Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walk on stage at during Harris' presidential campaign rally at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, on Aug. 8, 2024.
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Larry Valenzuela
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CalMatters/CatchLight Local
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Topline:
The vice president must defend her California roots and record against attacks by the Trump campaign. Voters and politicians in the swing states of Michigan and Arizona say that may not be the deciding factor.
Why it matters: Although California has sent three Republicans to the White House, it has never produced a Democratic president. Several tried — including former Gov. Jerry Brown, whom critics nicknamed “Governor Moonbeam,” and Harris herself in 2019. Some political strategists blame the sorry track record in part on the Golden State’s liberal image.
California radical: Harris’ California roots are already under attack. Labeling her as a “California radical” and “San Francisco liberal,” Republicans have hammered her stances, particularly on crime and immigration. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the GOP nominee for vice president, is trailing Harris’ travels this week and holding press events to criticize her. Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday: “She destroyed the state of California
Read on... to learn more about the politics of swing states now that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the presumptive Democratic nominees...and what that could mean for the election.
A pair of ceiling fans spun lazily inside the jam-packed hangar as the sun blazed down on thousands of supporters outside. As the crowd of 15,000 — the largest of the 2024 Democratic presidential campaign — waited for Vice President Kamala Harris, some began to faint.
That didn’t stop the supporters from bursting into waves of deafening cheers that lasted two minutes as Harris took the stage. It was what her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, called a “warm Midwestern welcome.”
“OK, come on, we’ve got business to handle,” she finally said.
The rally outside Detroit on Wednesday afternoon marked the third stop on a five-day, cross-country tour to woo voters in battleground states, which began in Pennsylvania when Harris introduced Walz as her vice presidential pick. The duo plan events in North Carolina and Georgia before rallies tonight in Arizona and Saturday in Nevada. The Harris campaign has jolted the Democratic base in the three weeks since President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed her, bringing in record amounts of money and drawing massive audiences.
Although California has sent three Republicans to the White House, it has never produced a Democratic president. Several tried — including former Gov. Jerry Brown, whom critics nicknamed “Governor Moonbeam,” and Harris herself in 2019. Some political strategists blame the sorry track record in part on the Golden State’s liberal image.
Can Harris finally break through in 2024?
To reach the White House, she may need to overcome any California-ness qualms, and must aggressively defend her California record against intense attacks from former President Donald Trump’s campaign. In a new 1-minute ad released Thursday, Harris leaned heavily into her Oakland upbringing and her California prosecutor career. She also agreed to the first debate with Trump, on Sept. 10.
Harris’ California roots are already under attack. Labeling her as a “California radical” and “San Francisco liberal,” Republicans have hammered her stances, particularly on crime and immigration. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the GOP nominee for vice president, is trailing Harris’ travels this week and holding press events to criticize her. Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday: “She destroyed the state of California along with Gov. Gavin Newscum,” he said, using his pejorative for Newsom.
Harris has backed away from some of her more liberal campaign promises from 2019 and no longer supports a fracking ban or a single-payer health care system. But she must also navigate criticism from progressive Democrats, who want her to go further than Biden on abortion and climate policies.
Vice President Kamala Harris during a “Get Out the Vote” rally in Los Angeles, on Nov. 7, 2022.
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Jae C. Hong
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AP Photo
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Her California ties have given some undecided voters pause, but those connections are likely not the deciding factor, according to 20 voters, consultants, officials and political experts interviewed by CalMatters in some of Michigan and Arizona’s most purple districts. And some voters and experts argued that Walz’ Midwestern roots could help balance the ticket.
“People will understand through the Walz lens that Kamala, it doesn’t matter where she’s from geographically,” said Democrat Carl Marlinga, who is running for Congress in Michigan’s competitive Macomb County. “Maybe she says things a little differently, but she wouldn’t have picked a guy like us if she didn’t want to connect with people like us.”
Growing up Republican in Michigan, Michael Taylor knows well a common Midwestern conservative sentiment toward California: His mother often told him the state is a “hellscape” detached from the rest of America, with rampant crime, illegal migrants and unfettered homelessness — even though he said he disagrees.
