A roundup of news focused on real estate issues in the June 2026 state and local elections.
California
I Have Some Questions for the Democrats Who Want to Run California (New York Times): Ezra Klein hosted California’s top five Democratic candidates for governor to learn how each candidate plans to make progess on the issue of housing affordability.
‘Buckshot’ or moonshot? Dem candidates to replace Newsom offer grand plans for more housing (Politico): A central question for the Democratic candidates for California’s next governor is whether they will pursue many incremental “buckshot” fixes for more housing or implement a sweeping “moonshot” strategy to meaningfully increase supply.
How California’s Next Governor Would Tackle Rent, Insurance and Housing Costs (KQED): The gubernatorial candidates have made housing a leading issue in their campaigns, including a focus on the need to lower construction costs and address homelessness, but diverge on certain housing issues.
Here’s How California’s Next Governor Will Change Your Taxes (KQED): California’s leading gubernatorial candidates offer sharply different tax plans against the backdrop of affordability concerns and a projected state budget deficit.
San Francisco
The real estate industry picks its candidate in CA-11 (The Real Deal): Of San Francisco’s three leading congressional candidates, the real estate industry has contributed more to State Senator Scott Wiener’s campaign than to those of Supervisor Connie Chan or former congressional staffer Saikat Chakrabarti.
Scott Wiener passed laws that made it easier to build in California. Can he do the same in Congress? (Cal Matters): If elected, Senator Scott Wiener’s record of passing ambitious pro-housing laws in California may be tested against the far slower, less centralized realities of Congress.
S.F. Mayor Daniel Lurie’s edge at City Hall could hinge on these two supervisor races (SF Chronicle): Two closely watched San Francisco supervisor races have become proxy battles over Mayor Daniel Lurie’s pro-housing and moderate governance agenda, with challengers criticizing the Lurie-appointed incumbents’ support for denser zoning and their alignment with the mayor and his political allies.
