Newsletter: Essential Politics: There’s a ‘surge’ of new California voters, and they matter even more today

I’m Christina Bellantoni, and this is Essential Politics.

As if any more evidence was needed to prove California’s June 7 primary will be decisive in the presidential nominating contest, Wisconsin voters provided fresh figures Tuesday that ensure this thing is far from over.

“Tonight is a turning point,” Sen. Ted Cruz said in a victory speech after routing Donald Trump in Wisconsin. “It is a rallying cry, it is a call from the hard-working men and and women from Wisconsin to the people of America. We have a choice. We have a real choice.”

Following the rockiest stretch of Trump’s campaign, there was a sense beyond Cruz’s remarks that Wisconsin may prove a pivot point in the highly unpredictable GOP contest.

The primary contest offered just 42 delegates of the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination. But each and every delegate has come to matter greatly.

On the Democratic side, Sen. Bernie Sanders was on track to defeat Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin by 100,000 votes and capture at least 14 more delegates than she did.

“With our victory tonight in Wisconsin, we have now won seven out of eight of the last caucuses and primaries,” said Sanders, campaigning in Wyoming ahead of caucuses there this weekend. “And we have won almost all of them with overwhelming landslide numbers.”

Sanders is running as if the nomination were in striking distance, and pointedly promised to take his campaign well beyond the next major contest in New York and all the way to California.

But as the day begins, Clinton remains atop the delegate fight, even when the superdelegates that Team Sanders says could change their minds are not factored into the equation.

We’ll be tracking the fallout on Trail Guide and via @latimespolitics, so follow along with us there.

FLOODGATES OPEN IN CALIFORNIA

Meanwhile, California’s contest is drawing so much interest — more than two months before the primary — that elections officials are sending out warning flares that local governments might not be able to handle the volume.

Phil Willon reports that Secretary of State Alex Padilla asked for an extra $32 million to help with the increased workload. In the last three months, more than 600,000 Californians have gone online to register to vote or update their registrations.

Even more interesting: Padilla said “one campaign” alone recently requested 200,000 registration forms to sign up voters, although he did not specify which candidate’s campaign made the ask.

Keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed as the candidates target Golden State voters.

SOME CONTEXT FOR THE ‘BERNIE BLACKOUT’ PROTEST

The perception that Sanders gets less media coverage “isn’t really a thing.” That’s according to Ev Boyle, the associate director of the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.

David Lauter explains the USC study and others, and writes that since the start of this year, Clinton and Sanders have received very similar amounts of coverage, according to data from the Internet Archive’s presidential tracker project. Each currently accounts for about 15% of all mentions of a candidate on TV.

But Sanders supporters still feel their guy is being slighted.

DEMOCRATS KEEP FRESNO ASSEMBLY SEAT

Joaquin Arambula prevailed in the 31st Assembly District race Tuesday to fill the remainder of Henry Perea’s term. Christine Mai-Duc reports that Republicans felt like they had a chance to capture the seat after 40 years of Democratic power, but unofficial results show Arambula ahead by 10 points.

SURGE PRICING UP FOR DEBATE

Is it fair for ridesharing companies to charge surge pricing? One of the biggest broadsides against Uber, Lyft and the industry passed its first committee hearing Tuesday — one that’s coming from a state senator with deep ties to the taxi industry, Liam Dillon reports.

State Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) wants the state to take an active role in setting prices for Uber and Lyft, raising concerns about the companies’ surge pricing models and their effects on consumers and drivers.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

— Driving while high? California lawmakers are proposing legislation that would allow police officers to test if motorists are driving under the influence of marijuana using oral swabs.

— California might be in for rolling blackouts this summer thanks to the gas leak at Porter Ranch, Alice Walton reports.

— Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) wants the Census Bureau to collect more information on gay, lesbian and transgender Americans, saying lawmakers need more data to set good policy.

— Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) pitched a new Clinton-themed ice cream flavor to Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream to balance the company’s flavor named after Sanders. Boxer offered a model pint design for “The HRC” — or Herstoric Raspberry Chocolate.

— A state Senate committee approved a bill Tuesday that would give an independent, citizen-run commission the power to redraw district boundaries, taking the responsibility away from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The bill must still be voted on and approved by the Assembly and Senate.

— Trump will hold a press conference Friday at his Southern California golf course. Like many Trump properties, this one has a back story.

— After enduring Trump’s hyperbolic attacks for months, Mexico abruptly replaced its low-profile ambassador to Washington with an experienced, well-traveled diplomat and put a public relations expert into its Foreign Ministry’s top spot for American affairs.

— What do you think of Trump? Readers can weigh in with our quick survey.

— The Festival of Books is coming up. Here are details on the program, which will include panels featuring Team Politics.

LOGISTICS

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