Electoral reforms are necessary but insufficient. The deeper problem is not the ballot — it is the collapse of the organized civic life that once connected voters to the institutions that govern them. Rebuilding that infrastructure is not a workaround. It is the most important work we can be doing today, not just for California but for America.
Archiv: Gouverneure / governors
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka orders mandatory curfew for protestors near Delaney Hall
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she sent in state police to bring order outside Delaney Hall, taking control of the area over from ICE agents.
„It has grown unsafe, and that‘s completely unacceptable,“ the Democratic governor said at a news conference announcing the new measures. „We need to take this opportunity to lower the temperature.“
As police erected protest barriers, ICE agents who had formed an line in front of protesters moved inside the building‘s perimeter fence.
New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz said ICE officers agreed to stand down with state police assuming responsibility.
‘Modern-day concentration camp’: Escalating violence reported at Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey
(May 29, 2026)
The Department of Homeland Security said that about six demonstrators were arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers as activists clashed with armed federal immigration officers outside of the facility Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
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Sherrill, although serving as the leader of the Garden State, does not have the legal right to enter the facility.
That being said, no New Jersey official or congressional representative has the legal authority to shut down Delaney Hall.
Statement by Governor Sherrill on NJDOH Inspection of Delaney Hall
(May 28, 2026)
“The New Jersey Department of Health today sought to conduct a health inspection of Delaney Hall, but it was denied full access and was allowed to inspect only a limited part of the facility. We will review and share the Department’s findings from the limited portion it was allowed to inspect, and we will continue to pursue all appropriate avenues for demanding transparency and ensuring humane conditions for the individuals being held at the facility.
“As I’ve said repeatedly, refusing to provide full access raises serious questions about what ICE is trying to hide from public view.
“New Jersey believes in the rule of law, will uphold the Constitution, and Delaney Hall should be closed down. I am calling for ICE to immediately de-escalate the situation as I continue working to keep New Jersey residents safe.”
New Jersey Gov. Sherrill denied access to North Jersey immigration detention center as hunger strike enters fourth day
(May 26, 2026)
After her visit, Sherrill said in a statement that her request to access the facility was formally denied earlier in the day “raising serious questions about what they are trying to hide from public view.” She added that she visited the site to hear from advocates and the families of those detained.
“What I heard from them was heartbreaking,” she said in the statement. “I will continue to hold ICE accountable, and I remain grateful for the work of our federal delegation.”
The governor expressed concerns about Delaney Hall in a previous statement issued Sunday, calling reports of “unsafe, inhumane, and unconstitutional living conditions…completely unacceptable.”
Record-setting outside money pouring into California governor’s race
(May 26, 2026)
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen IEs [or independent expenditures] have this kind of an impact on a governor’s race,” said veteran GOP strategist Martin Wilson, who has worked on every California gubernatorial contest since 1978 and worked on an outside effort backing San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s 2026 bid for governor. “It’s totally unprecedented.”
Tom Steyer for Governor of California
Yes, Tom Steyer is a billionaire. But it matters what he is doing with that power: pushing for taxes on the wealthy, expanding universal programs, and dismantling corporate influence in our politics.
This is also about winning.
In a high-stakes race where Republicans could take the top spot, consolidating behind a candidate who is both values-aligned and building momentum is essential. Our organizers on the ground in California are seeing real energy around Steyer for Governor — and that grassroots engagement helped drive this decision.
Our Revolution, Nation’s Largest Independent Grassroots Political Organization, Endorses Steyer
(April 20, 2026)
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, Our Revolution, America’s largest grassroots independent political organizing group, announced its endorsement of Tom Steyer for Governor of California, joining a surge of prominent endorsers getting behind Steyer’s campaign as early voting approaches. Our Revolution was founded as a continuation of Bernie Sanders’s historic 2016 presidential campaign and works to mobilize voters and elect progressive candidates across the country. In the coming months, it will mobilize its more than one million Californian members to organize and volunteer in support of Steyer’s candidacy.
In California, Vote Against the Forces Destroying Democracy
It is painful that the one person who has spent the past decades aggressively supporting democracy, fighting for immigrant rights, fighting the tendency toward oligarchy in our politics, and challenging the fossil fuel industry is himself a billionaire. But the facts are that Tom Steyer will not veto the billionaire’s tax, has pledged to support closing the Water’s Edge Tax loophole, and has pledged to not take fossil fuel money.
Gov. Kemp signs 60-day Georgia gas tax suspension, bringing some relief at the pump
Relief is on the way for Georgia drivers who have been feeling the pain at the gas pump. Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill that temporarily suspends the state‘s gas tax for 60 days.
On Thursday, the Senate passed House Bill 1199 with a 51-0 vote, sending the bill to Kemp‘s desk for his signature. Officials are hoping that putting it on pause will help lower fuel prices.
King of Illinois: Pritzker swings Senate race as he targets Trump
CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker emerged as the kingmaker in deep-blue Illinois after pouring millions of dollars and staking his political reputation to deliver his hand-picked Senate candidate a primary victory on Tuesday.
The result strengthens Pritzker’s standing within his party at a critical moment, as he prepares for a November gubernatorial campaign for his third term and looks ahead to a potential presidential run in 2028.
Takeaways from the Illinois primary elections
The primary’s biggest winner might be Stratton’s top booster: Gov. JB Pritzker.
The Democratic governor, who is widely seen as a 2028 presidential contender, was unopposed in his own primary as he seeks a third term. But he pumped millions of dollars into lifting Stratton over two members of Congress in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin.
Stratton Wins and AIPAC’s Power Is Tested: 4 Illinois Takeaways
More than $32 million in outside spending poured into four Chicago-area House contests, a tidal wave of cash led by groups tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the crypto sector and the artificial intelligence industry.
