POLITICAL UPDATE | EVAN McLAUGHLIN, POLITICAL DIRECTOR

Firefighter Unions Must Prepare Politically for A Deficit-Era Political Environment

We are barely halfway through the first year of this legislative session and new presidential administration, and the political environment is much different than where California has been for the past 15 years or so.

The state budget faces its first major shortfall since the passage of the majority-vote budget in 2010 and a high-earners income tax in 2012. The state awaits $40 billion in disaster aid that has not been approved by the federal government at the time of this article. And a “big, beautiful” budget cut being pursued by Congress and the White House means another $10 billion or more that California’s state and local governments will have to do without.

The 2026 election cycle is still in its infancy, even if the major changes to our economy and the ability to fund fire department budgets are rapidly coming into focus. While it’s likely that the upcoming campaigns will almost become an extension of the “affordability election” we just witnessed in 2024, it is still too early to know how voters will respond, who they’ll hold accountable, and who they’ll trust to solve it.

At CPF, our political department is preparing for a very consequential election, with the race to replace Governor Gavin Newsom headlining. The California Governor’s Office is front-and-center in every state issue CPF engages in: Signing or vetoing legislation that impacts firefighters’ wages, benefits, bargaining rights, workplace safety, and healthcare; final approval of a state budget that impacts all fire departments across the state; and appointments to key positions in state government that impact firefighters’ jobs and compensation.

There are currently several candidates from both parties seeking the CPF endorsement. Before the CPF Executive Board decides on an endorsement, we’ll be encouraging them to interact with locals and to attend various CPF events this year to better learn our issues, develop relationships, and build a commitment to supporting policy positions that make firefighters’ jobs and the communities they serve safer.

A few statewide elected officials are running for re-election to the same office they currently hold and received this month CPF’s endorsement for their re-election campaigns: Attorney General Rob Bonta, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, and State Controller Malia Cohen.

The other statewide offices are open seats due to term limits. There are several candidates already running for these constitutional offices, but it’s very unlikely we’ll know the final fields that will appear on the June 2026 ballot for several months.

Additionally, there are at least 18 legislative districts that will elect new Assemblymembers and Senators in 2026 – but probably more. CPF is working with candidates who are seeking our endorsement to learn the issues before they appear at their interviews with the CPF locals in their districts later this summer and fall. Under the CPF Constitution and By-Laws, a local in a legislative race may cast a ballot to recommend CPF’s endorsement as long as they have not “chose to endorse early and outside of CPF's endorsement process on legislative races,” per Policy Statement 10. The CPF Executive Board will consider legislative endorsements in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws as the March 2026 filing deadline draws nearer.

As for 2026 propositions, it appears the business property owners and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association are gearing up for another attempt to defund public safety by bankrolling yet another statewide ballot initiative that attacks CPF locals’ ability to raise revenue for their fire departments at the local level.

Beware: Petitions for the “Save Proposition 13 Act of 2026” may be circulating at a supermarket or county fair near you soon, and this anti-firefighter measure would do a lot more than just protect Prop 13. The Howard Jarvis proposal would also require a higher threshold for cities and counties to pass taxes that are dedicated to fire protection and emergency services and even retroactively void some tax measures that have already passed. If you see this petition, do not sign it!

Finally, the CPF Political Department is ready to work with locals to support strategic campaigns that will make a significant difference in the wages, benefits, and working conditions of firefighters throughout the state. For a campaign consultation, please contact me at emclaughlin@cpf.org and the CPF Political Department will be ready to assist.