Are you looking to be more mindful about where you spend your money? If you want to shop local this holiday season, we can help with this guide to some of our favorite places to drop some dough IRL.
Why now? Because the day after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday, a reminder that while we all love the convenience of online shopping, there's still something to be said for supporting the local stores, shopkeepers and boutiques that breathe so much life into our neighborhoods.
Why it matters: These days, retailers take a risk in establishing a brick-and-mortar location to showcase their collections and share their vision. Reward their courage with your presence, positive feedback and sense of community. Every shop represents a dream in the making.
What's next? Check out a few of our favorite places to #ShopLocal in L.A., hitting a variety of locations, wares and price points. You'll also find over 100 other local retailers in the LAist Holiday Gift Guide, which curates dozens upon dozens of gift ideas to help you shop local this holiday season.
Shopping online may be efficient, but there is no substitute for the experience of stepping through the entrance of a well-considered store and delighting in the joy of discovery in person.
These days, retailers take a risk in establishing a brick-and-mortar location to showcase their collections and share their vision. Reward their courage with your presence, positive feedback and sense of community. Every shop represents a dream in the making.
As a counterpoint to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we're highlighting just a few of our favorite places to #ShopLocal in L.A., hitting a variety of locations, wares and price points.
But this is just a starting point: You'll find over 100 other local retailers in the LAist Holiday Gift Guide, which curates dozens upon dozens of gift ideas to help you shop local this holiday season.
This season, meet not only the makers, but the merchants in your neighborhood and celebrate their contribution to making SoCal so uniquely our own:
Tía Chucha’s in Sylmar
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Courtesy Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore
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Located in Northeast San Fernando Valley, Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore is dedicated to making culturally relevant books and literacy available to an intergenerational and diverse BIPOC community.
Established by Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez in 2001, the mission of the founder and his impassioned retail team is to highlight literature and storytelling that puts an emphasis on Xicanx and Latinx history and culture with an eye toward social justice and transformative healing. Home to more than 7,000 books, including bilingual children’s books, art, poetry, antiracism, queer/LGBTQIA, social change and more, the booksellers also offer book clubs, literary arts workshops, author events, and children’s story time. Some stores offer more than merchandise and this is one of them.
Museum stores are the perfect place to shop for unique and thoughtful gifts and Southern California has some of the very best. One of our favorites is the Huntington Store at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens due to its extensive and ever-changing mix of creative, quality merchandise with wide ranging appeal.
Inspired by the institutions’ many gardens, art collections, geography and local interests, home decor, art, books, jewelry, personal care items, kid stuff, gardening products and more are displayed in a bright and airy atrium designed with warm natural wood. The store also stocks exclusive collections of botanical prints and logo merchandise as well as books, keepsakes and ornaments specific to the museum’s collections and tea room.
Don’t miss the opportunity to take a stroll through the art and gardens while you are there for a truly enriching experience — consider it the mental health break we all need in this busy season! Consider becoming a member, too, to receive store discounts starting at 10% and up depending on membership level. It makes a great experiential gift for those who don't want more "stuff."
Move over Willy Wonka, Letterpress Chocolate has gold tickets too. David and Corey Menkes, the Los Angeles-based artisanal makers who roast and stone-grind every small batch of their intricately hand pressed treats, offer discovery tours that include an inside look at the cacao tree and fermentation process, sampling of cacao juice and beans, and an introduction to the machines to see how the magic is made.
Tours at their Robertson Boulevard location are $20 for ages 12 and up, and finish in the Letterpress boutique where the chocolate equivalent of sweet sommeliers guide you through a tasting of dark chocolate bars — and you'll also find a wide assortment of gift sets. We can’t think of a better way to select holiday gifts this season — or next. If you're still hungry after visiting Letterpress, here's a list of places to dine nearby. You can save some chocolate for dessert! Here are 20 more gift ideas for the foodie on your holiday gift list.
