Meet the maverick California lawmakers who buck their party

Per CalMatters, California Democratic Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains is learning that voting against your party has costs. In twenty twenty-three, the Bakersfield lawmaker cast the lone Democratic vote against Governor Newsom's bill to penalize oil company profits. Last month, when she ran for Congress, voters rejected her moderation—college professor Randy Villegas defeated her in the primary with a more progressive platform. Villegas now faces Republican David Valadao in the general election this November. Bains' loss underscores a broader trend: as California voters grow more polarized, there's less room for mavericks in the Legislature who are willing to cross party lines.

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