“There’s a lot of … media portrayal that the West Coast liberals are just out of touch and don’t really know what’s going on in the heartland,” said Taylor, mayor of Sterling Heights since 2014.
His blue-collar city of 132,000 is home to four automotive assembly plants. Thursday, Harris spoke at a Detroit rally hosted by the United Auto Workers, which endorsed her last week, citing her “proven track record of delivering for the working class.”
Sterling Heights is in Macomb County, the quintessential swing county where disillusioned Democrats ditched their party for Republican President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. The county went for Democrat Barack Obama twice before favoring Trump in 2016 and 2020. Taylor, who now identifies with neither major party, supported Trump in 2016 but voted for Biden in 2020.
California is perceived as elitist and progressive and seems distant to a lot of Macomb County voters, sometimes even himself, Taylor said.
“I sense that from talking to Republicans. There’s this conflict between the real America and the America of the little blue islands along the coasts,” he said. “When you talk to some people, they almost act like California is a different country.”
That’s true for Republican Cheryl Costantino, a teacher in Macomb County’s Shelby Township: “To us, California is like its own weird, liberal place where people poop on the sidewalks and live in tents.”
McClellan Grote, a registered independent and nuclear engineer from Gilbert, Arizona, hesitates to vote for Harris. Although he supported Trump twice and still favors his policies, Grote said he must vote against Trump’s vitriol. But he’s reluctant to support Harris, partly due to the liberal image of California and Newsom, who Grote also calls “Newscum.”
That perception represents a “key vulnerability” that Harris must overcome to win moderate voters, said Matt Grossmann, a political science professor at Michigan State University. Historically, Black and female candidates are considered more liberal than white men, he said, and Harris’ history representing a largely Democratic state, particularly in the U.S. Senate, may cement that impression.
Republicans are hoping to cash in on that exact sentiment. In a National Republican Senatorial Committee memo, executive director Jason Thielman deemed Harris a “radical” from San Francisco.
While it’s too soon to tell if those attacks have dented her support, Grossmann noted that down-ballot Democrats in swing states have suffered in previous elections when tied to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. “That gives (us) a reason to expect that the same attacks would be successful against Harris,” he said.
The person who may help counter those critiques is Walz, whom Democrats are counting on to help connect with Midwesterners with his rural roots and his background as a gun owner, hunter, public school teacher and veteran. The Trump campaign, on other hand, quickly tried to paint Walz in an emailed statement as a “West Coast wannabe” who wants to spread “California’s dangerously liberal agenda.”
Walz is “a perfect description of a Democrat who could win in Macomb County,” said Marlinga, a self-described moderate Democrat who lost by a razor-thin margin to Republican U.S. Rep. John James in 2022 and is set for a rematch this November.
Marlinga called the Minnesota governor a “positive populist” who is easy-going and approachable. Walz called Trump and Vance “weird,” just like an “ordinary guy … sitting down for dinner at a deli somewhere” would, Marlinga said.
“We like conservation, we like sports, we like fishing, we like hunting,” he said. “We’re not like the Democrats in New York and California, because we’re not here to grab your guns and to change your life and to preach to you about things.”
In the Republican attacks on Harris, her record on crime is coming under intense scrutiny, as she leans into her prosecutor background in contrast with Trump — a convicted felon who was found in a separate civil case to have sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll.
“She prosecuted sex predators. He is one,” an ad for Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign said.
The attack resonates with some Michigan Republicans, including Robert Wojtowicz, who is running for a competitive state House seat in Macomb County.
While courting voters at a Clinton Township polling station on Tuesday, Wojtowicz associated Harris with California’s recent increases in some violent and property crimes, even though she left to serve in the U.S. Senate in 2017. He argued the state’s prosecutors “are not prosecuting … serious crimes,” echoing California conservatives who are advocating for tougher penalties.
Costantino, the Shelby Township teacher, noted that the number of violent crimes in San Francisco rose during Harris’ early years as district attorney. The city’s current struggle with crime is something Harris still should own, Costantino said.
“The fact that she’s from California should make her more sensitive to those issues, not less sensitive,” Costantino said. “Just because she goes to Washington doesn’t mean that she should be removed from them.”
