Columnist Dan Walters California Politics, Past & Present

Host Jared Asch interviews longtime California political journalist Dan Walters of CalMatters, who recounts his career from 1960 through decades covering Sacramento and writing columns, and describes CalMatters’ nonprofit model and its Digital Democracy tools. Walters explains how newspapers’ economic model collapsed, how Capitol reporting shifted from in-person logistics to online access, and advises audiences to avoid partisan sources and consult multiple mainstream outlets that verify facts. He argues that threats to democracy include not only Donald Trump but also California practices such as gerrymandering, one-party secrecy, and burying policy in budget bills. Walters cites Gavin Newsom’s positives (the education longitudinal data system, the San Quentin rehabilitation effort) but criticizes overpromising on housing, homelessness, and single-payer healthcare. He calls the 2026 governor’s race unusually unsettled, with a small chance of two Republicans advancing, and predicts money—potentially from Silicon Valley—may elevate candidates like Matt Mahan and Tom Steyer. Walters warns of piling-on local taxes and a possible backlash, and outlines California’s future challenges: stagnant population, aging demographics, high unemployment, poverty, workforce shortages, fiscal strain from pandemic-era raises, and business flight, urging more long-term planning.