By Lara Korte, Sejal Govindarao and Dustin Gardiner

Presented by Southern California Edison

Then-President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House, joined by Kevin McCarthy, on Jan. 4, 2019. The now-Speaker is helping launch an effort in California to encourage Republicans to vote by mail — something Trump railed against after his loss in 2020. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo

DRIVING THE DAY: First, it was San Francisco and Chesa Boudin. Then, it was Los Angeles and George Gascón. Now, another Bay Area county is mounting a campaign to oust its progressive district attorney.

Read Jeremy B. White’s just-published story on the burgeoning recall effort facing Alameda County DA Pamela Price — and what it says about the political tension surrounding California’s criminal justice system.

THE BUZZ — California Republicans are doing everything they can to bat down skepticism about voting by mail — except calling out the guy who supercharged the conspiracies in the first place.

National and state leaders on Monday launched their “California Bank Your Vote” program, encouraging Republicans to vote by mail to avoid the Election Day rush and encourage a robust turnout.

It’s a critical tactic given California’s role in keeping Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s five-seat margin next year, but it also puts Republicans in the uncomfortable spot of having to both validate concerns about election integrity and assure voters that voting by mail is totally safe. 

“We can't talk to our voters about the importance of voting early unless we assure them that their vote is going to be protected,” said RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel. 

To be clear: This would not be a problem without the fervor spun up by Donald Trump in the last election. As Richard Hasen, a professor of law and political science at UCLA and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project, put it, "Until Trump messed things up, [vote by mail] was quite a common and well-accepted means of getting out the vote on the Republican side."

Banking votes could help Republicans avoid a day-of scramble in close races. That’s what happened last year in Rep. John Duarte’s district, when the party identified 25,000 Republicans who had not voted early and had to deploy door knockers in an 11-hour turnout push that gave Duarte his 564-vote lead. This year, the GOP is again defending Duarte, as well as Reps. David Valadao, Mike Garcia and Ken Calvert.

Republican leaders danced around the Trump issue on Monday, acknowledging the shift in voter behavior without speculating as to why. McCarthy, when asked about how the party deals with Trump’s rhetoric around voting, pointed out the former president had filmed a short video spot for the GOP promoting the effort.

"President Trump has said he believes in Bank Your Vote,” McCarthy said. “He believes Republicans should get that vote in early."

That’s certainly a departure from his previous stance.

“REMEMBER, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE FAIR & FREE ELECTIONS WITH MAIL-IN BALLOTS,” the former president posted on Truth social in November. “NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. WON’T AND CAN’T HAPPEN!!!”

But no matter how many headaches he has caused, party leaders know they can’t quit Trump.

“Donald Trump is the most popular politician in the Republican Party,” Hasen said. “And Donald Trump has claimed, without evidence, that there's substantial fraud associated with our elections. It's very hard to push back against that without being seen as attacking the leader of the party.”

A message from Southern California Edison:

Southern California Edison is taking steps every day to protect the safety of our customers and communities. By installing coated wires, upgrading our electric infrastructure, investing in new technologies and strengthening our partnerships with fire agencies, we can prevent wildfires before they happen, better predict when they may occur and respond quickly if one starts. Protecting 32 million acres in Southern California and the people that live here is how SCE is thinking ahead.

HAPPY TUESDAY. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. 

PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — What are you keeping an eye on? What do you expect to be the fight of the next few weeks in the California Legislature? Let us know.

Now you can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now.

Or drop us a line at [email protected] and [email protected], or on Twitter — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte 

WHERE’S GAVIN? Announcing a climate partnership with Australia.

SUBSCRIBE TO CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.

Nancy Corinne Prowda, left, accompanies Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) as she leaves the Capitol on Thursday, May 11, 2023. Feinstein’s daughter is involved in a legal dispute with the senator’s trust over a property at Stinson Beach. | Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

FEINSTEIN FEUDS — A trustee for the joint trust established by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her late husband Richard C. Blum is pushing back against an effort by Katherine Feinstein to take control of a property at Stinson Beach.

The suit, which has a hearing in San Francisco on Aug. 21, is part of a broader fight the senator’s daughter is waging with the trust, which was established by the couple in 1996 and holds much of Blum’s estate, including joint ownership in several properties. In June, Katherine Feinstein asked the court to force the trust to sell the beach house, which she says is the wish of her mother.

Michael Klein, a co-trustee, said in a court filing Thursday that the trustees are acting deliberately in determining the next best steps for the trust and the assets within it and claimed Katherine Feinstein has “not even attempted to coordinate with her co-trustee … to reach a joint decision.”

Selling the property, the filing said, would be premature.

The trustee also claimed Katherine Feinstein’s husband Rick Mariano had earlier this year shown the property to Stinson Beach realtors, inspectors and hired a contractor to help prepare it for sale, which Klein said he had “no authority” to do.

