Top Ten Winners & Losers In California Politics This Week

Each week we pick ten people or groups that had a particularly good or bad week, and label them winners or losers! This is for the week ending 8/29/25!

Is this how it went down with AG Bonta? Image created with ChatGPT.

Below is our Top Ten List of Winners and Losers for the Week. This feature available to all of our subscribers, free and paid. However, at the bottom of the column, past the firewall XXX, just for paid subscribers as a thank you!

⏱️ 4 minute read

This is our third week of this new feature. Based on the “hits” on this column, it is a popular feature! This is where we look over national, state and local politics, and highlight people (or groups) that have had some solid wins, or who have just had a really rough week. If you want to make your own suggestions — just send in an email (you can just hit reply to any of these e-mails) and suggest away! I promise to keep confidential the people making suggestions! Here we go…

Top Ten Winners & Losers This Week in California Politics

⬇️ ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB BONTA

Attorney General Rob Bonta emerges as a loser this week for producing a biased ballot label for Proposition 50, Gavin Newsom’s partisan gerrymander amendment. The label, “AUTHORIZES TEMPORARY CHANGES TO CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MAPS IN RESPONSE TO TEXAS’ PARTISAN REDISTRICTING,” frames it as a reactive measure, skewing voter perception. As the elected official tasked with impartiality, Bonta’s partisan lean undermines trust. But, of course, Governor Newsom did pluck Bonta out of obscurity and appoint him to this position in the first place…

⬆️ NEW GOP ASSEMBLYWOMAN NATASHA JOHNSON

Natasha Johnson, newly elected Riverside County Assemblywoman for the 63rd District, secured 53.9% of the vote on August 26, 2025, defeating Democrat Chris Shoults (46.1%). A Lake Elsinore City Councilwoman since 2012, her win bolsters Republican presence. Johnson’s platform prioritizes taxpayer protection and public safety. Unfortunately, she arrives just in time to vote “no” thousands of times before the session ends. Here’s hoping her trigger finger is ready!

⬇️ MAYOR KAREN BASS AND THE LA28 OLYMPICS LEADERSHIP

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA28 leaders are losers this week, forced to bow to pressure from public employee unions leveraging the 2028 Olympics. The unions demand a “New Deal” with $5 billion for housing, Airbnb bans, and immigrant protections, disrupting plans. This public tug-of-war undermines their authority, as they scramble to appease while managing the Games’ logistics. Does anyone doubt that the International Olympic Committee regrets putting the Games in Los Angeles?

⬆️ ANDREW GRUEL, CHEF & HB COUNCILMEMBER

Celebrity Chef and Huntington Beach Councilman Andrew Gruel is a winner this week—though he could claim the spot every week for his sharp articulation of freedom and liberty while obliterating leftist policies. This time, his viral throwdown exposes California’s climate hypocrisy: 2020 wildfires spewed 130 million metric tons of carbon, dwarfing the 60 million tons saved by regulations from 2003-2019. Let that sink in, as he says!

⬇️ CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT (AGAIN!)

For the second week, the California Supreme Court earns loser status again, dismissing an emergency writ from Republican legislators challenging Proposition 50’s constitutionality with similar haste. Last week, I noted their bias—six of seven justices appointed by Governors Newsom and Brown—suggests no state-court path for challenging Newsom’s redistricting. Their refusal to grant a courtesy hearing, even on this critical issue, reinforces their dismissive stance, marking them as losers once more.

⬆️ ORANGE COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN WILL O’NEILL

Orange County GOP Chairman Will O’Neill is a winner this week in his first year leading this powerhouse organization, absolutely crushing it on fundraising. O’Neill’s tremendous energy propelled the party to raise a staggering $950,740 in the first half of 2025—fueling headquarters, staff, and programs to elect Republicans countywide. He brought in Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno to keynote the OCGOP’s annual Flag Day fundraiser, raising the most in that event’s history. Full steam ahead into 2026 victories! Will succeeded longtime Chairman Fred Whitaker stepped down earlier this year.

⬇️ SAN FRANCISCO SUPERVISOR JOEL ENGARDIO

Supervisor Engardio faces a recall over his moderate policies, including support for increased policing and housing development, which critics argue stray from progressive values. The S.F. Democratic Party’s failure to endorse the recall is a blow to the Supervisor. The endorsement would have lent significant credibility and ability to influence Ess Eff Democrats.

⬆️ GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM

Gavin Newsom emerges as a winner this week, grudgingly so despite my conservative perspective. Objectively, his political savvy shines in marshalling his party to place Proposition 50 on the ballot and launching an effective social media campaign targeting the President. For a longer, neutral analysis, check out independent journalist Chris Cillizza’s (CNN/WPost alum) video. I hope that Newsom isn’t a winner in a lot of these columns, but I’m here to call balls and strikes.

⬇️ KAMALA HARRIS

Former Veep Kamala Harris takes a bruising loss this week, as the latest LA Times poll delivers a stinging rebuke from her home turf. Despite her VP stint and 2024 presidential nomination, California Democrats—by a narrow but telling margin—favor Gavin Newsom for 2028, with 51% declaring she shouldn’t run again. Enthusiasm lags at just 54% for Harris, dwarfed by 69% for Newsom. You can almost hear her now, “If they don’t want me, does that mean they won’t buy my book?”

⬆️/⬇️ - ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER JAMES GALLAGHER

Leader James Gallagher is a winner this week for uniting his caucus against Governor Newsom’s partisan redistricting play. And for the reasons behind his advocating for “Inland California,” a principled stand against liberal policies imposed by Democrats. However, he’s also a loser for launching his “Split the State” idea at an awkward time, with a press conference that shifted focus. The media queued off of Gallagher’s press conference, and seems to happily be saying that the Republican response to Prop. 50 is splitting up California. This is off message. Republicans should have ONE message through 11/4, and it’s not splitting the state.

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Now that you see what this column is all about, keep your eyes peeled. If you have someone to suggest to be considered for featuring in this column next week, drop me a note. I will keep confidential the names of those who make the suggestions!

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