A “Refill Station” in modern terms is a store aimed at helping consumers reduce plastic consumption and waste by allowing us to bring our own containers (or purchase a reusable container) and buy refills on everything from lotion, shampoo and conditioner to laundry detergent and dish soap when the bottle is empty. No more buying giant plastic jug after giant plastic jug, destined for the landfill when finished. With three locations in Long Beach, BYO Long Beach offers a wide selection of refillable products in addition to a well stocked supply of eco-minded merchandise, home goods, clever gifts, plants and more. Encourage a greener world with less waste by supporting the refill station closest to your home or consider a visit to a BYO Long Beach branch. It’s a gem. Also, check out our list of 17 gifts that are also kind to the planet.
The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. is not just a place to shop, it’s an experience to be savored. A nirvana of sorts for book lovers since 2011, the 22,000 square-foot literary gorilla in the Spring Arts Tower is organized into creatively conceived sections to display more than a quarter-million books inside the century-old bank building. Yes, the store is a gold mine for IG selfies, but stopping only to take photos of the book tunnel, the fantastical sculptural displays and vintage architectural details would be telling only half the story. The store is a treasure trove for readers looking for everything from graphic novels and travel guides to rare books, vinyl records and beyond. Book clubs, author events and sleepovers at the iconic institution are also on offer. It's in-person shopping at its finest. And if you find yourself in DTLA, here are LAist's recommendations for where to grab a bite. Check out more book gift ideas here.
Founded by Los Angeles artist Angie Myung and her partner, husband Ted Vadakan with the launch of a colorful pocket-sized wallet in 2003, Poketo has evolved into a creative powerhouse brand collaborating with forces such as Nike, MOCA, the Guggenheim, and Disney.
Their flagship Santa Monica store reflects that energy. Guided by the philosophy: Art for you every day, the bright, cheerfully designed store with a crisp, modern feel is a ray of sunshine no matter what the forecast. The store also serves as a hub for the community of artists and makers Poketo seeks to inspire, and as a result, the team received the Edge Award for Positive community impact from the Los Angeles Design Festival. Poketo's wares also land on our holiday list of best gifts to thank a party host or hostess.
Do you know a hopeless romantic? This is the place to experience the meet-cute of your dreams — not to mention getting your hands on the perfect holiday gift. The Ripped Bodice Bookstore — as the name suggests — is devoted entirely and passionately to the celebration of romance novels. The store is proudly woman and queer owned by sisters Lea and Bea Koch, and the well-built shelves heave with a lusty selection of diverse and LGBTQIA+ inclusive fiction as well a wide and deep selection of gift items with a focus on supporting independent, woman-owned businesses. In addition, the bookstore team undertakes several large projects to advance their genre each year including, The Ripped Bodice State of Racial Diversity in Romance Report, the Read, Romance, Repeat subscription box, which would make a great holiday gift, and the development of television projects based on romance novels in association with Sony Pictures Television. In 2023, the store unveiled their second location in Park Slope, Brooklyn — and the adventure continues. We have suggestions for places to dine in Culver City, too, without breaking the budget (so you'll have more to spend on holiday gifts).
The home goods and textiles designed by Los Angeles-based creative Heather Taylor have been featured in publications such as Vogue, House Beautiful, and Domino and are stocked by trendsetting retailers such as John Derian, Nickey Kehoe and Le Bon Marche but the best place to experience them is in Taylor’s own brick and mortar store in Westwood Village.
Opened in 2018, Heather Taylor Home features not only her namesake collection, handcrafted in Chiapas, Mexico, but also a well-curated merchandise mix aimed at complimenting and enhancing her signature, eclectic style. For more shopping inspiration, check out our list of 17 unique, handcrafted gifts you can find right here in L.A.
