The 2026 Primaries and California’s Future

The Los Angeles primary elections, held June 2, 2026, were the source of great debate and not a few surprises. In this episode, David Myers, in his farewell episode as founding host of The History-Policy Podcast,  interviews longtime LA public official and frequent LCHP collaborator Zev Yaroslavsky to discuss what the primary elections tell us about California’s political climate and what the future might hold. The discussion begins with Zev’s observation that inflation, cost of living, and the high price of gasoline have led to discontent throughout California. This sense of frustration played out in the LA primaries, with Republican candidate Steve Hilton advancing to the final two of the California governor's race. Meanwhile, Xavier Becerra set himself apart by refraining from vitriolic attacks on other candidates. Whether Becerra or Hilton can serve as California's chief executive once elected, rather than simply as a legislator, remains to be seen. At the local level, incumbent LA mayor Karen Bass faces surprisingly stiff competition from Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose platform drew attention to the failures, real or perceived, of Bass’s tenure. As the general election approaches and preparations for the Summer Olympics in 2028 continue, the trajectory of LA and California overall is very much in question.

Read Sueño Incomplete: A History of the Latino Wealth Gap in the United States.

Read The Making of a Crisis: A History of Homelessness in Los Angeles

Zev Yaroslavsky is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Initiative at the Luskin School of Public Affairs. He served as LA City Council Member from 1975 to 1994, and as a member of the LA County Board of Supervisors from 1994 to 2014. In 2023, Zev released a memoir, Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power, in which he reflected on his long career in politics.