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Good morning, California. It’s Monday, May 2.
Primary races intensify
With the June 7 primary just over a month away, it’s getting harder to separate candidates’ policy positions from their political implications.
Although Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to easily sail to reelection, his stances on two controversial environmental topics — shared in editorial board interviews — could anger advocates already frustrated by his administration’s climate strategy.
Though Newsom said he supports eventually closing Diablo Canyon, his partial about-face — as lieutenant governor he backed plans to shutter the plant — puts him in a sort of uneasy alliance with Michael Shellenberger, a longtime nuclear energy advocate and no-party-preference gubernatorial candidate.
- And Shellenberger appears to be taking some of the credit for influencing Newsom: “It took rolling black-outs, a change in public consciousness, and my run for governor, but our six-year long effort to save Diablo has finally won!!!” he tweeted.
- The strategy seems to be working: On Friday, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed about Shellenberger titled, “Is This Man Talking California Into Nuclear Power?”
Here’s a rundown of policy and…