It’s a store, it’s a studio, it’s an experience. Shopping at the 5,000 square-foot Match Stoneware showroom in Culver City means browsing the finished collections on display while a team of artists work on creating new pieces nearby. Visitors are welcomed to enjoy a personalized tour of the studio space and offered insight into the process of how the work is created. It is as close as you can get to making the pottery without tying on an apron and getting your hands in the clay.
In addition, the handcrafted, contemporary platters, plates, cups and bowls can be seen gracing the tables of some of the finest restaurants in the region owing to collaborating with chefs across the city, including at restaurants such as Vespertine, Destroyer and Somni, to name a few. If it’s good enough for chefs Mei Lin and José Andrés, we’re in. Allow yourself enough time to shop as well as to watch the artists practice their craft. For the budget-minded, the showroom also offers a number of one-off pieces that have been discounted for slight imperfections. Score! Here are 20 more gift ideas for the foodie on your holiday gift list.
The place to go for first-edition books. Located just off the Sunset strip, the store exclusively stocks first editions and first state copies of collectible literature and boasts an abundance of books signed or inscribed by their authors — including Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ernest Hemingway, J.K. Rowling and Dr. Seuss. In addition, the store also offers shooting scripts signed by the authors as well as the celebs who headlined the film adaptations. Actor Michael Caine once said the shop is, “like the most wonderful museum, except you get to buy the exhibits.” If you are looking to browse for something special where Oprah, Angelina Jolie, Bono, Nicole Kidman and others also shop, this is the place. Dark glasses optional. And since you love clearly love reading, check out our list of 17 picture books that make great gifts for kids — and adults, which also includes a guide to other children's book stores across L.A.
With their luscious Los Angeles area locations (Beverly Grove, Culver City, Studio City, and the OC pop-up at Coco Republic), Rolling Greens has established a signature style that captures the essence of the aspirational California lifestyle. At once elegantly luxe and relaxed, the stores offer plants, decor and home goods creatively displayed inside spaces you’ll want to move into. Browse for gifts, greenery or inspiration and soak in the style. To linger longer, check out the schedule of workshops or meet with a botanical barista at the Arrangement Bar to create something completely unique. Also check out our list of the 15 best L.A. gifts for plant lovers.
Inspired by a heritage of adventure and travel, Joanna Williams established Los Angeles-based Kneeland Co. Rarities on West Adams Boulevard as a tribute to her family’s passion for discovery. Located in the West Adams neighborhood, her store offers an eclectic mix of globally sourced home goods, jewelry, art and textiles. The location also serves as the headquarters for Williams’ textile archive, online website and advisory service for both residential and commercial clientele. Rarities, William’s word for the one-of-a-kind art and decor she curates from around the world, can be shopped according to country or featured artist and her passion for design and spirited style infuses the store with a meaningful sense of place. For more unique gifts, check out our curated list of artisanal gifts you can only find right here in L.A.
Vintage items have soul. They are also a great way to imbue your space with personality and individual style. Southern California has some of the best vintage markets in the country — in fact you’re likely to see them featured on design shows like HGTV’s Flea Market Flipand topping vintage shopping lists on the regular. Go for the people watching (celebrities, designers, trend setters), hidden treasures, and the fascinating stories behind the merchandise. The vendors know their stuff. Find out everything you can about what you are buying — and return home with stories of your own. Here are a few of our favorites:
CA may ban countertops after lung disease outbreak
By Jim Morris, Public Health Watch
Published April 14, 2026 7:00 AM
Juan Gonzalez Morin died at 37 in 2023 after cutting and grinding artificial stone countertops in the Los Angeles area.
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Trevor Stamp
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LAist
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Topline:
California is considering prohibiting the fabrication and installation of artificial-stone countertops — effectively banning the products — in response to an epidemic of the fatal lung disease silicosis among workers who cut, grind and polish countertop slabs before they are fitted into homes and businesses.
