end of the last reporting period on June 30, Hochman reported raising $811,944. During that same period, Schubert raised $998,603 and Bonta raised $1,644,888.
Hochman said a good chunk of his donations came from non-Republicans.
“With a little less than a year to go, I am so excited at the diverse, bi-partisan support we have received from across the state, with over 35% of our contributions coming from Democrats and Independents,” he said in a statement. “We are building a campaign that can and will win next November.”
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL PLANNED FOR THE CAPITOL
Nearly 100 child care providers will gather at the south Capitol steps Tuesday evening for a candlelit vigil to honor providers who died of preventable diseases in the previous year.
The event, organized by Child Care Providers United, is intended to put pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature to provide better health benefits for child care workers in the state.
“After months of sitting across the table from the state to deliver on commitments to improve provider access to quality, affordable health care benefits, child care providers are increasingly frustrated that the state has failed to make any progress to address providers’ access to affordable health care. Although the Newsom administration and State Legislature have made historic new investments in child care, leaving child care providers without health care while they work long hours to support California’s economic recovery is unacceptable,” according to a statement from the group.
One of the stories that will be shared at Tuesday’s vigil is of a provider who had a fatal heart attack that “could have been prevented if she had been able to afford an annual check up,” according to the statement.
Other providers are expected to share stories of their experiences with little or no health care coverage and the lengths that they must go to receive medical care because of it.
“In a recent survey, 20% of CCPU members reported that they are currently uninsured and unable to afford even the most basic plan through Covered California. More than half of those who responded that were insured said they have been forced to skip doctors visits and delay treatments due to the high costs The survey also captured heart-wrenching stories of the consequences of no health coverage. One provider broke a bone while caring for young people, and couldn’t afford the cost of a cast; as a result, her bone healed improperly. Another provider reported having to pick up a second job on the weekend just to afford a pair of eyeglasses,” according to the statement.
The vigil begins at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“So excited to let everyone in on some big news! My friend, mentor, and role model, @RepSpeier just endorsed our campaign for Congress! In Congress, I’ll carry on Jackie Speier’s legacy and build a brighter future where all our children can thrive.”
- Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
Opinion: Devin Nunes chose Donald Trump over voters. It’s an early Christmas gift for Fresno, Valley, via Marek Warszawski
Rep. Devin Nunes will retire from the United States House of Representatives at the end of the year, his office told constituents on Monday, via Gillian Brassil.
Former President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Republican Congressman Devin Nunes will be the chief executive officer for a new social media and streaming organization, Trump Media & Technology Group, via Andrew Sheeler.
A pastor, a former United Nations elections expert and a political science professor are three of the 14 people entrusted with redrawing California’s voting boundaries for next year’s midterm elections, via Gillian Brassil.