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Republicans’ next target—California

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Republicans’ next target—California


After making gains in almost every state in the 2024 elections, Republicans are now setting their sights on a new battleground: California.

Why It Matters

California has historically been a heavily Democratic state, selecting a Democrat in every presidential election since 1992. But recent polls have indicated the tide could be turning on the Democrats in the Golden State. It comes after the state shifted toward the GOP by 12 points in 2024 compared to 2020, with Donald Trump increasing his vote share in nearly every county in the state. The Republicans also flipped three seats in the state Legislature last year.

If the Democratic Party loses ground in California, it could reshape the state’s leadership as early as 2026, when the next governor will be elected and most of California’s state Legislature will be up for election.

People walk around the California State Capitol on August 5, 2024, in Sacramento.

Juliana Yamada/AP

What To Know

Amid the GOP’s recent success in the state, the California Republican Party is now seeking to capitalize on that momentum and break the Democratic supermajority.

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A supermajority means holding at least two-thirds of the seats in a legislative body. The Democrats currently hold 90 seats across California’s state Assembly and Senate, amounting to 75 percent of the 120 seats. That means that the Republicans need to pick up seven seats in the Assembly and four in the Senate to break the Democratic supermajority.

Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher of Yuba City told CalMatters that Republicans could target as many as eight Assembly districts in the Central Valley and Southern California to flip next year.

To do that, newly elected California Republican Party Chair Corrin Rankin said at a party convention in Sacramento last weekend that the party will be “going on the offense” and expanding efforts to convert voters in Democratic strongholds like Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

That will involve a stream of messaging that blames Democrats for violent crime, which data from California’s Department of Justice shows increased by 3.3 percent in 2023, as well as the cost-of-living crisis. The party will also seek to campaign on ballot initiatives where voters have at times been willing to side with Republicans, including raising criminal penalties for some drug and theft offenses.

But the most important part of the strategy will be disassociating the deep-blue state’s Republican Party from Trump. A recent poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) between February 4 and 11 among 1,589 respondents in the state showed that only one in three Californians approve of the president’s job performance. Among them, 84 percent of Republicans, 7 percent of Democrats and 28 percent of independent voters approve. But that still makes Trump less popular among Californians than any other president since before 2005.

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For GOP consultant Mike Madrid, it is important that California Republicans do not associate with Trump because doing so could be especially damaging amid economic uncertainty in the country, he told CalMatters. It comes after Trump this month proceeded with plans to impose additional tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, which some experts say could increase inflation.

Goldman Sachs previously estimated that the tariffs could push inflation by 1 percent while squeezing U.S. company profits and provoking retaliatory measures from other countries. Canada, for example, has announced billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs. At the same time, inflation is already affecting the economy, as a Labor Department report for January saw the largest consumer price increase in nearly 18 months.

Recent polls have shown that Trump’s handling of the economy is a key factor in his declining popularity on a national level. And that has also been apparent in California. PPIC’s recent poll showed that when respondents were asked if they thought during the next 12 months the United States will have good times financially or bad times, only 27 percent said good times, while 72 percent said they think the U.S. will see bad times.

Nonetheless, outgoing California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson told CalMatters that it is important the party is able to motivate Trump supporters if they want to break the Democratic supermajority.

“We need to make sure we are motivating those Trump voters and I don’t know that anyone has found that secret sauce yet,” she said. “We welcome all voices. We’re focused on California and Californians….People are desperately looking for options.”

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It comes as polls have indicated that Californians may be turning on the Democratic Party. According to polling by Capitol Weekly, published on February 6, when asked “Do you think the Democratic Party has shown an ability to present an effective case against the Trump administration?” only 11 percent said yes, with 79 percent of voters saying that the party has not shown this ability. Among Democrats, the numbers didn’t improve much—with 19 percent expressing confidence in their party, and 68 percent saying “no.” The poll surveyed 1,198 voters in California.

Voters were also asked to give one word to describe the Democratic Party, and the responses were bleak. The most common words voters chose were “lost,” “ineffective” and “weak.” Other words included “toothless,” “ineffectual” and “floundering.” Some voters were more positive, describing the party as “determined,” “optimistic” and “caring.”

Meanwhile, Republican registration in California has ticked back up slightly to 25 percent of registered voters in 2024 but is still far behind the 46 percent who support the Democratic Party. About 22 percent are registered as independents, according to the PPIC.

As California Republicans head into a future under Trump, they are optimistic about their prospects.

“Change is coming to California. It’s time to end the Democrats’ one-party rule and make California great again,” Rankin told delegates after winning the leadership post.