“It is not only premature and inappropriate for [Katherine Feinstein] to blindside her co-trustee with this filing, making very public and misguided accusations,” the filing said. “But the very terms of the Joint Property Trust contemplate that the co-trustees refrain from making any distribution until it is appropriate to do so.”

Neither Katherine Feinstein nor her attorneys responded to a request for comment.

In July, Katheirne Feinstein filed a separate lawsuit alleging the trust had refused to pay for her mother’s medical bills, which the trustees disputed.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — PELOSI POWER:  Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is throwing her support behind Democratic challenger Rudy Salas today as he mounts a rematch with Rep. David Valadao in California’s 22nd District. It’s not a surprise, especially given the district’s close margins, but Pelosi’s endorsement early in the cycle could be a deterrent to other Democrats looking to challenge Salas in the primary.

"Rudy Salas is a proven champion for women, workers, and delivering for Valley Families, and I'm proud to endorse him for Congress,” Pelosi said in a statement. “California's 22nd District is a must-win for Democrats and Rudy is exactly the right candidate to get the job done."

TO THE TOP — Regrettably, Playbook failed miserably in our quest to SCOOP Capitol Weekly’s top 100 influencers around the Capitol list. Sure, we can probably guess many of the names debuting tonight at a reception in Sacramento. … Or, so we thought.

Turns out our colleagues over at Cap Weekly are selling this as a new kind of list — replete with dozens of new names. It’s about time that lobbyist who was BIG in the Deukmejian Era turned in his literal Rolodex and musty pair of orthotics and made way for a new generation of hallway blockers. Rich Ehisen, editor in chief of the publication, told POLITICO he looked at the list with an eye toward diversity and the players behind the scenes who rarely — if ever — get acknowledged for the work they do. Ehisen said he’s enlisted a few “surprise guests” to help them with the reveal. And he offers an “Embargoed hint: I think this time we've really given women their due.” Take that, dudes with wingtips that are older than Alex Lee!

— Christopher Cadelago

A message from Southern California Edison:

— "Southeast L.A. County cities enact rent control to keep residents housed," by the Los Angeles Times’ Charlotte Kramon: “The combination of higher prices, job losses and economic hits from the pandemic is sending some longtime residents to cheaper areas like the Inland Empire and high desert, or to different states altogether. And local officials are scrambling to keep people in their homes.”

— "San Francisco’s self-driving car wars intensify after Cruise meltdown," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sam Whiting: “Following Friday night’s bewildering traffic jams in San Francisco, with Cruise driverless vehicles clogging the streets of North Beach and other neighborhoods, Supervisor Aaron Peskin said Sunday that government agencies would ask the city attorney to file a petition requesting that the state revisit last week’s key approval expanding robotaxi service.” 

— "A $25 minimum wage for California’s health care workers could increase retention, but at what cost?" by The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Lauren J. Mapp: “If it passes, minimum wage for all workers at acute care hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, medical offices, clinics, behavioral health centers and residential care centers would increase to $21 an hour as of June 1, 2024, with another raise to $25 the following year.”

GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.

— Jim DeBoo, former chief of staff to Gov. Gavin Newsom and a veteran of some of California’s biggest ballot measure fights in recent years, is rebranding his Sacramento-based business to focus on strategic consulting and executive and crisis management. DeBoo, who has twice topped Capitol Weekly’s aforementioned top 100 list, will still be working on ballot measures and helping out Newsom with special assignments. He's also launching a partnership with FTI consulting, a firm with global reach.

WEDDINGS — Assemblymembers Blanca Rubio and Jim Wood both celebrated weddings over the summer recess, with Speaker Robert Rivas officiating the latter.  

THAT WAS QUICK — Less than a week after 92 percent of staff voted to unionize, nonprofit news outlet CalMatters on Monday voluntarily recognized the guild. Members will soon begin collective bargaining without the need to hold a formal election through the National Labor Relations Board.

Per a statement from organizers, “The CalMatters Guild aims to cultivate advancement opportunities and to ensure that the newsroom remains competitive in attracting and retaining talent as diverse as the state they cover.”

BIRTHDAY — Newsom chief of S\staff Dana Williamson 

A message from Southern California Edison:

Evolving climate conditions throughout California have made wildfires a year-round concern to many communities. With safety as our number one priority, we are working to protect our customers and communities. Our engineers, field crews and fire science experts are developing and implementing industry-leading technologies and operational practices to reduce the risk of electrical equipment igniting wildfires. We’ve invested $1.3 billion in 2020 and are on track to spend an additional $3.5 billion in 2021-2022 to continue to prevent wildfires and act quickly when they occur. This includes installing coated wires, strengthening situational awareness capabilities, and expanding operational practices like enhanced overhead inspections and vegetation management. We’re also improving fire agencies’ ability to detect and respond to emerging fires using satellite imagery and providing aerial fire suppression resources. That’s how SCE is thinking ahead.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: [email protected].

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