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As the calendar turns, it’s becoming clear that 2025 was not a filler year in California politics. It is a setup year—long before most voters are paying attention —when pieces were moving, with consequences that will define the 2026 election and beyond.
This is the period when ambitions harden, alliances quietly form, and policy advances are nuanced as the voters start to pay attention. It is also when political narratives are shaped, candidates succeed or fail, and the electorate ultimately weighs in, in both June and November.
In the year ahead, California will be navigating a looming race to succeed Gavin Newsom, a Los Angeles mayor’s contest with implications far beyond City Hall, newly redrawn congressional districts that subtly reshape political power, and a growing list of ballot measures moving from theory to serious, funded campaigns. At the same time, progressive priorities will advance through the legislative process, and tensions between California’s leadership and the Trump administration will continue to escalate.
Overlaying all of it will be Newsom himself — increasingly dividing his attention between governing California and positioning himself on the national stage. That shift matters. It creates gaps between rhetoric and results, between ambition and accountability, and between how California is marketed to the rest of the country and how it is actually being governed. Keeping a close eye on those contradictions — and exposing them clearly and consistently — will be essential.
None of these developments exists in isolation. They are connected — politically, institutionally, and financially. Understanding how those connections work, who benefits from them, and what they mean in practice is what will matter most.
That’s the purpose of So, Does It Matter?
Rather than chasing every headline, SDIM focuses on accountability, context, and consequences—explaining not just what happened but why it matters and what comes next, especially when official narratives don’t align with reality.
That kind of coverage takes time, space, and the independence that comes from being beholden to no one but our subscribers. Much of this deeper dive is behind our paywall.
If you plan to follow California politics closely as this consequential year unfolds, now is the moment to make sure you have full access — especially with new ways of delivering analysis and accountability coming in the days ahead.
I’ll have more to say later this week about what’s coming next — and why this year will matter more than most.
— Jon

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