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What People Are Saying

California Republican Party Chair Corrin Rankin: “Change is coming to California. It’s time to end the Democrats’ one-party rule and make California great again. We’re going on the offense. We need to expand the battlefield and to take the fight to every corner of our state.”

What Happens Next

The next California State Legislature elections will be held on November 3, 2026, during the midterms. All 80 seats in the California State Assembly (which has two-year terms) will be up for election. And 20 of the 40 seats in the California State Senate (which has four-year terms) will also be contested, as Senate seats are staggered with half up for election every two years.



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Will Kamala Harris run for California governor? Donald Trump says she should – The Times of India

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Will Kamala Harris run for California governor? Donald Trump says she should – The Times of India


File photo of US President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Kamala Harris (Pic credit: AP)

US President Donald Trump has offered advice to his former political rival, Kamala Harris, should she decide to run for California governor next year.
“Let her run,” Trump said in an interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis on Saturday. While hesitant to give political advice, he remarked that Harris needs to start engaging more with the media.
“[President Joe Biden] got away with avoiding interviews during COVID, but she won’t have that excuse,” Trump noted.
Since her defeat in the 2024 election, Harris, 60, has remained relatively quiet in the political sphere. Speculation about her next move includes a possible bid for California governor in 2026, another run for president in 2028, or taking on a behind-the-scenes role within the Democratic Party. With current California governor Gavin Newsom term-limited, Harris could have a clear path if she chooses to run.
Harris has maintained a low profile since leaving office in January, making only a few public appearances, including at the 56th annual NAACP Image Awards last month. During the 2024 campaign, she was selective in her media interactions, a strategy some Democratic strategists have since criticised. Many lamented her reluctance to appear on widely popular platforms, such as Joe Rogan’s podcast.
In contrast, Trump embraced a media-heavy approach, appearing on various independent platforms like those hosted by Rogan, Theo Von, and Andrew Schultz. Trump credited his teenage son, Barron, with helping him select which interviews to take on.
Trump’s running mate, Vice President JD Vance, played a key role in engaging with traditional media throughout the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Harris’ vice presidential pick, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, has since expressed frustration over restrictions placed on his public appearances. According to CNN, Walz had proposed doing more interviews and public events during the campaign’s final stretch, but his suggestions were turned down by campaign officials.
Reflecting on the campaign, Walz suggested Democrats may have miscalculated their strategy. “There’s a danger in fighting the last battle instead of the next one,” he said, noting that Trump’s approach to media engagement played a significant role in the race.
Walz recently made headlines after being mocked by Caitlyn Jenner for suggesting that conservatives feared his masculinity. Jenner, who is transgender, joked that she is more masculine than Walz. When asked who would win in a fight between the two, Trump responded, “Oh, Caitlyn Jenner all day long.”
During his OutKick interview, Trump also commented on his second election victory, suggesting it highlighted the failures of the Democratic Party. “What they were doing didn’t work,” he said.
Trump also noted the difference between his first and second presidencies, emphasising his growing support within the tech industry. “If you look at the inauguration – the people that were there – it was a who’s who of a world that was totally against me the first time. So it’s a much different presidency. I have much more support now,” he said.





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Woman accused of killing her California fire captain wife captured in Mexico

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Woman accused of killing her California fire captain wife captured in Mexico


SAN DIEGO — A woman suspected of fatally stabbing her fire captain wife at their home in Southern California has been captured in Mexico after more than a month on the run, Mexican officials said Saturday.

Yolanda Marodi was taken into custody after being found at a hotel roughly 2.3 miles south of the U.S. border in the city of Mexicali, the Baja California Citizen Security Secretariat (SSCBC) said in a statement.

The SSCBC said Marodi was transferred to the border with the help of Mexico’s National Institute of Migration. She was turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service after being returned to the United States at a U.S. port of entry, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement about her capture.

She was wanted by U.S. authorities in the Feb. 17 killing of 49-year-old Rebecca “Becky” Marodi, a respected California fire captain, at the couple’s home in San Diego County.

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The secretariat said cooperation and an exchange of information with U.S. authorities helped lead to the arrest.

An affidavit in support of an arrest warrant for Yolanda Marodi cites home security video depicting a horrific scene outside the couple’s home in Ramona as she confronted a bloodied Rebecca Marodi with a knife on Feb. 17.

As the pair ran across a patio that night, Rebecca Marodi was heard on the recording saying, “Yolanda! Please … ! don’t want to die,” according to the declaration.

At one point, Yolanda Marodi responded, “You should have thought about that before,” according to the affidavit.

Rebecca Marodi’s mother, who lived with the couple, called authorities to say her daughter had been stabbed, according to the document.

