{"id":48202,"date":"2026-05-12T12:36:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T19:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=48202"},"modified":"2026-05-12T12:36:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T19:36:02","slug":"political-notes-ca-statewide-candidates-back-high-speed-rail-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/05\/12\/political-notes-ca-statewide-candidates-back-high-speed-rail-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Political Notes: CA statewide candidates back high-speed rail project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul>\n<li>by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebar.com\/search?author=1&amp;searchBox=Matthew+S.+Bajko&amp;advancedSearch=1&amp;submit=search&amp;search_for=exact+phrase\">Matthew S. Bajko<\/a>, Assistant Editor&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto: m.bajko@ebar.com\"><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monday, May 11, 2026 (ebar.com)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-32.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-32.png 1000w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-32-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-32-150x113.png 150w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-32-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-32-200x150.png 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>A rendering shows the Fresno Station for the state\u2019s high-speed rail project. It would reconnect downtown and Chinatown via an elevated pedestrian crossing.  Image: Courtesy ARUP<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A massive headache that awaits California\u2019s next governor, and their successor in either 2031 or 2035, is seeing the state\u2019s long promised and bedeviled high-speed rail project come to fruition. First proposed three decades ago, the initial segment to go into operation is now estimated to open in 2032 at the earliest.<br><br>Even then, it will be a shortened route providing service solely in the Central Valley between Merced and Bakersfield. Extensions to Gilroy in the Bay Area and Palmdale north of Los Angeles have a target date of 2038, with costs estimated between $87 to $91 billion depending on if the Merced station is included or not.<br><br>Eventually, the system is supposed to run from San Francisco and Sacramento in Northern California all the way south to Anaheim near the Disneyland resort and San Diego. The Bay Area terminus has long been planned to be inside the Salesforce Transit Center, which will require burrowing a tunnel through San Francisco\u2019s South of Market neighborhood in order to get trains to the downtown transportation hub.<br><br>When he first took office in 2019, Governor\u00a0<strong>Gavin Newsom<\/strong>\u00a0scaled back funding for the project, which led to the focus being on the 171 miles currently under design and construction in the Central Valley. Earlier this year he heralded it generating 16,400 well paid jobs, 70% of which went to local residents.<br><br>Of the 494-mile San Francisco to Los Angeles\/Anaheim segment, 463 miles are now fully environmentally cleared and construction-ready. State leaders have also committed $1 billion from California\u2019s Cap-and-Invest program to the high-speed rail project through 2045.<br><br>\u201cCalifornia is building the nation\u2019s first high-speed rail system, and we\u2019re proving it can be done. We\u2019re laying the foundation for cleaner, faster, and more connected transportation while investing in communities and creating good-paying jobs. California isn\u2019t waiting for the future. We\u2019re building it,\u201d Newsom had\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/2026\/02\/03\/governor-newsom-announces-major-high-speed-rail-milestone-track-installation-to-begin\/#:~:text=California%20is%20building%20the%20nation's%20first%20high%2Dspeed,going%20to%20residents%20of%20the%20Central%20Valley**\" target=\"_blank\">touted<\/a>\u00a0in February.<br><br>Nonetheless, concerns about the state\u2019s ability to complete the project remain. A\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/lao.ca.gov\/handouts\/transportation\/2026\/Oversight-of-the-CA-High-Speed-Rail-Project-030226.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">report<\/a>\u00a0in March from the Legislative Analyst\u2019s Office flagged that \u201cstaying on budget may be difficult, particularly given the history of the project, its size and complexity, uncertainty regarding federal tariffs and other policies, and the relatively small contingency amount assumed in the project budget.\u201d<br><br>The project has long garnered support from LGBTQ transit officials, elected leaders, and those supportive of public transportation. Among them is lesbian Fresno City Councilmember\u00a0<strong>Annalisa Perea<\/strong>, whose city is set to have a high-speed rail station.<br><br>\u201cI am a big supporter of the California high speed rail project,\u201d Perea, now running for a state Assembly seat this year, told the Bay Area Reporter last summer.<br><br>Friday Newsom named his former chief of staff when he was San Francisco\u2019s mayor,\u00a0<strong>Steve Kawa<\/strong>, a gay man who now lives in Cloverdale, to the California High Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors. He also named to the oversight body for the authority San Francisco resident\u00a0<strong>Jason Elliott<\/strong>,\u00a0another chief of staff to several of the city\u2019s mayors who served as Newsom\u2019s deputy chief of staff\u00a0in his gubernatorial office.<br><br>As part of its questionnaire the B.A.R. sent the candidates running to succeed Newsom, as the Democratic leader is termed out come early 2027, one question inquired if they would support the high-speed rail project. Among the remaining Democratic contenders in the race who returned it, former congressmember\u00a0<strong>Katie Porter<\/strong>\u00a0of Orange County and San Jose Mayor\u00a0<strong>Matt Mahan<\/strong>\u00a0both told the B.A.R. it is too late for the Golden State to abandon it.<br><br>\u201cI\u2019ve always said: I\u2019d like to spend more time riding high speed rail than building it. I am going to take a fresh look at this project when I become governor and figure out what the pathway forward is,\u201d replied Porter. \u201cI am going to push hard to get it done, but I also understand the reality that the project is over budget and behind schedule. Without support from the federal government, we need to explore new funding sources to support the project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She added that, \u201cI\u2019m encouraged by other developments in the state, like the Brightline high speed rail project in Southern California. We should be looking at other partnerships, financing opportunities, and innovative ways to deliver high speed rail to all of our cities and residents.