What is silicosis? Silicosis is caused by the inhalation of pulverized silica, one of the most common minerals on earth. The silica that threatens the fabricators’ lungs comes from quartz, which is crushed and mixed with resins and pigments to make artificial stone — also known as engineered stone — a cheaper, more versatile alternative to natural stone like granite or marble. The ingredients are poured into molds, a process that allows for mass production of countertop slabs. When a slab is cut, ground or polished in preparation for installation, a pestilent powder is released into the air and drawn into workers’ lungs, where it collects and causes slow suffocation.
How many silicosis cases do we know of? Public Health Watch, LAist and Univision were the first to disclose a silicosis cluster among Southern California countertop fabrication workers in December 2022. Five months after the initial stories were released by Public Health Watch and its media partners, the California Department of Public Health had confirmed 69 cases of silicosis statewide. As of April 8, that number had grown to 542, with 29 deaths. More than half of these cases — 279 — came from Los Angeles County.
California is considering prohibiting the fabrication and installation of artificial-stone countertops — effectively banning the products — in response to an epidemic of the fatal lung disease silicosis among workers who cut, grind and polish countertop slabs before they are fitted into homes and businesses.
Silicosis is caused by the inhalation of pulverized silica, one of the most common minerals on earth. Public Health Watch, LAist and Univision were the first to disclose a silicosis cluster among Southern California countertop fabrication workers in December 2022. A year later, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted an emergency temporary standard that required the employers of such workers — most of whom are young, immigrant men — to suppress toxic silica dust with water and take other protective measures. That standard became permanent in December 2024.
Five months after the initial stories were released by Public Health Watch and its media partners, the California Department of Public Health had confirmed 69 cases of silicosis statewide. As of April 8, that number had grown to 542, with 29 deaths. More than half of these cases — 279 — came from Los Angeles County.
What is silica?
The silica that threatens the fabricators’ lungs comes from quartz, which is crushed and mixed with resins and pigments to make artificial stone — also known as engineered stone — a cheaper, more versatile alternative to natural stone like granite or marble. The ingredients are poured into molds, a process that allows for mass production of countertop slabs.
When a slab is cut, ground or polished in preparation for installation, a pestilent powder is released into the air and drawn into workers’ lungs, where it collects and causes slow suffocation. There is no cure for silicosis; the only procedure that can buy some victims time is a double-lung transplant, which is expensive, cumbersome and rarely prolongs life beyond 10 years.
Why is California considering banning engineered stone?
The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is scheduled to take video testimony from fabrication workers suffering from silicosis at its meeting Thursday in Santa Rosa. It is not expected to vote on a ban, however, any sooner than its May 21 meeting in Los Angeles.
Should California choose to ban engineered stone, it would be the first state to do so. Australia banned the material in 2024 after experiencing a silicosis outbreak that claimed an estimated 1,000 victims.
The standards board is required to respond to a petition submitted in December by the Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association, a nonprofit that represents more than 600 physicians and other health experts in seven states. In that petition, the association asked the board to “prohibit all fabrication and installation tasks ... on engineered stone that contains more than 1% crystalline silica. This action is necessary in light of the continuing epidemic of silicosis that is causing disease and death among California fabrication workers ...” Engineered-stone countertops typically contain more than 90% crystalline silica, the most common and dangerous form of the mineral; another form, amorphous silica, is not believed to pose serious health risks.
Lawyers representing hundreds of sick workers and their families in litigation against countertop manufacturers say engineered stone cannot be handled safely.
“Artificial stone is too toxic to be safely fabricated,” said Raphael Metzger, who practices in Long Beach and won a $52.4 million jury verdict — the nation’s first — against 34 manufacturers in August 2024. “Every week I meet with about a half-dozen fabricators, many of whom have silicosis.”
“The silicosis crisis is not a failure of rules — it’s a failure of a product,” said James Nevin, based in Novato, California. The medical association’s “proposed ban works because it removes that hazard at its source. Every jurisdiction that has reduced disease has done so by eliminating crystalline silica artificial stone itself — not by pretending it can be used safely.”
