California
Welcome to the California state page! Here, California organizers can access and document ongoing projects, current leadership positions, upcoming races, and other important information. This list is non-exhaustive, and state teams are encouraged to expand and adapt these pages to their organizing needs.
Political Landscape of California
Partisan Composition of California
Overall, California is considered a deep blue state, with a Cook PVI of D+13 as of 2022, regularly voting 60-70% Democrat in statewide races. Democrats represent their governorship, both US senate seats and 40 of their 52 US House seats. Democrats also have supermajorities in the state house (62-18) and state senate (32-8) as of 2/8/24. TO NOTE: Since California is such a large state, state senators actually represent more people than US House representatives, with state representatives only slightly behind.
Progressive Outlook for California
The overall progressive strategy for California is overwhelmingly-optimistic. Ballot initiatives are alive and well in this state, so progressives can regularly affect change via direct democracy. The state legislature is also likely to enact progressive priorities and become the first state to do so, with wins on insulin, banning red 3, etc. paving the way for others. This is the vanguard state. The biggest thing standing in the way of progressive priorities here are neoliberal/NIMBY Democrats such as Gavin Newsom and others who grant social rights but fiscally act like Republicans. As California has a special top-two primary system which replicates ranked-choice voting, it is STRONGLY recommended for CA progressives to participate in, canvass for and donate to progressive candidates in the primary elections as these are often the elections which determine who will win - most of the time, the general elections are a foregone conclusion with a Democrat in a heavily-blue district facing off against a "sacrificial" Republican, so making sure a progressive wins in March is VITAL for progressive politics in CA. Because of this system, this is one of the few states where third parties (such as the Greens and more recently the Peace and Freedom party) can field serious candidates without the spoiler effect.
Get Involved
Register to Vote in California
Progressive Organizations in California
Below is a list of progressive organizations in California. If you see a state organization that isn't on this list, please add it.
- Courage California - A progressive organization with many resources for progressive voters. Courage California who regularly endorses progressive candidates and has a voter guide you may find here: https://progressivevotersguide.com/california.
- California Progressive Alliance - A progressive volunteer network which also endorses progressive candidates.
Notable Campaigns in 2024 (November 5th General Elections)
Below is a list of progressive candidates or ballot measures in the 2024 election cycle for California (general). Non-progressive candidates may also be placed here if they are substantially to the left of their district's partisan lean and worth campaigning for. If you see a candidate or ballot measure that should be on this list, please add them.
Ballot Measures
- YES for 18 Dollar Minimum Wage: Raising the minimum wage is a no-brainer at a time when inflation has eaten away the average person's buying power and YES on this question would also annually adjust CA's minimum wage to the cost of living. Successfully passing this ballot measure is very important for 2024.
Candidates
- Josh Harder for US House CA-9: Incumbent Josh Harder (D) is facing a challenge from Kevin Lincoln. His seat is only slightly blue, so it's worth helping.
- US House CA-12:
- Adam Gray for US House CA-13: This is a D+7 (538) seat that will see incumbent John Duarte (R) facing off against Adam Gray (D) in a rematch of 2022, where Gray lost by a mere 500 votes. This is one of the blue seats, between CA and NY, that cost Democrats the house in 2022, so it is a MAJOR part of regaining a trifecta to enact progressive change. Your help would be very impactful here in November.
- US House CA-16:
- Rudy Salas for US House CA-22: Another blue seat Republican incumbent, David Valadao. Valadao is a notorious electoral juggernaut, so Salas needs all the help he can get!
- Dr. Raul Ruiz for US House CA-25: Light blue seat that needs to be defended in 2024.
- George Whitesides for US House CA-27: Light blue seat (D+8 according to 538) currently held by Mike Garcia (R). George needs your help defeating this electoral beast.
- US House CA-34:
- US House CA-37:
- Joe Kerr for US House CA-40: Light red seat (R+4 according to 538) held by Young Kim (R) that can absolutely be flipped blue.
- William Rollins for US House CA-41: Light red seat (R+7 according to 538) held by Ken Calvert (R) that can absolutely be flipped blue by Will Rollins.
- Derek Tran for US House CA-45: Light blue seat (D+5 according to 538) held by Michelle Steel (R) that can absolutely be flipped blue by whichever Democrat wins the primary. More info pending March 5th.
- Dave Min for US House CA-47: Katie Porter's swing seat, extremely likely to need support after the March 5th primary.
- Mike Levin for US House CA-49: Progressive Democrat Mike Levin is up against one of three Republicans in a light blue (D+5 according to 538) seat this November. This seat is vital to hold.
Comprehensive Guide to Seats in California
California has 52 US House seats, 40 State Senate seats and 80 State Assembly seats. That's a combined 172 races that might have wildly different chances of fielding a progressive! When considering races to put in CA, please consider this attached guide.
Run for Local Office
An underrated way to impact change is to run for a local position! Please feel free to add information on doing so below.