A new face in the Cap Buro + Newsom backs Hertzberg + Will young people vote?

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

WELCOME MAYA MILLER TO THE BUREAU

Today marks the start of week two for The Bee’s newest member of the Capitol Bureau. Maya Miller joins the team from The Seattle Times where she spent the summer on the business desk.

In Seattle, she gravitated toward stories about labor, working people and tenants. Her favorite stories from the summer include a profile of a security guard whose job changed drastically as downtown workers retreated to their home offices during the COVID-19 lockdown, and a close look at how Seattle’s high rents prompted some tenants to unionize and forced others to make tough financial choices. The Bee’s economic mobility beat felt like a natural next step.

Outside the newsroom, Maya enjoys cooking, exploring new places to eat and drink, spending time with friends, lifting weights, and reading. Her Sacramento bucket list includes exploring new hiking trails, visiting wine country, winning bar trivia with fellow nerds, and becoming a successful plant mom.

Maya graduated from Duke University, where she studied public policy, journalism, and environmental science. She played flute in the marching and pep band and traveled with the basketball team all the way to the Final Four during Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season.

She grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, and previously interned for the Des Moines Register and the Star Tribune. You can reach her at mmiller@sacbee.com or (279) 386-4504. Follow her on Twitter @mayacmiller.

NEWSOM ENDORSES HERTZBERG DESPITE ALLEGATIONS OF HARASSMENT

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has endorsed Sen. Bob Hertzberg in his campaign for Los Angeles County supervisor. The Friday announcement came just days after a group of high-profile Democratic women published a letter critical of Hertzberg for downplaying his past record of unwanted hugging.

Newsom is featured in a Hertzberg campaign ad, which the former Senate Majority Leader touted in a tweet Friday.

“As governor, I work every day to take on California’s biggest challenges. Bob Hertzberg does the same. Bob and I worked together to pass some of the nation’s strongest gun safety laws. He’s led on environmental protection, abortion rights and housing for the homeless. I can’t think of anyone more prepared to serve LA County then Bob Hertzberg,” Newsom says in the ad.

Some Democratic politicians praised Newsom for the endorsement, including Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Attorney General Rob Bonta.

“I’ve seen it up and close and personal time and time again — (Hertzberg) is a leader among leaders and gets the job done!” Bonta wrote in a tweet.

But others were less than thrilled with the endorsement.

RL Miller, founder of Climate Hawks Vote, tweeted on Friday that she was “disappointed to hear (Newsom) endorsing Bobby Hertzberg, the weaker candidate in LA County BoS D3 race, instead of Lindsey Horvath... but he won’t endorse Karen Bass for mayor over a DINO guy? What is this, bro culture at work?”

Alexandra Nagy, California director at Sunstone Strategies, wrote in a tweet that Newsom should stay out of Los Angeles politics.

“He refused to stand in solidarity with numerous electeds/unions/organizations/etc & demand racist LA city council members resign AND is now endorsing a man that has sexually harassed women …okay,” Nagy wrote.

Hertzberg is running against West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath. Why would Newsom endorse in a Democrat-on-Democrat race?

Newsom and Hertzberg share a campaign strategist, Nathan Click.

A previous version of this alert item incorrectly identified the campaign strategist shared by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Bob Hertzberg. That strategist is Nathan Click.

COURAGE CALIFORNIA POLLS YOUNG VOTERS

Young voters, ages 18 to 29, are planning to vote this November, but most of them aren’t paying attention to the election, according to a new poll released by Courage California and other organizations.

The poll surveyed more than 2,700 registered voters in six closely watched congressional districts — Congressional District 13, Congressional District 21, Congressional District 22, Congressional District 27, Congressional District 41 and Congressional District 45 — between Sept. 1 and Sept. 22.

It found that just 26% of young voters are paying any significant amount of attention to the election, though 78% said that they plan to vote in it.

What do young voters care about?

Jobs and the economy (21%), health care (17%), abortion and reproductive rights (17%) and housing costs (17%), according to the survey.

Among those who said jobs and the economy is a top issue, 62% said they chose that because of inflation. Among those who chose health care, 69% said that they consider it a human right. And among those who chose abortion, 48% said that they believe in bodily autonomy.

Young voters overwhelmingly support Proposition 1, which would enshrine the right to contraception and abortion in the California Constitution. The poll found that 76% support the ballot measure, while just 13% oppose it. Proposition 30 also has support, with 54% saying they’ll vote yes to tax the rich to fund wildfire and electric vehicle infrastructure.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“CA ‘Inflation relief’ checks have begun hitting bank accounts. But remember, that is just a fraction (of) YOUR money that was overpaid to the gov’t. Food, gas & housing costs have all hit record-highs under one-party rule. Families do need relief, but gov’t is not our ‘savior.’”

- Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk, via Twitter.

Best of The Bee:

• More than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries will see an 8.7% cost of living increase starting January, but the increase comes at a time many California seniors were left out of the state’s new inflation relief plan, via David Lightman and Brianna Taylor.

• Millions of people will soon benefit from President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan, though it is unclear if Californians will be taxed on the relief funds, via Jacqueline Pinedo.

• The GOP is pouring money into battlegrounds in Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Texas, aiming to take advantage of a rightward trend among working-class Latino voters that became apparent during the Trump administration. But one big state is proving to be an exception to the trend: California, via Mathew Miranda.

This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 4:55 AM.