Countertop manufacturers are not standing by quietly. In a March 27 letter to the standards board, Cosentino North America, part of Spain’s Cosentino Group, said, “Effective [workplace safety] standards already exist, but there are non-compliant fabrication shop owners that do not implement them and put their workers at risk.” With “the correct controls in place,” the company said, “engineered stone can be fabricated safely.”
Cal/OSHA enforces silica rule
California’s silica rule is enforced by the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA. In a statement to Public Health Watch, a Cal/OSHA spokesperson said the agency had opened more than 140 inspections of fabrication shops since the emergency temporary standard took effect in December 2023. Those inspections unearthed more than 580 violations, the spokesperson said.
In a presentation to the standards board at its March meeting, Eric Berg, Cal/OSHA’s deputy chief for health, research and standards, said the agency had assessed a total of $1.8 million in penalties against fabrication shop owners alleged to have violated the silica rule. Stop-work orders were issued to 26 shops where dry-cutting of artificial stone — a prohibited practice — or inadequate respiratory-protection measures were observed, Berg said.
Last year, Cal/OSHA estimated that the state had 920 fabrication shops, employing some 4,600 workers.
It's unclear which way the standards board will go when the proposed ban comes up for a vote. In a February 27 letter, Chairman Joseph M. Alioto Jr. urged district attorneys in the seven counties that account for nearly 95% of the silicosis cases in California to pursue criminal charges against violators.
“Please do not be misled by the misdemeanor classification of [silica violations],” Alioto wrote. “These are no ordinary misdemeanor cases, as the science bears out. Dry-cutting on its own will result in serious injury in a majority of cases. That means that every successful misdemeanor you prosecute will shutter a violating employer and save workers’ lives.”
The medical association on whose petition the board must rule, however, argued that “education and enforcement alone will not be sufficient to curtail the escalating occupational health emergency caused by” engineered stone.
After Australia banned the material, alternatives with the same “quality, look and feel” but free of crystalline silica took its place, the petition says. If the standards board follows Australia’s lead, “it is highly likely that these safer products will be made immediately available in the California market, without significant economic consequences for fabrication businesses and their workers.”
Jim Morris is executive director and editor-in-chief of Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization.
It isn’t hard to find great coffee in L.A. But if you’re ready to break from your usual morning routine, head to these one-of-a-kind coffee shops you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Why try them: There’s more to L.A. coffee than Maru and Intelligentsia — no shade to either of these places! These five cafés are distinctly unique, each with their own Angeleno flair.
What to expect: Specialty Brazilian drinks in an Art Deco interior, coffee and brunch in the treetops of Topanga and espresso on the edge of a Porsche racetrack.
There’s no shortage of great coffee shops in LA. It’s maybe something we’re especially known for — L.A., after all, is home to many a viral matcha moment and Instagrammable coffee shop interior. But the city also houses several unique cafés that make your coffee break feel a little more like a break from reality.
These five coffee shops may part from tradition, but they certainly don’t fall short on the cool factor, or on quality.
Aquarela (Downtown)
Aquarela’s stunning marble lobby was completed in 1931.
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Courtesy CalEdison
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DTLA is home to many wonderful coffee shops, but none can rival the beauty and splendor of Aquarela, a café nestled inside the marble halls of the historic CalEdison building. Here, you’ll find rare Brazilian farm-direct coffees, plus tropical smoothies and small snacks like pão de queijo (cheesy, savory bread bites). Beyond the stunning Art Deco digs, the specialty drinks are the real draw here — the Batida, a nod to the popular Brazilian cocktail, blends iced coffee with coconut, banana and condensed milk to transport you directly to the beach in Rio.
Location: 601 W 5th St., Los Angeles Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cafe on 27 (Topanga)
Toast and views from Cafe on 27
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Courtesy Cafe on 27
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There’s a certain je ne sais quoi to drinking coffee while forest bathing. Cafe on 27, a treehouse-style brunch spot in Topanga Canyon, delivers this experience wonderfully. The sprawling, tree-blanketed patio opens out directly into the canyon, where verdant hills are the only thing you’ll see for miles.
