POLITICAL UPDATE | EVAN McLAUGHLIN, POLITICAL DIRECTOR

Next Year’s Governor’s Race Will Shape Firefighters' Future in California

The November 2026 election is now less than a year away, and CPF is taking the opportunity to put its imprint on the outcome of the governor’s race and the policy agenda that follows.

The election to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, who can’t run again because of term limits, is the marquee contest on the ballot and will be very consequential for California’s firefighters. The California Governor’s Office holds tremendous sway in every state issue that CPF is involved 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 shape firefighters’ jobs and compensation.

CPF is focused on ensuring the transition to a new governor is an opportunity to put firefighters’ issues at the forefront with the next administration. Candidates seeking CPF’s endorsement in the governor’s race are undergoing a process focused on educating them and engaging firefighter union leaders throughout the state.

President Rice, along with CPF’s Legislative and Political Teams, provide a thorough briefing on the issues, programs, and positions that the next governor will need to lead on: retirement reform, fire-based EMS, the CAL FIRE workweek, workers’ compensation, and funding needs are some of the major areas discussed.

Gubernatorial candidates have also been participating in ride-alongs with a CPF Executive Board member and myself, where the candidate visits a fire station to witness the incredible work CPF firefighters perform in busy stations into the evening. The candidates engage with on-duty firefighters around the dinner table and run calls throughout the night, leading to in-depth discussions about the services our members provide as well as the challenges that arise from policy decisions and budget realities that the next governor can correct. Candidates are participating from dinner to midnight at stations around California, including Sacramento Metro Fire, Long Beach, unincorporated Watts in L.A. County, Glendale, and Chula Vista.

CPF also held its first-ever Governor Candidate Town Halls at the recent Fall 2025 District Meetings. The town halls allowed the local firefighter union leaders in attendance to meet the candidates; hear directly from the candidates their answers to questions that CPF solicited from firefighters around the state; and learn more about the candidates’ leadership style, backgrounds, and priorities if they were elected governor.

Candidates were on stage with a CPF Executive Board member and myself to share what they learned on their ride-along about firefighters’ jobs that they didn’t know before, and to respond to some of the biggest policy priorities our union faces with the next governor. Topics discussed included:

Retirement: PEPRA created a two-tier pension. Would you sign Assembly Bill 1383 if you were governor?

Homelessness: The next governor is going to be asked to provide a fresh plan for dealing with homelessness. How do fire departments play into that plan, both in terms of their role and in funding?

Workers' Compensation: The system underwent major reforms under Governors Schwarzenegger and Brown and it’s ripe for another reform. How would you fix the workers’ compensation processes to better help injured and ill firefighters?

As the governor's race continues to evolve, CPF's Board will stay closely engaged to ensure that the candidate selected for endorsement best represents the needs and concerns of our membership.