AIPAC and the A.I. industry wound up with split decisions. The crypto sector lost the two races where it spent roughly 90 percent of its money. And progressives failed to build momentum early in midterm primary season.
Here are four takeaways from primary night in Illinois:
Join Our Movement – For A Better California
Tony knows that working families across California are facing so many challenges that require our entire state government, working together, to solve.
Growing up in poverty as a Black and Latino kid without his parents, Tony lived the struggles that so many Californians face every day – that‘s why he dedicated his career to fighting for a brighter future for California‘s children.
California gubernatorial candidate Tony Thurmond endorses California Billionaire Tax
(February 20, 2026)
Thurmond, a longtime champion of programs to counter food insecurity, sponsored a state law that currently funds universal school meals for every California student. Today, Thurmond praised the Billionaire Tax for helping children and families when they need it most, by funding food, supporting K-14 public education, and protecting healthcare for all Californians.
“Billionaires have a unique opportunity to save healthcare for Californians, feed hungry families, and reinvest in our public schools,” Thurmond said. “Growing up in poverty, having access to healthcare and food aid kept me and my brother alive, and public education offered us a ladder to the middle class. At a time of unprecedented wealth and income inequality, now is the time to strengthen that ladder for the next generation, not pull it up behind us.”
Gavin Newsom moves to neutralize tax on billionaires
(January 12, 2026)
The conversations, reported here for the first time, have occurred intermittently for months as SEIU-UHW’s ballot initiative targeting billionaires migrated from the backrooms of California politics to the center of a raging debate about Silicon Valley and income inequality, sparking tech titans’ wrath and vows to move out of state.
“We’ve been at this for four months,” Newsom said in an interview with POLITICO, describing an “all-hands” effort that has included him meeting one-on-one with SEIU-UHW’s leader, Dave Regan.
A compromise does not appear imminent. A union official cast doubt on the possibility of a deal, saying the two sides do not currently have another meeting scheduled and framing a ballot fight as an inevitability.
Trump Stuns Governors With Foul-Mouthed Rant at SCOTUS
“President Trump became enraged after learning of the Supreme Court’s ruling during the Governors’ breakfast,” Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes wrote on X. “He at one point ranted against the decision and the court, saying ‘these f–king courts, ’ a source familiar with the matter told me.”
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision came down about 30 minutes into the annual governors’ breakfast on Friday morning.
As Federal Surge Ends, Governor Walz Proposes $10 Million Relief Package for Minnesota Small Businesses Impacted by Federal Surge
“The campaign of retribution by the federal administration has been more than a short-term disruption; it has inflicted long-term damage on Minnesota communities,” said Governor Walz. “Recovery will not happen overnight. Families, workers, and business owners are feeling the effects, and our responsibility is clear: we will help rebuild, stabilize these businesses, protect jobs, and ensure Minnesota’s economy can recover and thrive.”
Under the proposal, one-time funding would be distributed in forgivable loans ranging from $2,500 to $25,000. Eligible businesses must be able to demonstrate substantial revenue loss during specified dates tied to the surge.
Trump strikes a positive tone on Tim Walz after phone call with the Minnesota governor
It marks a noticeable shift in the way the president has talked about Walz, whom he’s repeatedly criticized for his handling of a fraud scandal in Minnesota and blamed for unrest that has led to federal officers shooting and killing two people in recent weeks.
As recently as Saturday, after a federal agent’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, Trump accused Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who is also a Democrat, of „inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric“ and slammed them as „sanctimonious political fools.“
Walz and Frey both talk to President Trump today; Say positive conversations
Trump and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz spoke in a phone call and later offered comments that were a marked change from the critical statements they have exchanged in the past. Their conversation happened on the same day a federal judge heard arguments in a lawsuit aimed at halting the federal immigration enforcement surge in the state.
“We, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” the president wrote in a social media post.
Walz, in a statement, said the call was “productive” and that impartial investigations into the shootings were needed
Governor Walz Statement on Third Shooting Involving Federal Agents in Minnesota
“The federal occupation of Minnesota long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. It is a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state. And today, that campaign claimed yet another life.
“I have seen the video. It is sickening. But Minnesota’s justice system will have the last word. It must have the last word.
“As I told the White House in no uncertain terms this morning, the federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation. The state will handle it. Period.
Prosecutors Subpoena Minnesota Democrats as Part of Federal Inquiry
The subpoenas sought documents from Gov. Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis and Mayor Kaohly Her of St. Paul related to their policies on immigration enforcement efforts in the state. Two Minnesota prosecutors, Keith Ellison, the state attorney general, and Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County attorney, were also sent similar subpoenas.
Governor Walz Statement on Reports of Alleged Department of Justice Investigation
January 17, 2026
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today released the following statement after reports of an alleged investigation by the Department of Justice.
“Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.
“The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
The office of the Governor has not received any notice of the investigation.
The Governor has repeatedly, unequivocally, called for peace and a lowering of the temperature. He has made that appeal directly to the President.
Federal forces have stormed the state, shooting two people and killing Renee Good. The Department of Justice drove six federal prosecutors – including the longtime career prosecutor leading the charge to investigate and eliminate fraud in our state’s programs – to quit their jobs rather than go along with this assault on the United States Constitution. Leaders of the Republican Party have called for impeachment, for the Governor to be put in cuffs, for a day of retribution.
We trust Minnesotans to see past this projection.
Justice Department opens investigation into Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor
Walz, in a post on X, did not explicitly address the news reports, but said: „Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.“
The killing of Renee Macklin Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week became a flashpoint for the simmering opposition to federal agents operating within the state.