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Shortly after, the home’s security camera captured Yolanda Marodi, wearing different clothes, placing belongings, luggage and pets in her silver Chevrolet Equinox SUV and driving away, according to the document.

The same night, the SUV crossed into Mexico, about 45 miles south of Ramona, the affidavit stated, citing Department of Homeland Security records.

Yolanda Marodi was charged with murder on Feb. 21.

The search for her included the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshal’s Service San Diego Fugitive Task Force, authorities said. Carlos Zúñiga, spokesperson for Baja California’s state security agency, said authorities there had been searching for her in coordination with U.S. counterparts, NBC San Diego reported last month.

In 2003, Yolanda Marodi pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of husband Jim Olejniczak in 2000, the station reported. She was released from custody a decade later.

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The affidavit states that an unnamed witness received a text from Yolanda Marodi a day after Rebecca Marodi’s killing, stating that Rebecca Marodi had told Yolanda Marodi “she met someone else” and was leaving her.

“Becky came home and told me she was leaving, she met someone else, all the messages were lies. We had a big fight and I hurt her…I’m sorry,” the text stated, according to the affidavit.

First responders at the home reported Rebecca Marodi had multiple stab wounds, including lacerations to her neck, chest and abdomen, the document said. She was declared dead at the scene.

According to a joint statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, and the Riverside County Fire Department, Rebecca Marodi worked in firefighting for more than 30 years, starting as a volunteer in Moreno Valley, a city about 85 miles north of Ramona, in Riverside County.

She was a seasonal firefighter, then a full-time one, before she moved up to engineer in 2007 and captain in 2022, working mostly in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to the statement.

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Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department thanked authorities following Yolanda Marodi’s capture.

“We thank our law enforcement partners in San Diego and Mexico for their hard work,” spokeswoman Maggie Cline De La Rosa said in a statement. “Becky was a beloved member of our community and Department, and we miss her greatly.”

Rebecca Marodi dedicated much of her career to peer support, “always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues,” according to the statement.

An Instagram post from Cal Fire’s battalion in Temecula, California, a community just north of Riverside County’s border with San Diego County, showed Rebecca Marodi on the front lines of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, the deadliest of the state’s windstorm-driven blazes in January.

A Cal Fire San Diego Benevolent Fund online drive to raise money for Rebecca Marodi’s family described her as a woman who “dedicated more than three decades to serving and protecting our communities with unwavering bravery, leadership, and commitment.”

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California ranks second in the nation for new business creation

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California ranks second in the nation for new business creation


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A new business started nearly every minute of the day in California last year, according to a new report.

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The Golden State received 43,265 new business applications per month—or 59 per hour—in 2024, according to Switch On Business, which is equivalent to almost one new business per minute.

But, despite the impressive figure, the study authors, who analyzed business application and census data, found that it was 6.9% fewer applications than in 2023.

Florida received 72 new business applications per hour in 2024—the most of any state, making it the hottest state for startups, according to the study, while West Virginia received just 855new business applications per 100,000 residents in 2024, the lowest rate of any state.

America saw a record number of new businesses in last four years

The previous four-year period saw a record 21 million new businesses launched in the United States, according to January’s end-of-term report by former SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman,

To compare, in 2021, Americans applied to start 5.4 million new businesses—more than two-thirds higher than the annual average of 3.2 million new business applications per year in the five years prior to the start of the pandemic, according to the SBA.

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In 2023, some 1.8 million of the 5.5 million new businesses launched with plans to hire workers, according to Switch On Business findings.

California has more small businesses than any other state

California has more small businesses than any other state, employing seven million people.

The state also grabs the lion’s share of America’s venture capital, according to Switch On Business analysis, with California start-ups netting 59.25% of all capital raised nationwide in the first quarter of 2024.

Wyoming is a hot spot for new business creation

Wyoming received 10,133 new business applications per 100,000 residents in 2024—the highest rate per capita of all fifty states, according to Switch On Business. However, report analysts found that people outside the state made many business applications.

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To compare, California submitted 1,317 business applications per 100,000 residents in 2024.

“[Wyoming’s] business-friendly tax structure, minimal regulatory requirements, and strong privacy laws have made it a preferred destination for business registration, especially for non-U.S. residents and out-of-state entrepreneurs,” according to Start in Wyoming.

Top 10 states with the most new businesses in 2024

States with the most new business applications submitted in 2024, according to Switch On Business analysis:

  1. Florida (634,321)
  2. California (519,182)
  3. Texas (490,063)
  4. New York (292,292)
  5. Georgia (243,088)
  6. Illinois (171,878)
  7. North Carolina (163,499)
  8. New Jersey (153,350)
  9. Pennsylvania (146,789)
  10. Ohio (145,512)



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