Like any good treehouse would, Cafe on 27 serves organic coffees that are roasted on-site. Matcha, hot tea and freshly-squeezed orange juice are also on offer, alongside brunch staples like avocado toast, crab cake benedicts, pancakes and Nutella waffles. Note: reservations are required on weekends and holidays, and highly recommended on weekdays, otherwise expect an hour-plus wait.
Location: 1861 N Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Casita Basqueria (Malibu)
If you haven’t yet been to Casita Basqueria, the rustic Malibu cottage serving coffee, Basque grocery staples and often sold-out sandwiches, a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway is in order. Tucked in Surf Canyon among a small commune of artisanal retailers and workshops, Casita Basqueria makes for a wonderful weekend stop for brunch and coffee. Get there right at 11 a.m., if you can; the bocadillo sandwiches, which are made in limited quantities on fresh pan de cristal, are known to vanish within 20 minutes of opening. Sandwich offerings rotate daily, but the espresso machine can always be counted on to whip up a good latte or cappuccino.
The best time to show up to Casita Basqueria is right at 11 a.m.
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Courtesy Casita Basqueria
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Location: 3730 Cross Creek Rd., Malibu Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Granada (Echo Park)
Granada’s airy digs and delicious coffee catapulted it into instant stardom.
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Cecilia Seiter/LAist
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You could easily walk by Granada, L.A.'s newest coffee scene darling, without realizing that there’s a buzzy cafe nestled amid the towering Victorians of residential Angeleno Heights. But here it is, up an unsuspecting driveway and into the first floor of owners’ Sydney Wayser and Isaac Watters’ home, a concept made possible by LA County’s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) program.
It’s easy to see why Granada so swiftly achieved the viral status it did. The light-filled living room and locally-crafted furniture beckon guests to sit and stay. The garden, lush with palms and a pomegranate tree, also provides ample seating. An iced latte with whole milk will set you back $7 — par for the course in L.A. — but soaking in the sunlight filtering through the window while snacking on a pastry by baker Sasha Piligian (of Canyon Coffee and Chamberlain Coffee) feels like a fair trade. Connecting to the wifi here proves a journey, but if you can hotspot it, this is a fantastic place to knock out a few hours of work.
Location: 1451 Carroll Ave., Los Angeles Hours: Wednesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Speedster Café (Carson)
Coffee and racecars make for an excellent pairing.
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Courtesy Porsche Experience Los Angeles
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Fuel up on espresso as Porsche 911 GT3s fly by at Speedster Café. Situated at the edge of the racetrack at the Porsche Experience Center, Speedster offers a range of espresso drinks, plus breakfast sandwiches on brioche buns, matcha lattes and wines by the glass. Both indoor and outdoor seating are available, and if you need something a little more filling, you can always head upstairs to eat lunch at Porsche’s sit-down restaurant, 917.
Location: 19800 South Main St., Carson Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; third Sunday of the month, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published April 14, 2026 2:25 AM
UTLA and SEIU have been engaged in contract negotiations with LAUSD for over a year.
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Genaro Molina
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
Los Angeles Unified support staff reached a labor deal with the district early Tuesday morning, hours before a strike was set to begin.
Why now: Two days after LAUSD reached new deals with its teachers union and its principals union, the district tentatively agreed on a contract with SEIU Local 99.
Why it matters: The unions gave the district an April 14 deadline to reach a deal, or face a walkout. A strike by all three would have shut down district schools and disrupted the education of about 400,000 students and the lives of families scrambling for child care.
The backstory: The unions had been negotiating with the district over pay, benefits and additional support for students for more than a year. The members of each union voted overwhelmingly to give their leaders the power to call a strike after contract talks stalled.