“We’re not like the Democrats in New York and California, because we’re not here to grab your guns and to change your life and to preach to you about things.”
— DEMOCRAT CARL MARLINGA, WHO IS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS IN MICHIGAN’S COMPETITIVE MACOMB COUNTY
But most of the Michigan voters interviewed by CalMatters spoke more about policies from her time as vice president, not while she served in California. While conservative voters blamed the Biden-Harris administration for increases in gas prices, illegal border crossings and national debt, Democrats celebrated her for advocating for abortion rights — an issue that turned out a historic number of Michigan voters in recent elections and helped flip the state Legislature blue.
And some Michigan voters — both Republicans and Democrats — said they did not know Harris for her time in the Golden State.
Joe Koch is a 58-year-old electric operator and a self-described “Christian conservative” in Clinton Township, where Biden won by less than 1 percentage point in 2020 after Trump won it by 4 points in 2016. He called California a “mismanaged” state, blaming Newsom for the state’s budget deficit. “He’s just a populist guy, good hair, but I don’t see him governing,” Koch said.
But Harris’ California roots are “secondary” compared to her policy stances, Koch said. “She could be from New Mexico or Washington,” he said.
Tamela Washington, a 55-year-old Democratic voter, also does not associate Harris with California. She said she only began to notice Harris when she was in the U.S. Senate.
“It doesn’t matter whether she’s from California, Hawaii, Timbuktu. Doesn’t matter. It just blinds us from … what connects us and what keeps us wanting to make this country just better every day,” she said.
Among Michigan’s Arab community, Harris’ California roots fade even further into the background.
During Wednesday’s rally, a small group of pro-Palestinian student protesters from the University of Michigan briefly interrupted Harris’ speech before security escorted them out. They chanted: “Kamala Kamala you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide!”
“It seems that the number one driving factor in this race will be the Gaza issue. People are not looking at much else,” said Qarim Abdullah, an imam at the American Muslim Center in Dearborn since 2018. A sense of “betrayal” by Biden’s Gaza policies, he said, has driven some to vote for Trump.
And in Arizona — a traditionally-red Sun Belt state that Biden narrowly flipped in 2020 — Harris’ record on illegal immigration at the border will come into laser focus.
The Grand Canyon State’s border with Mexico makes immigration a top concern among its voters. The state’s GOP-led Legislature placed a controversial measure on the November ballot that would allow state and local law enforcement to crack down on illegal border crossings, even though courts deem it a federal power.
Harris — portrayed by Republicans as a liberal “border czar” lenient on illegal migrants — has gone on the offense, tapping into her background cracking down on transnational gang activities as California’s attorney general.
“In that job, I walked underground tunnels between the United States and Mexico,” she said at a rally in Atlanta. “I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers that came into our country illegally. I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.”
But on other issues, Harris’ California brand could prove to be an advantage, especially abortion.
“She’s always been an advocate for women’s health care, and she’s a woman. She gets us,” Patti O’Neil, chairperson of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, said of Harris.
Harris’ support for abortion rights won over Karla Grote, a developer in Gilbert and a former Republican who re-registered as independent after becoming disillusioned with Trump.
“I don’t hate her policies. I don’t hate her thought patterns. Well, she’s pro-choice! That’s a big one for me,” Karla Grote shouted while talking to her husband at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, waiting for a delayed flight back home to Arizona.
“Anybody miss that?” McClellan Grote asked while rolling his eyes, drawing a few chuckles from passengers nearby.
Elly Yu
reports on early childhood. From housing to health, she covers issues facing the youngest Angelenos and their families.
Published April 3, 2026 5:00 AM
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are barred from asking about a child's or family member’s immigration status.
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Maria Gutierrez
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LAist
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Topline:
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are barred from asking about a child's or family member’s immigration status.
What’s new: California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.
The backstory: Lawmakers passed AB 495 last year aimed at helping and protecting families in light of immigration enforcement, including allowing a broader definition of relatives to step in as a caregiver if a parent is detained.
The details: Under the new requirements, childcare centers have to regularly update a child’s emergency contact to make sure someone can be reached in the case of a parent being detained.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.
“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.
His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.
The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.
Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.
Warnings and advisories: Wind advisory, High Wind Advisory
What to expect: Partly cloudy skies, warmer weather and strong winds courtesy of the Santa Ana winds.
Read on ... for more details.
QUICK FACTS
Today’s weather: Partly cloudy
Beaches: Mid-70s
Mountains: Mid-60s to around 70 degrees
Inland: 75 to 81 degrees
Warnings and advisories: Wind advisory, High Wind Advisory
The Santa Ana winds are here to welcome us into the weekend, bringing warmer temperatures.
The winds will reach Point Mugu to the Santa Clarita Valley, down to Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire valleys and foothills east of the 5 Freeway.
Peak gusts are expected to reach 35 to 55 mph. The western San Gabriel Mountains, Highway 14 corridor, Santa Susana Mountains and the western Santa Monica Mountains are under a high wind warning until 6 p.m., when gusts could reach 65 mph.
As for temperatures, highs for L.A. County beaches will reach the upper 70s and up to the low 80s for inland areas.
Parts of Orange County and Coachella Valley will see temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, with the warmest areas expected to reach 88 degrees.
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Jill Replogle
covers public corruption, debates over our voting system, culture war battles — and more.
Published April 3, 2026 5:00 AM
Green Cheek Beer Company in Costa Mesa is one of many local breweries that welcomes small humans and furry friends.
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Jill Replogle
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LAist
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Topline:
Getting together with friends at a bar or pub tends to get a lot harder when children and needy pets enter the mix. But Orange County has a solution — dog- and kid-friendly breweries.
Key ingredients: Spacious patios, a water bowl for the pooch, and food — either made onsite or, at the least, easy and quick to order and get delivered from somewhere else. Plus, of course, great beer from small, independent, local breweries.
Where to go: We have recommendations in Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, and Fountain Valley.
Getting together with friends at a bar or pub tends to get a lot harder when children and needy pets enter the mix. One solution — Breweries! Beer gardens! Brewpubs!
Because parents (of kids and pets) want to go out, too — and not necessarily to a fast food restaurant with an indoor playground and no beer.
Thankfully, the Orange County suburbs where I live have gotten on board with my family- and pet-friendly craft brewery dreams. The key ingredients for me are spacious patios, a water bowl for the pooch, and food — either made onsite or, at the least, easy and quick to order and get delivered from somewhere else. Board and pub games are an added bonus.
Plus, of course, great beer from small, independent, local breweries. On the beer front, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of beer I encountered on my self-arranged tour of breweries in the Costa Mesa-Huntington Beach area.
Gone are the dark, dank days of nothing but IPA (IYKYK); now, you can find everything from pickle-tinged blondes, to mild sours, to rich and creamy stouts. If you’re not a big beer fan, every place I visited also had their own craft-made hard seltzers on the menu, as well as some non-alcoholic beverages.
Here are some of my favorites:
Riip (Huntington Beach)
Riip in Huntington Beach has two spots with full kitchens specializing in pizza and a wide variety of IPAs and other beer styles.
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Riip has been a family favorite since the company opened its first tasting room in Sunset Beach in 2015, with board games and tables the kids could write on. They have since expanded a lot, with a pizzeria next door and another location near Fountain Valley, which also serves excellent pizza, and has a small arcade to keep the kiddos busy.
One thing they do especially well: For serious IPA drinkers, Riip is your place. They usually have at least half a dozen different IPAs on tap, along with a decent variety of other beers, lighter and darker.
This place is great for … dinner after the kids’ [insert sport] game. Also for date night.
Locations: 17236 Pacific Coast Highway; 19171 Magnolia Street #12, Huntington Beach Hours: Monday through Thurs, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
At Flashpoint Brewing Company in Huntington Beach, you can check out the brewing vats and other machinery up close while enjoying the results.
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Flashpoint Brewing Co. (Huntington Beach)
I only recently discovered Flashpoint, which opened in 2020 on an industrial street near Huntington Beach Central Park. I actually love this aspect of craft brewery taprooms: they’re often located outside of trendy food and retail areas because they need to be able to actually brew beer there as well as serve it.