\u201d (That privately managed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightlinewest.com\/overview\/project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project<\/a>&nbsp;aims to build a 218-mile passenger rail service between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mahan told the B.A.R. that, \u201cHigh speed rail is an example of everything that has gone wrong when it comes to building in California. It has taken too long, cost too much, and frankly we are right to not trust that this will ever get done using the current plan. But the answer isn\u2019t to walk away \u2013 it\u2019s to make it work. We have to start treating it like a delivery project. That means better governance and planning, tighter oversight, cost discipline, and creating realistic benchmarks so we can show that we are actually able to finish what we start before asking taxpayers to commit more resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other top two polling Democrats in the race have voiced support for the project. At a gubernatorial debate hosted by two California Fox affiliates earlier this year, former congressman and state attorney general&nbsp;<strong>Xavier Becerra<\/strong>&nbsp;noted, \u201cJapan has it. Europe has it. China has it. We\u2019re going to have it too. We\u2019re just going to do it smart. We\u2019re not going to have these cost overruns. And we\u2019re going to make sure it runs efficiently because Californians need to have access to high-speed rail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Billionaire-turned-politico&nbsp;<strong>Tom Steyer<\/strong>&nbsp;replied, \u201cWho isn\u2019t for high-speed public transportation? But we can\u2019t pay any price for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lone Republican at the event, former Fox News host&nbsp;<strong>Steve Hilton<\/strong>, denounced the project.<br>\u201cThey\u2019re not even talking about completing it for another decade or so. No of course not. We can\u2019t send good after bad. We have to invest that money in real things that help families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fellow GOP candidate Riverside County Sheriff&nbsp;<strong>Chad Bianco<\/strong>&nbsp;also opposes the project. In a Facebook&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SheriffChadBianco\/posts\/californias-high-speed-rail-project-is-years-behind-schedule-and-tens-of-billion\/1267910271557687\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">post<\/a>&nbsp;last June he criticized it for being \u201cyears behind schedule and tens of billions over budget &#8211; all for a train nobody will ever ride. Instead of wasting even more of your money on this, let\u2019s spend infrastructure dollars on things we actually need more of &#8211; like water storage!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lt. gov contenders vow support<\/strong><br>No matter if Newsom\u2019s successor serves one four-year term or eight years as governor before being termed out themselves, the high-speed rail project will be a concern for the leader of the Golden States for decades to come. With the state\u2019s lieutenant governor positioned to launch a gubernatorial campaign of their own, the B.A.R. also asked the 2026 candidates seeking the top two elected statewide position where they stand on high-speed rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(The Democratic incumbent, Lieutenant Governor&nbsp;<strong>Eleni Kounalakis<\/strong>, is term-limited from running again this year. She had launched a bid to become governor but then pivoted to run for election as the next state treasurer.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two of the Democrats in the race returned the B.A.R.\u2019s questionnaire. Gay former Sausalito city councilmember&nbsp;<strong>Janelle Kellman<\/strong>&nbsp;supports high-speed rail but cautioned \u201cwe need to get disciplined about delivery, governance, and value. California needs modern, low-carbon mobility, and high-speed rail can be part of that future. But the project must be managed as a major public works program: clear milestones, credible cost control, practical timelines and accountability for service providers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In light of the Trump administration clawing back more than $4 billion in federal funding for it, Kellman called for \u201ca diversified strategy\u201d when it comes to funding high-speed rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The state still needs to \u201caggressively compete for federal infrastructure dollars where available and keep applying for grants even if prior funding was pulled,\u201d replied Kellman, adding it also needs to \u201cprotect and optimize existing dedicated state funding streams (including climate-related transportation funds where legally appropriate).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also plugged \u201cvalue capture and station-area development partnerships so that communities that benefit can help fund delivery,\u201d in addition to \u201cprivate capital participation only where risk is appropriately allocated and governance is transparent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Former Stockton mayor&nbsp;<strong>Michael Tubbs<\/strong>, who went on to advise Newsom on poverty issues, told the B.A.R. that having high-speed rail connecting California\u2019s different regions \u201cwould bolster the economy and uplift communities. Much like with the billionaire\u2019s tax and how we find funds to address the housing crisis, we need to find creative ways to raise revenue\u2013\u2013whether through closing things like the \u2018Walmart loophole\u2019 or split-roll proposals like Prop 15.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was referring to the one-time 5% billionaires\u2019 tax being eyed for the November 3 statewide ballot and how large corporations cut their employees&#8217; wages and hours so they are not required to pay for their health care as mandated by the federal Affordable Care Act. Proposition 15 was a failed 2020 statewide ballot measure that would have taxed commercial or industrial properties based on their current market value rather than their purchase price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom the Lt. Governor\u2019s office, I\u2019m most interested in exploring how we can use land leasing on public lands to unlock revenue for the state while also building much needed affordable housing,\u201d Tubbs added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Threads @&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@matthewbajko\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@matthewbajko<\/u><\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<strong>and on Bluesky @&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/politicalnotes.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><u>https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/politicalnotes.bsky.social<\/u><\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Got a tip on LGBTQ politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or email&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"mailto:m.bajko@ebar.com\">m.bajko@ebar.com<\/a>&nbsp;<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A rendering shows the Fresno Station for the state\u2019s high-speed rail project. It would reconnect downtown and Chinatown via an elevated pedestrian crossing. Image: Courtesy ARUP A massive headache that awaits California\u2019s next governor, and their successor in either 2031 or 2035, is seeing the state\u2019s long promised and bedeviled&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/05\/12\/political-notes-ca-statewide-candidates-back-high-speed-rail-project\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48202"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48202"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48204,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48202\/revisions\/48204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}