What's next: SEIU Local 99 said in a press release that the agreement raises members wages 24% and will rescind the recent layoff notices for hundreds of IT workers. The union’s members and the Los Angeles Unified school board must vote to approve the deal.
Los Angeles Unified support staff reached a labor deal with the district early Tuesday morning, hours before a strike was set to begin — meaning schools will remain open for nearly 400,000 students.
"The tentative agreement makes strides in addressing key issues raised by school workers in negotiations," SEIU Local 99 said in a statement Tuesday morning.
The union said the new agreement raises members' wages 24% and will rescind the recent layoff notices for hundreds of information technology workers. LAUSD confirmed the details of deal are still being worked out.
”Our commitments reflect the dedication of our entire workforce. We are grateful for the collaboration that made this possible and hopeful that this marks a new chapter of partnership," Andrés Chait, the acting superintendent, said in a statement Tuesday morning. "At the same time, we are clear-eyed about the challenges ahead and know that meeting them will require continued trust, shared responsibility, and a united focus on what matters most — our students."
How the deal came together
The unions had given the district an April 14 deadline to reach a deal, or face a walkout. A strike by all three would have shut down district schools and disrupted the education of hundreds of thousands of students and the lives of families scrambling for child care.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass joined the negotiations with SEIU Local 99, which continued late Monday night. The deal was announced at 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The unions had been bargaining with the district over pay, benefits and additional support for students for more than a year. The members of each union voted overwhelmingly to give their leaders the power to call a strike after contract talks stalled.
The union’s members and the Los Angeles Unified school board must vote to approve the deal. The union said it would release more details of the deal at a news conference later Tuesday.
Talk radio host Tavis Smiley, left, moderates the California Governor Candidate Forum presented by Empowerment Congress at the California Science Center in January. The candidates appearin, from: Xavier Becerra, Ian Calderon, Jon Slavet, Tom Steyer, Eric Swalwell, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa and Betty Yee.
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Myung J. Chun
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
With Rep. Eric Swalwell out of the race amid serious allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, the Democratic race for governor remains a toss-up, with Tom Steyer and Katie Porter most likely to benefit from his withdrawal.
How we got here: Swalwell suspended his campaign Sunday evening and resigned from Congress Monday afternoon — a swift fall from power for one of the state’s leading candidates for governor.
What's next: In theory, one fewer Democratic candidate in the race should help liberal voters consolidate the field. But in a race that was already anyone’s to win, Swalwell’s exit has only “caused more confusion,” said political strategist Marva Diaz, who primarily works with Democrats but is not involved in any gubernatorial campaign. “I’ve never seen something so in flux while ballots are about to drop."
If voters were confused about who to support in California’s wide-open race for governor, Rep. Eric Swalwell’s exit amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct may leave them as mystified as ever.
Swalwell suspended his campaign Sunday evening and resigned from Congress Monday afternoon — a swift fall from power for one of the state’s leading candidates for governor.
He said he would “fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”
In theory, one fewer Democratic candidate in the race should help liberal voters consolidate the field. But in a race that was already anyone’s to win, Swalwell’s exit has only “caused more confusion,” said political strategist Marva Diaz, who primarily works with Democrats but is not involved in any gubernatorial campaign.
“I’ve never seen something so in flux while ballots are about to drop,” she said.
Where things stand
Because Swalwell dropped out after a statutory deadline to formally withdraw from an election, his name will still appear on the June 2 primary election ballot. That makes it possible he’ll still get some votes, but his rivals are already seeking to scoop up as many of his supporters as possible.
Both billionaire climate advocate Tom Steyer and law professor and former Rep. Katie Porter circulated polls indicating they could both pick up a sizable portion of Swalwell’s potential voters. Pollsters with the Public Policy Institute of California and UC Berkeley both agreed Steyer and Porter were the most likely to benefit from prior Swalwell supporters.
