Top Ten Winners & Losers In California Politics For The Week Ending 2//26 - Including The Biggest Loser Feature!

Below is our Top Ten List of Winners and Losers for the Week. This feature is available to all of our subscribers, free and paid. Under the paywall, however, is our “Worst Week In California” special feature. It's me, in rare form, on video, going on why someone’s week sucked. Pithy? You bet! Also, for paid subscribers are several cartoons that didn’t make the top spot!

⏱️ 5-minute read

This is where we examine state and local politics (or national issues with a California angle), and highlight individuals (or groups) who have achieved notable successes or have had a particularly challenging week. I strive to call balls and strikes fairly and objectively, which sometimes makes it difficult to assemble this list.

Top Winners & Losers This Week in California Politics

⬇️ LOSERS: POLITICAL LEADERS IN MERCED

For proposing that California’s perpetually overbudget and unfinished high-speed rail project should be “extended” all the way to Yosemite National Park, local leaders in Merced have handed Californians yet another symbol of the boondoggle that has plagued the state for nearly two decades. With the rail line still years from completing even the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, and with huge cost overruns, talking about a Yosemite link plays into fantasies rather than fiscal reality. Pushing for a rural “Merced-Yosemite” station plan underscores the lack of seriousness around this project and highlights how disconnected some local politicians are from basic transportation and budgetary realities.

⬆️ WINNER: GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE STEVE HILTON

In a debate stacked with Democratic candidates and hosted by an unfriendly audience and media pack, Hilton was the clear standout this week. Drawing on his extensive on-air experience, he articulated his policy positions crisply and delivered sharp critiques that resonated, especially against San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. We watched the debate, and there were no standouts among the Democrats, frankly. Hilton’s command of the stage and ability to seize the narrative have elevated his profile and shown that he can compete forcefully in a crowded field.

⬇️ LOSER: BILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER RICK CARUSO

For months, he hovered just outside the race, enjoying attention as the looming alternative without ever fully committing. Then came the announcement that he would not run. After a major news story put fresh scrutiny on City Hall leadership, he briefly reopened the door to “reconsider.” Now he has closed again. Voters watching this routine do not see strength or decisiveness. They see someone who wants the spotlight of a campaign without accepting the responsibility of actually running.

⬇️ LOSER: EX-ORANGE COUNTY SUPERVISOR ANDREW DO

Once a powerful local politician, he has now officially lost his law license and is serving a federal prison sentence for a brazen public corruption scheme. While on the Board of Supervisors, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery for steering millions in COVID-19 relief funds meant for vulnerable residents to nonprofits tied to his family in exchange for more than $550,000 in bribes. A federal judge sentenced him to five years in prison, and authorities have ordered him to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution for diverting taxpayer dollars for personal benefit.

⬆️ WINNERS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

By deciding to visit the White House after winning the World Series, the team is once again making clear that championship traditions are bigger than partisan politics. Presidents come and go, but honoring a title season is part of the sport’s long-standing civic ritual. Instead of turning a baseball celebration into a political statement, the organization treated it as what it is supposed to be — recognition of excellence on the field. In an era when everything becomes a culture war skirmish, keeping the focus on baseball counts as a win.

⬇️ LOSER: FORMER UCLA DIRECTOR OF DEI JOHNATHAN PERKINS

He was just dismissed from his high-profile diversity, equity, and inclusion post at the University of California, Los Angeles, after publicly celebrating the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a nationally known figure on the right. Posts on social media in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing included comments expressing satisfaction and indifference about the event, sparking outrage across ideological lines. The backlash ultimately cost him his job, and he now says he plans to pursue legal action claiming his firing violated his free-speech rights.

⬇️ LOSER: OLYMPICS ORGANIZING CHAIR Casey Wasserman

This week brought fresh embarrassment for the man leading Los Angeles’ 2028 Olympic and Paralympic effort after newly released Epstein files revealed a series of flirtatious and inappropriate email exchanges from more than two decades ago with convicted trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Those revelations have prompted growing calls from local politicians — including city councilmembers and county supervisors — for his resignation, arguing that continued leadership under such a cloud is a distraction as the city prepares for its moment on the world stage.

⬇️ LOSER: LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS

This week brought a fresh controversy as multiple reports allege she directed the watering down of the Palisades Fire after-action report, softening or removing key findings about how the city and the Los Angeles Fire Department handled the deadly blaze — allegedly to reduce legal liabilities rather than fully confront what went wrong. The Los Angeles Times’ investigation says those edits came after she expressed concern to then-interim leadership about the original draft’s language. Bass has denied making substantive changes and claims she only asked for technical accuracy checks, but the episode reinforces perceptions that she is more inclined to manage optics than face accountability for leadership failings during one of the region’s most devastating wildfires.

⬆️ WINNERS: GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB BONTA

This week, they notched a courtroom win when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to issue an emergency order blocking the use of the Proposition 50 district lines for the 2026 elections. Like it or not, that ruling locks in the political map Democrats helped shape and gives their party a clearer runway heading into the next cycle. For incumbents and allies counting on those lines, stability is a strategic advantage, and avoiding legal upheaval this late in the process is a victory.

⬇️ LOSERS: MEMBERS OF THE S.F. MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY BOARD

This week, the governing board and leadership of the agency that oversees Muni and Bay Area transit became a political punch line. After years of chronic financial mismanagement and repeated sweetheart deals with public employee unions, the agency is now begging voters to save it with massive tax hikes. To avoid what they characterize as draconian cuts — including suspending cable cars and slashing late-night service — leaders are rolling out sky-is-falling warnings to sell a regional sales tax measure. Does anyone really trust the people who ran this agency into the ground to suddenly level with voters about their finances?

NOW IT’S TIME… WORST WEEK IN CALIFORNIA POLITICS

Starting this year, we have a new feature for paid subscribers. It’s below the paywall, and I basically do a video dumping session with whoever had the worst week. Hey, if they are having a bad week, why not pile on? Fun times! Don’t miss out! This one is nuts.

OK, now for all of you paid subscribers… Below, I got on a good length rant on our featured Worst Week In California Politics awardee — check it out! What? Aren’t you a paid subscriber? Hit the red button for a free trial! Also, check out a few cartoons that didn’t make the top of this column!...