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Below is our Top Ten List of Winners and Losers for the Week. This feature is available to all of our subscribers, free and paid.
⏱️ 4 minute read
This is where we examine state and local politics (or national issues with a California angle), and highlight individuals (or groups) who have achieved notable successes or have had a particularly challenging week. I strive to call balls and strikes fairly objectively, which sometimes makes assembling this list a difficult task.
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Top Ten Winners & Losers This Week in California Politics
⬇️ EPIC LOSER: FORMER NEWSOM CHIEF OF STAFF DANA WILLIAMSON
Williamson was indicted on 23 federal counts [ [link removed] ], accused of siphoning $225,000 from a dormant Xavier Becerra campaign account, fabricating backdated contracts, and lying to federal investigators. Prosecutors say the scheme spanned years and relied on falsified consulting agreements to conceal personal spending as campaign activity. Two others were also charged: Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of staff, and Greg Campbell, a longtime Democratic consultant. It’s a staggering fall — and it raises real questions about what Gavin Newsom knew, and when.
⬇️ LOSER: STEVE GORDON, DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA DMV
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) chief is under fire after his agency admitted it improperly issued 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses to lawbreaking immigrants whose legal U.S. stay had already expired [ [link removed] ] — a massive oversight that triggered federal pressure and forced immediate revocations. Perhaps the real losers are the legislators who passed a law allowing illegal aliens to have non-commercial driver’s licenses.
⬇️ LOSERS: LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
The liberal Los Angeles City Council pushed forward [ [link removed] ] a sweeping rent-control expansion, embracing the same failed policies that have choked housing supply for decades. Rather than addressing the real reasons Los Angeles can’t build enough homes, they have chosen more regulations that will drive small landlords out of the market and discourage new construction. It’s political theater disguised as reform — and it virtually guarantees an even more profound housing crisis.
⬇️ LOSERS: UC BERKELEY RADICAL LEFTISTS
At the birthplace of free speech, these activists turned disruption into a badge of honor. Rather than engaging ideas, they resorted to violence, vandalism, and intimidation [ [link removed] ] outside a civil discourse event held by Turning Point USA — all while hurling chants that mocked the university’s legacy. Their assault on free expression under the guise of progress undermines Berkeley’s historic role as a marketplace of ideas. The cost? A reputation tarnished and the campus free-speech brand badly bruised. Now the U.S. DOJ has opened their own investigation [ [link removed] ].
⬆️ WINNER: SCOTT WIENER, STATE SENATOR
Wiener made a shrewd political move by launching his congressional bid before Nancy Pelosi announced her retirement [ [link removed] ], instantly placing himself at the center of the most competitive Democratic primary in the country. With Prop. 50, reshaping the map and Pelosi stepping aside, he enters the race with strong name recognition and a seasoned donor network. And to top it off, Christine Pelosi — long rumored to run for her mother’s seat — instead announced a run for Wiener’s State Senate seat, clearing his path even further.
BONUS: WIENER IS ALSO OUR VIDEO AWARDEE OF THE WEEK
⬇️ LOSER: JESSE WILSON, NEVADA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Wilson took a significant hit to his credibility after his office filed an AI-generated motion in a child-abuse prosecution, complete with fake case law and nonexistent citations [ [link removed] ]. For a DA, accuracy is not optional — especially in a sensitive, high-stakes case involving the safety of a child. Even if a deputy used AI, Wilson is the elected official responsible for quality control. The episode shows a breakdown in oversight and damages trust in his leadership.
⬇️ LOSER: XAVIER BECERRA, GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE
Xavier Becerra is suddenly dragged into the widening Williamson scandal after reports tied his former chief of staff to questionable financial activity. It’s the last controversy the former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services needs, and it raises an uncomfortable question: if he can’t keep proper watch over his own campaign money, how is he supposed to responsibly oversee the finances of an entire state? There is going to be a lot of media scrutiny on this investigation, and it will all splash on this gubernatorial hopeful.
⬆️ WINNER: JAMES LACY, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Longtime conservative movement leader Jim Lacy has moved quickly to counter the fallout from Prop 50, one of the most damaging policy changes California voters have approved in years. He has already submitted ballot-measure language to the Secretary of State [ [link removed] ] that would roll back Prop 50’s partisan maps immediately after the 2026 cycle. If the measure qualifies and passes, it would limit Prop 50’s impact to a single election — restoring the old maps and preventing this power grab from becoming a permanent feature of California politics.
⬇️ LOSERS: CALPERS BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM (CALPERS)
The board of the California Public Employees Retirement System is a loser, as it has “investment authority and sole fiduciary responsibility” for the fund’s assets, allowing ideology to trump its core mission: delivering maximum returns for retirees. Instead of prioritizing a prudent investment strategy, they have pursued high-profile social agendas and risky bets [ [link removed] ] — moves that jeopardize retiree security and divert attention from the fund’s primary role: protecting pensions. Their neglect of fiduciary duty makes them accountable for the damage.
⬇️ LOSERS: STATE SENATOR JOHN LAIRD & ASSEMBLYMEMBER BLANCA PACHECO
As the leaders responsible for overseeing the bloated Capitol Annex project, they still refuse to release updated cost figures — even as the price tag has clearly ballooned far beyond the outdated $1.1 billion estimate. Their continued lack of transparency fuels distrust and leaves taxpayers in the dark about one of the state’s most expensive projects. And thanks to the persistent reporting of KCRA political director Ashley Zavala, who has kept demanding answers [ [link removed] ], their evasiveness is now front and center for the public.
Extra Loser (not exactly California ‘politics’ but quintessential California…
⬇️ BONUS LOSER: KIM KARDASHIAN
Kardashian revealed she failed the California Bar Exam [ [link removed] ], a significant blow after years of promoting her journey to become a lawyer. For someone with unlimited resources, top tutors, and a massive platform, the miss is glaring. It also undermines the image she has built as a serious voice on legal reform. Plenty of people fail the bar — but when you brand yourself around passing it, the setback is hard to spin. Of course, her net worth is reportedly in the $2 billion range, so she can hire all the lawyers she wants…
Now that you see what this column is all about, keep your eyes peeled. If you have someone you'd like to suggest for featuring in this column next week, please drop me a note. I will keep the names of those who make suggestions confidential.
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