Flashpoint has a big patio lit with fairy lights. The tall doors of their brewing area, and an adjacent room with the taps and more tables are rolled up during opening hours, giving it a spacious, indoor-outdoor feel.
One thing they do especially well: All the beers I tried were highly drinkable. In other words, not crazy hoppy or overly heavy on flavors. The nectarine sour was especially good, refreshing with just the right amount of tartness.
This place is great for … An early evening toast, watching the clouds turn pink.
Location: 7302 Autopark Drive, Huntington Beach Hours: Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa serves great beer and food, including shareable, snackable items like pad thai cauliflower.
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Green Cheek Beer Co. (Costa Mesa)
Green Cheek Beer Co. now has three locations in Orange County and one in Oceanside. Their Costa Mesa spot is conveniently located not far from the city’s Bark Park. So, naturally, after my pooch has fun, I deserve a cold one.
Green Cheek has a huge covered patio filled with long picnic tables. My dog, Ace, was very happy to find a bowl of water set out for their canine visitors, and lots of pets from the humans.
One thing they do especially well: Green Cheek makes great beer. But what I love most about their Costa Mesa spot is that you can soak up the alcohol with food, including smash burgers, tots, and pad thai cauliflower, from their good and reliably fast kitchen.
This place is great for … reading a book, or making a new friend! Their long picnic tables make it easy to opt in or out of the surrounding social scene.
Location: 2957 Randolph Avenue, Unit B, Costa Mesa Hours: Sunday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Bootlegger's Brewery outside the LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa has a quiet patio for day drinking, and a lively trivia night scene.
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Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa)
Within walking distance of Green Cheek is Bootlegger’s Brewery. Bootlegger’s started in Fullerton, and now also has tasting rooms in Costa Mesa and Redlands.
Their Costa Mesa spot is on the outskirts of the LAB Anti-Mall, a collection of small businesses and restaurants, at least one of which will deliver food to your table. A section of the parking lot has been turned into a nice outdoor patio with sun shades for daytime and heat lamps for chillier evening hours.
One thing they do especially well: Their Kosher Crusher pickle blonde ale. They debuted it last fall and it is seriously good — light, refreshing, and just a little bit zesty.
This place is great for … “working” on a Friday afternoon (I was not the only one there typing one-handed on my laptop with a beer in the other), and then inviting friends to join you for happy hour.
Location: 696 Randolph Avenue, Suite B, Costa Mesa Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
There's an ambiance for everyone at Salty Bear Brewing Co. in Costa Mesa.
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Salty Bear Brewing Company
Salty Bear is part of The Camp, an uber-cool retail and restaurant complex also within walking distance of Green Cheek and Bootlegger’s (you can do a tasting tour!).
Salty Bear is worth a visit for the aesthetics alone. It has a great bar with midcentury tiling and dimpled red leather. The sprawling, leafy outdoor patio provides plenty of room for the kids to wander.
One thing they do especially well: Their Coastline Strawberry Blonde made me nostalgic for the fruity beers that got me hooked on craft beer in my 20s — but so much better.
This place is great for … Kickin’ it on the patio with friends, either listening to live music, or letting your kids practice performing on the teepee-themed outdoor stage.
Location: 2948 Randolph Avenue, C, Costa Mesa Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published April 2, 2026 4:23 PM
Supervisor Holly Mitchell, L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer, actor Danny Trejo and others gathered at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Wilmington.
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Aaron Schrank
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LAist
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Topline:
A new private foundation called The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA launched Thursday, aiming to raise $2 million to shore up county health services this year. It comes after the Department of Public Health closed seven clinics following $50 million in funding cuts since early 2025.
Who's behind it: The foundation's board includes Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, the CEOs of Blue Shield of California Foundation and LA Care Health Plan, actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo and more. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 at the launch. Ferrer acknowledged it's "a hard day" when a public agency has to turn to private donors to fund basic services.
Deeper cuts ahead: The federal "Big Beautiful Bill" slashes Medi-Cal funding, and the department anticipates losing up to $300 million over the next three years. Federal dollars account for nearly half the public health budget.
Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.
A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.
“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.
She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.
Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.
The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.
More cuts expected
L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.
“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”
Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.
The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.
Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.
If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.
