Maya C. Miller
Maya C. Miller covers politics and government accountability for CalMatters, with one eye on the state Legislature and the other on California’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. She will help lead CalMatters’ coverage of campaigns, voters and elections in the run-up to the 2026 midterms.
Maya came to CalMatters in June 2025 by way of the New York Times, where she covered Congress as the David E. Rosenbaum fellow in Washington, D.C. She hit the 2024 campaign trail and delivered deeply reported stories from five different states across the country. From Nebraska, a deep red state, Maya introduced readers to an independent candidate –– a mechanic with no political experience –– who nearly unseated Republican Senator Deb Fischer after riding a populist wave. And in Maine, she showed readers how Representative Jared Golden, a three-term Democrat, persuaded Trump voters in his in his conservative-leaning district to split their tickets.
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Even after Rep. Eric Swalwell’s swift and sudden exit, the race for governor is still frustratingly murky on the Democratic side, with seven major candidates splitting the vote. As party faithful hope for divine intervention, heavyweights like the speaker emerita and the current governor refuse to weigh in. -
The California Republican Party failed to endorse a candidate for governor, demonstrating that Trump’s influence only goes so far in California, even among his party’s most faithful. -
The California Democratic Party is betting that a tried-and-true playbook and standard-bearer candidates offer their best chance to take back the U.S. House in November’s midterms rather than fresh faces and more populist policy planks. -
The California Senate passed a bill that would make it easier to sue federal officers over civil rights violations. Recent shootings of civilians by immigration agents in Minnesota lent urgency to the measure, one of several targeting ICE. -
More than half of California’s Democratic legislative caucus called for a government shutdown and introduced bills to hold federal agents accountable -
Newsom has already vowed to tank a proposed ballot initiative that would impose a 5% wealth tax on the state’s billionaires to bolster Medi-Cal. Progressive lawmakers and their allies in labor and health seem hopeful that Newsom could support a different long-shot funding idea. -
State lawmakers are already taking legislative steps to “Trump-proof” California’s elections, starting with a bill designed to keep President Donald Trump off of California’s ballot in 2028. -
LaMalfa was known for his dedication to water access and forestry management, key issues for his largely rural district. His death leaves House Republicans with an even more precarious majority that could struggle to pass Republican legislation. -
The recent retirements of Nancy Pelosi and other longtime House Democrats have led to more calls for aging members to pass the torch. Incumbents argue their experience is crucial as the executive branch is upending the balance of power in Washington. -
The seven-term congressmember is running on protecting Californians from the Trump administration and from rising prices. While he’s developed a reputation as a professional GOP antagonist, the challenge will be proving he has what it takes to deliver on the elusive affordability promise. -
Liberal billionaire Tom Steyer raised his profile as a foe to President Donald Trump when he spent $13 million on ads touting Proposition 50. Now, Steyer is jumping in the 2026 California governor’s race. -
McGuire, who terms out of the Legislature next year, hopes to capitalize on Democrats’ new voter registration advantage in LaMalfa’s post-Prop. 50 district to flip a congressional seat from red to blue. His launch video appears to preemptively address the criticism that he’s out of touch with rural Californians.
