California Underground: Your Sane Insight into California Politics

California Underground
  • 4.1 (59)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to California Underground, the most trusted podcast for all things California politics. Each week, we tackle the pressing issues facing our state through engaging interviews and roundtable discussions with political candidates and passionate Californians. Join us for clear, rational commentary that helps you stay informed about the complexities of California governance. Tune in for your trusted perspective on the political landscape!

  1. Spencer Pratt Declares War on LA and Newsom Flip Flops on Billionaire's Tax

    15h ago

    Spencer Pratt Declares War on LA and Newsom Flip Flops on Billionaire's Tax

    Spencer Pratt is calling Karen Bass "Karen Basura" over the Boyle Heights warehouse fire — and while his delivery is pure reality TV, the documented $17.6 million fire department budget cut he's pointing to is real. We dig into the permit history, the budget records, and why the firefighters' union is now bypassing City Hall to ask voters directly for funding. Then: Gavin Newsom wants a national billionaire tax as part of his "economic reset for America" — in the same week he's voting no on the billionaire tax already on California's own November ballot. We break down the contradiction, what his own state's nonpartisan analyst says about billionaires leaving, and why members of his own party are calling his federal plan watered down. No team. Just receipts. Phil's book, The Gilded State, digs deeper into how California's political class operates — find it at www.thegildedstate.com. Follow California Underground and leave a review — it helps more than you'd think. Substack: https://caunderground.substack.com/The Gilded State: https://www.thegildedstate.com

    1h 10m
  2. AD45 Candidate Greg Abdouch Joins Us

    Jun 24

    AD45 Candidate Greg Abdouch Joins Us

    Democrats have held this San Bernardino County Assembly seat since 2022. This week, theRepublican trying to flip it joins us to make his case. Greg Abdouch advanced to the November general election in California's AssemblyDistrict 45, and he's betting he can do what no Republican challenger has managed inthis district in years. We sit down with him to find out how — pushing past thecampaign talking points to get specifics on public safety, housing, and what itactually looks like for one freshman Republican to move anything in a Democraticsupermajority Legislature. No team. Just receipts. 📖 Phil's book, The Gilded State, is now open for early signup: www.thegildedstate.com📬 Read California Underground on Substack: https://caunderground.substack.com/📸 Instagram: @californiaunderground🎵 TikTok: @californiaunderground🐦 X: @ca_underground New episodes every Tuesday. If this show is worth your time, a follow and a five-starrating helps more Californians find it.

    52 min
  3. The Newsom DOJ Investigation

    Jun 17

    The Newsom DOJ Investigation

    Federal agents are knocking on the doors of Governor Gavin Newsom's family friends and former employees. Newsom says Trump ordered the investigation to derail his 2028 presidential run. The LA Times says the probe started under Biden — launched by whistleblowers in Sacramento, not directed from Washington. Tonight Phil and Camille separate what's confirmed from what's spin, and get into the documented financial questions about Jennifer Siebel Newsom's nonprofits that predate this administration. California Underground airs live every Tuesday at 8PM PST on YouTube. Sources: CBS News, Time Magazine, LA Times, CalMatters, KQED, Axios San Diego, NBC News Phil is writing a book about California's political dysfunction — early access at www.thegildedstate.com

    1h 8m
  4. California Elections: What's Actually Happening

    Jun 10

    California Elections: What's Actually Happening

    California held its primary election a week ago and we still don't have a governor or a Los Angeles mayor. Here's why — and why none of it is as simple as either side is telling you. This week Phil and Camille break down everything happening with California's election system in real time. How does counting actually work in the largest voting state in the country, and why does it take so long? What are "ballot dumps" — and are they actually suspicious? What does documented voter fraud in California really look like? And what could genuinely fix a system that produced 23% turnout after mailing a ballot to every single registered voter? They also cover the two races still being decided as this episode airs: the governor's race, where Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton have now been projected to advance — and the story of how Becerra went from 3% polling in March to first place; and the LA Mayor's race, where Spencer Pratt held a 40,000-vote lead on election night and watched it disappear over six days as Nithya Raman overtook him to face Karen Bass in November. Plus: the viral claim that Pratt received zero votes in a 24,000-ballot dump — debunked by Trump's own Justice Department. The Voter ID proposition headed to your November ballot. And the live Supreme Court case that could change how California counts votes before November even arrives. No spin. No team. Just the numbers. New episodes every Tuesday at 8PM PST, live on YouTube. Subscribe to the newsletter at caunderground.substack.com Phil is also writing The Gilded State — a book about how California became the most expensive, least accountable state in America. Early access and updates at www.thegildedstate.com

    1h 17m
  5. Becerra vs. Hilton: California's 2026 Governor Race, LA Mayor Primary & CA-48 Results

    Jun 4

    Becerra vs. Hilton: California's 2026 Governor Race, LA Mayor Primary & CA-48 Results

    California just voted — and the governor's race is shaping up as a matchup nobody fully predicted: Steve Hilton, former Fox News host and Trump-endorsed candidate, leading with roughly 28% in early returns, and Xavier Becerra, Biden's HHS secretary, holding second at around 25%. With ballots still being counted through June 9, the second-place slot isn't fully locked — but the likely November choice for California's next governor is coming into focus. This week Phil and Camille break down three stories from Tuesday's primary. On the governor's race: how a field of 60 candidates produced these two as the probable finalists, what Hilton and Becerra each actually stand for, and what a Republican governor in California — something the state hasn't seen since 2006 — would actually mean. On Los Angeles: Karen Bass advanced to the November runoff, but she got 35% of the vote in a city she currently runs, with Spencer Pratt five points behind her. Whatever happens when the second-place count finalizes, a majority of LA voters wanted someone else. And in San Diego: CA-48 was one of five congressional seats Gavin Newsom redrew under Prop 50 specifically for Democrats to win. The Republican candidate just dominated the primary in a district that now has a 10-point Democratic registration advantage. The Prop 50 promise is getting its first real test — and the early returns aren't encouraging. No spin. No teams. Just what the numbers actually show. New episodes every Tuesday at 8PM PST, live on YouTube. Subscribe to the Substack at caunderground.substack.com for written analysis between episodes. Phil is also writing The Gilded State — a book on California's broken political machine. Early signups at www.thegildedstate.com.