But they may not be the only ones, and it’s not clear that either one of them will immediately surge into the lead. An independent campaign committee supporting San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan pulled in $12 million million in new and previously committed contributions from wealthy donors since Friday, committee spokesperson Matt Rodriguez said, indicating his backers see an opening.
They’re launching $4.5 million worth of TV and digital ads Tuesday. Mahan is one of the race’s lower-polling candidates, getting 3% of likely voters’ support in a poll commissioned last week by the state Democratic Party.
Until the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN last Friday published stories with explosive sexual misconduct allegations from four women, including a former staff member, Swalwell had consistently polled ahead of most other Democrats in the race for governor. He was often in a three-way tie for lead Democrat alongside Porter and Steyer, with each of them getting between 10% and 15% of voters polled, tied with or trailing the two leading Republicans, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco.
What happens to his endorsments?
And though Swalwell counted among his supporters a sizable share of the Democratic establishment — his colleagues in Congress, major labor unions and other Sacramento interest groups — it was by no means a consensus. Now, after those groups have scrambled through emergency weekend meetings to pull their endorsements, they’ll have to slog through their internal procedures if they want to back another candidate for governor.
That gives voters fewer pointers on which candidate to back, Diaz said. Some organizations, she added, may be hesitant to endorse another candidate out of concern they, too, could have damaging backgrounds.
“Most people look to labor for guidance, especially on the Democratic side,” Diaz said. “When labor organizations are not working in tandem, it causes a lot of confusion.”
Swalwell was one of four Democrats the California Labor Federation jointly endorsed for governor, along with Porter, Steyer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The federation, which could not reach consensus on any individual candidate, likely won’t be revisiting its other endorsements with Swalwell gone, president Lorena Gonzalez said.
But the Service Employees International Union, California Teachers Association and other heavyweights in Democratic politics which had endorsed Swalwell and then withdrew their support may not have time to go back to the drawing board to pick a new candidate. The teachers’ union’s endorsement process, for example, required a vote among hundreds of members from across the state; the union’s next such meeting isn’t scheduled until after the June 2 primary.
Representatives of both unions said they did not have any campaign updates Monday. A spokesperson for the California Professional Firefighters, another major Swalwell supporter, did not respond to inquiries.
Where his backers may throw their support
The effects of Swalwell’s exit on public polling of the race may not be seen for weeks. Donors often look to such measures of a candidate’s performance to decide who to back.
In the last survey UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies conducted of the governor’s race, in March, Swalwell’s supporters leaned more liberal and progressive, said institute co-director Eric Schickler. Swalwell also did better than other candidates among older voters and white voters.
Those voters cut a similar profile to Porter’s supporters, Schickler said, lending credence to the idea that his supporters would start following her.
“On the other hand, Porter has had trouble, for a visible politician, has had trouble winning over a lot of Democratic establishment figures in her own right,” he said. “If you look at the support, it’s a little more similar, but not so striking to say these supporters automatically go there.”
What about Swalwell's seat in Congress?
As for Swalwell’s congressional seat, it’s not clear when he’s stepping down. But he said he would work with his congressional staff to ensure they are able to meet the needs of his San Francisco East Bay district, where he was first elected in 2013.
Swalwell’s resignation Monday leaves the call for a special election to finish his term entirely at Newsom’s discretion, since the candidate filing deadline for the June primary has passed, according to the state election code.
Newsom’s office would not say Monday whether the governor will do so.
But if he calls for the election, the earliest date it could be held would be in mid-August, since state law requires it to take place between 126 and 140 days after the proclamation. If Newsom declines to call a special election, Swalwell’s seat will remain vacant until mid-January 2027, dealing a blow to the U.S. House Democrats who are already outnumbered by the Republican majority.
Because Swalwell opted to run for governor instead of retaining his seat in Congress, there are already seven candidates in the running to replace Swalwell in the 14th Congressional District.
CalMatters’ Yue Stella Yu contributed to this story.
