The Brief

At age 24, Alan Vargas wants to lead the California Democratic Party.

Sporting a beige cowboy hat and a pink shirt, the young progressive running for party chair evoked waves of cheers as he vowed to shake things up at the Democrats’ annual convention in Anaheim this weekend.

“I feel our party has moved away from its roots,” he told Democrats Saturday. “We cannot rely on fear to gain votes, nor can we assume the support of any minority, so we must act.”

It was a long shot: Incumbent Rusty Hicks, who did not even show up to make a campaign speech, secured another term swimmingly. Among 2,600 delegates, Vargas persuaded just over 600.

But Vargas’ attempt sends a clear message: Young Democrats are growingly frustrated with the party’s struggle to resonate with their peers, especially after Democrats hemorrhaged support from young voters, who either shifted toward President Donald Trump or sat out the November election altogether. Turnout plunged among young Californians, particularly Democrats.

Party leaders took notice. Hicks, who deemed the low turnout “gut wrenching,” said Democrats must speak up for marginalized communities and reach out to young voters year round.

The stakes are high: As California Democrats aim to retake the U.S. House in battleground districts next year, young voters could be key to their victory. Some candidates for governor are already courting their support: Veteran lawmaker Toni Atkins and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra headlined the California Young Democrats reception at the convention. Both of them called young people the “now” — not just the future — of the party.

“You are my future, and I am counting on you,” Atkins told young Democrats Saturday night.

Others hope their affordability-focused policy proposals will resonate.

All the gubernatorial candidates pledged to build more housing faster to lower costs. Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of public instruction running for governor, pointed to his push for students to attend college free and to pay back tuition later as well as his advocacy for paid internship programs and workforce training. Former state controller Betty Yee touted her experience managing California’s bank account and stressed her focus on making more reproductive options affordable. Becerra pointed to his effort negotiating with drug companies to lower medical costs.

But party officials delayed considering a resolution urging a mandatory retirement age for state and local politicians, to the disappointment of many young Democrats who feel disenfranchised and fear many elected officials are getting too old to be effective.

“When you have 70-year-olds and 80-year-olds running for office, how is that supposed to inspire us when we are living in a completely different world than they ever did?” said Lauren Hassett, an 18-year-old college student from Orange County.

To make inroads with young voters, party leaders and candidates must focus on making California affordable and not shy away from progressive issues that resonate with young people, according to a dozen young Democrats who spoke to CalMatters at the convention. Some stressed that campaigns must also reach young voters at town halls and on campuses and learn to use social media and podcasts to engage them.

But most importantly, the message must be simple.

“At the end of the day, politics is personal, and people want to vote for someone who’s going to make their lives easier,” said Carter Beardsley, 18, from Bakersfield.

Simplifying affordability

There’s a consensus among young Democrats that the party got pummeled on cost-of-living issues in November. Latinos, particularly young Latino men, flocked toward Trump, in part because of economic pain at the grocery store and at the gas pump.

Feeling like Democrats were absent on “working-class issues” was what inspired Vargas, a son of Mexican immigrants and a content creator from Corona, to run for party chair. While Democrats did try to address economic concerns, the messaging was too complex, Vargas argued.

“A lot of working people don’t have the time to do the research working two or three jobs,” he said. “I think we need a message in a way that is much easier and more digestible for our working communities, so they can listen to it on the radio rather than having to go on the phone and research five different articles.”

Alan Vargas, candidate for chair of the California Democratic Party, speaks during the California Democratic State Convention in Anaheim on May 3.

(

Ted Soqui

/

CalMatters

)

Hassett said many Democratic politicians have been criticizing Trump’s economic policies, such as tariffs, without offering digestible policy alternatives. Nor have they successfully explained how their own policies would benefit voters instead, she argued.

Last November, there “was a lot of ‘Here’s what Trump’s going to do and we are going to do the opposite,’” Hassett said. “A normal voter is not going to know really what a tariff is, really how a tariff is going to impact their life.”

Affordability is still top of mind for many delegates, including young ones. Carter Beardsley, 18, from Bakersfield, said rising health care costs could deter young people from going to the doctor or having a child. And college students fear a hike in tuition, especially as Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed to slash hundreds of millions of dollars from public university budgets.

“Students who might be living off Top Ramen can’t afford that increase,” Beardsley said.

Despite polls showing that the electorate is shifting away from liberal social views, young Democrats this weekend said they want to see candidates take progressive stances on issues such as LGBTQ rights and the war in Gaza. Young Democrats in California are generally more liberal than their older peers.

Some grew frustrated at Newsom’s comments on his podcast, where he said allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports is “deeply unfair.” Trump is threatening to withhold funding from California for allowing trans athletes to participate.

“That’s not an area that I think there’s common ground to be found on,” Beardsley said. “We need to protect trans kids, period.”

And many want to see candidates who will fight to stop the United States from supplying weapons to Israel. At last year’s convention, pro-Palestinian activists flooded the venue as they called on Democrats to support a ceasefire in Gaza. This year’s protest was more muted, with just a dozen pro-Palestinian signs dotting the halls as speakers avoided mentioning the war.

Let's talk about age

Though the topic of age was in the air, Democratic leaders postponed discussing a resolution backed by San Francisco Democrats to explore capping the age for state and local officials. The resolution’s author said it was born out of frustration that former President Joe Biden, 82, remained in the presidential race too long last year, and that some older Democrats — namely former U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein who died at 90 — held onto their seats instead of yielding to younger peers.

Hicks, the party chair, brushed aside concerns about age and defended the party’s decision to delay the discussion.

“At the end of the day, whether you are 25 or 75, the question is: Are you delivering for those that voted for you?” he told reporters.

Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, speaks during the California Democratic state convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on May 31, 2025.

(

Ted Soqui

/

CalMatters

)

Some young Democrats agreed, pointing to the success of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, 83, and former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, 78, who was recently elected mayor of Oakland, in connecting with young progressives.

George Balan, 17, the chair of the California High School Democrats, said what ultimately matters is how much young people feel like they can benefit from someone’s policies.

Many Democrats running for governor argued that age is just a number. Becerra, speaking to a roomful of young Democrats on Saturday night, repeatedly defended Biden’s performance. “Joe Biden will tell you he’s old. But can you deliver?” Becerra said.

Becerra’s speech did not sit well with Annie Koruga, a Bay Area delegate in their early 20s. Being able to deliver is the “whole point of being in elected office,” Koruga argued, and old age could cloud a politician’s ability to do just that.

Koruga noted that several older Democratic members of Congress have died in office since 2022.

“I’m trying to be respectful, but when we have people who are 85, 90 years old in these offices, many of them are not able to effectively perform their functions,” Koruga said.

And other young Democrats told CalMatters they feel turned off when the candidate field is crawling with seniors.

“There are people in Congress right now that have been there since before the (smart)phone,” said Kelly Merchant, a 22-year-old from Indio.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

(

J.W. Hendricks

/

The LA Local

)

In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.