    1h 12m
  6. California Primary Roundtable: Who Makes It to November?

    May 27

    California Primary Roundtable: Who Makes It to November?

    One week before the June 2nd California primary, we brought in five guests across the political spectrum to break down every race that matters. The governor's race is in chaos. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress in April — his name is still on the ballot — and Democrats are splitting their vote five ways while Republicans have largely consolidated behind two candidates. There's a real scenario where no Democrat makes it to November. We get into the lockout math, where every candidate stands with seven days to go, and what a Republican on the November ballot would mean for California. Then we go down-ballot to the races most Californians are sleeping on — starting with the insurance commissioner, a wide-open seat that could affect your home insurance rates more than any governor ever will. With Ricardo Lara term-limited and the wildfire insurance crisis still unresolved, this race has real stakes. We also cover the attorney general contest and the congressional seats that could determine the House majority. And we close with the bigger question: what does it say about California that the party holding unified control of state government for over a decade couldn't produce a frontrunner — and is now genuinely nervous about being locked out of its own governor's race? Joining Phil and Camille tonight: Kyle Campbell from Politically Basic, Susan Collins, and Tess Abraham from California Conversation. California Underground covers California politics straight — no tribal framing, no spin. Just the story, the numbers, and why it matters to the people actually living here. New episodes every Tuesday at 8PM PST on YouTube. 📬 Subscribe on Substack: https://caunderground.substack.com/🌐 The Gilded State: www.thegildedstate.com

    1h 13m
  7. Becerra's Fraud Scandal and the Election Rules Democrats Want to Kill

    May 20

    Becerra's Fraud Scandal and the Election Rules Democrats Want to Kill

    Newsom's former chief of staff just pleaded guilty to federal fraud — FBI wiretaps, a $225,000 scheme run through the frontrunner for governor's own campaign account — and Xavier Becerra still won't answer whether he knew. This week Phil and Camille break down everything Sacramento hoped you'd miss before the June 2nd primary. In the first story, they walk through the guilty plea of Dana Williamson — Newsom's chief of staff from 2022 to 2024 — who conspired with Becerra's own chief of staff Sean McCluskie to drain $225,000 from Becerra's dormant campaign account. The investigation involved FBI wiretaps. Federal prosecutors originally came to Williamson seeking information about Newsom. And at the final governor's debate, Becerra still couldn't guarantee she couldn't connect him to the case. Then: California Democrats built the jungle primary system. They benefited from it for years — two Democrats on the same Senate ballot in 2016, two Democrats again in 2018. Now that the system might lock them out of the November governor's race, they've filed an initiative to tear it down — and found Republican allies to help. Phil and Camille get into what ranked choice voting and other alternatives actually look like, and whether any electoral reform rushed through two weeks before a primary deserves to be taken seriously. No team. No tribe. Just the receipts. 🎙️ California Underground drops every week. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. 📖 Phil is also writing a book — The Gilded State. Early signup at www.thegildedstate.com 📬 Substack: https://caunderground.substack.com/📸 Instagram: @californiaunderground🎵 TikTok: @californiaunderground🐦 X: @ca_underground

    1h 10m
  8. Spencer Pratt, $6 Gas, and a Mayor Who Won't Show Up

    May 13

    Spencer Pratt, $6 Gas, and a Mayor Who Won't Show Up

    Karen Bass just pulled out of tonight's Los Angeles mayoral forum. The primary is in three weeks. The last debate she showed up to, 88% of viewers said Spencer Pratt won. Tonight on California Underground, Phil is asking the question the incumbent doesn't want asked — and the one Sacramento doesn't have a good answer for either. On the Los Angeles mayor's race: Pratt lost his home in the Palisades Fire and turned it into a campaign. He's polling second in a city that hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 2001, with 40% of voters still undecided and a primary on June 2nd. We break down the debate, the numbers, and what Bass skipping tonight's forum actually signals. On California's gas crisis: the state confirmed four to six weeks of gasoline supply on hand. Three major refineries have closed in under a year — Phillips 66 Wilmington, Valero Benicia, PBF Martinez — removing 18% of total refining capacity. California has no pipeline connections to other states and imports 20% of its gasoline from overseas. Average price at the pump: $6.13 a gallon. The Iran war closed the Strait of Hormuz and exposed a supply chain California spent years making fragile. Both stories. One show. Every week. California Underground is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to the California Underground newsletter: https://caunderground.substack.com/ Follow the show: @californiaunderground on Instagram and TikTok | @ca_underground on X Phil is writing a book about California — sign up for early updates at www.thegildedstate.com

    1h 21m
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Welcome to California Underground, the most trusted podcast for all things California politics. Each week, we tackle the pressing issues facing our state through engaging interviews and roundtable discussions with political candidates and passionate Californians. Join us for clear, rational commentary that helps you stay informed about the complexities of California governance. Tune in for your trusted perspective on the political landscape!

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