What are the biggest issues shaping California's November 3, 2026 election? On this episode of The Game, Mark Simon and Bob Marks welcome Julie Lind of the Central Labor Council, former Belmont Mayor Charles Stone, and incoming county superintendent of schools Héctor Camacho for a wide-ranging discussion of statewide ballot measures, local races, and the issues affecting voters across San Mateo County and beyond.

The conversation tackles California's proposed billionaire tax and the debate over wealth inequality, school parcel taxes and teacher salaries, Proposition 3 and education funding, Proposition 37 and housing affordability, Proposition 45 and CEQA reform, and the regional transit funding measure affecting BART, Caltrain, and SamTrans.

The guests also examine campaign finance, California's proposition system, the challenges facing local school districts, and the competitive races for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and city councils. The discussion concludes with a look at national Senate races, campaign spending, voter turnout, and the stakes of the 2026 midterms.

Plus, Mark and Bob preview their upcoming live election-night coverage, featuring guests and analysis as results come in.

Subscribe for more conversations on California politics, national issues, and the people shaping both.

The Game is hosted by Mark Simon and Bob Marks and produced by Frank Bravo, BravoITC.com and YourTechMakeover.com.

Find more information about The Game at TheGamePeninsula.com.

• (00:00) - Introduction: The November 2026 Election
• (01:43) - Voter Mood and Election Outreach
• (04:59) - Affordability, Gas Prices, and Local Issues
• (06:45) - Will Voters Support Local Tax Measures?
• (09:25) - School Parcel Taxes and the Two-Thirds Threshold
• (12:19) - Teacher Salaries and School Funding
• (13:07) - Proposition 43 and Tax Measure Restrictions
• (14:57) - Proposition 3 and Education Funding
• (16:21) - Proposition 40: California's Billionaires Tax
• (20:35) - Billionaires, Wealth Inequality, and Taxpayer Messaging
• (22:22) - Who Should Pay More in Taxes?
• (23:17) - Education Funding and the Billionaires Tax
• (24:21) - Is California's Proposition System Broken?
• (29:48) - Should Wealth Taxes Be National Rather Than Statewide?
• (32:42) - Public Campaign Financing and Proposition 4
• (34:53) - Proposition 37 and Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance
• (37:50) - Proposition 45, CEQA Reform, and Development
• (42:11) - Regional Transit Funding and Proposition Debate
• (42:37) - BART Accountability and Bay Area Transit Finances
• (47:07) - The Stakes for Public Transportation
• (51:55) - The San Mateo County Supervisors Race
• (56:07) - School Board Elections, AP Classes, and STEM Education
• (58:16) - Local City Council Races to Watch
• (59:52) - Daly City Elections and School Board Candidates
• (01:00:30) - Why Local Elections Matter
• (01:01:26) - Final Thoughts on the Billionaires Tax
• (01:03:31) - National Politics and the Wealth Tax Debate
• (01:03:56) - U.S. Senate Races and the 2026 Midterms
• (01:05:05) - Campaign Spending and the Power of Advertising
• (01:06:20) - Turnout, New Voters, and the Midterm Outlook
• (01:07:37) - Join Us for Live Election Night Coverage
• (01:08:14) - Closing Remarks

San Mateo County Supervisor and Assessor-Clerk-Recorder-elect David Canepa joins Mark Simon and Bob Marks for a wide-ranging conversation about his upcoming transition to a new countywide office.

Canepa explains why he wanted the job, what he hopes to change in the assessor, elections and clerk-recorder offices, and how he plans to communicate more directly with voters. He discusses election security, cybersecurity, ballot counting, voter education and the challenges of maintaining public confidence in elections.

The conversation also covers Canepa's long political career, his early concerns about artificial intelligence, AI's potential impact on jobs, divisions within the Democratic Party, regional transit funding, local tax and bond measures, and the lessons he learned from running for Congress.

Mark and Bob also examine the San Mateo County District 5 supervisor's race, the lengthy vote-counting process and the national political landscape heading into the 2026 election.

• (00:00) - Welcome to The Game & David Canepa
• (01:17) - From Supervisor to Assessor-Clerk-Recorder
• (03:20) - Can an elected elections official remain nonpartisan?
• (05:35) - The District 5 supervisor race and the power of geography
• (08:08) - Why Canepa wanted the assessor's office
• (10:19) - His plans for the assessor, elections and clerk-recorder offices
• (13:19) - Canepa's early concerns about AI
• (14:36) - AI, jobs and the need for guardrails
• (16:05) - Protecting elections and restoring public confidence
• (16:44) - Educating voters about how ballots are counted
• (18:52) - Why does San Mateo County take so long to count votes?
• (21:19) - What happens if elections face outside threats?
• (22:33) - Using media and social media to engage voters
• (24:11) - Voting machines and election cybersecurity
• (26:26) - How Canepa has changed over 18 years in public life
• (28:20) - Running for Congress and lessons from the campaign
• (30:43) - Is the Democratic Party changing?
• (33:29) - Will local tax and bond measures pass?
• (33:54) - Canepa makes his case for regional transit funding
• (38:07) - Inflation, gas prices and voter attitudes
• (40:36) - Canepa reflects on The Game and political journalism
• (43:20) - Looking ahead to the 2026 election
• (43:58) - Mark and Bob discuss the interview
• (45:47) - The national political landscape
• (48:40) - Back to San Mateo County's District 5 race
• (50:20) - Why vote counting takes weeks
• (51:09) - Looking ahead to Election Night on The Game

Subscribe for more conversations on California politics, national issues, and the people shaping both.

The Game is hosted by Mark Simon and Bob Marks and produced by Frank Bravo, BravoITC.com and YourTechMakeover.com.

More information about The Game: TheGamePeninsula.com.

Episode topics: David Canepa, San Mateo County, San Mateo County elections, elections, voter education, election security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, AI, ballot counting, Democratic Party, regional transit, Caltrain, local politics, 2026 election, San Mateo County Supervisor, Assessor-Clerk-Recorder.

Rosanne Foust, President and CEO of the San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA), joins Mark Simon and Bob Marks for a wide-ranging conversation about the economy, housing, taxes, transportation, AI and politics across San Mateo County and the Peninsula.

Foust discusses the diversity of the county's economy, the continued growth of life sciences and biotech, and the workforce challenges facing employers. She also talks about the region's housing shortage, workforce housing, affordability and the debate over building more high-density housing.

The conversation turns to several ballot measures, including Menlo Park's Measure P, Redwood City's rent-control measure, regional transportation funding and Proposition 45 and its implications for CEQA and development.

Foust also discusses rising taxes and their effect on small businesses, the future of public transit, the potential for a new Redwood City ferry terminal, and how the rapid development of artificial intelligence is changing the economic landscape.

The interview concludes with a discussion about the political environment in San Mateo County and the importance of compromise and finding practical solutions.

Mark and Bob then continue the conversation with a look at local tax measures, Proposition 43 and the national political landscape heading into the November election.

Subscribe for more conversations on California politics, national issues, and the people shaping both.

The Game is hosted by Mark Simon and Bob Marks and produced by Frank Bravo, BravoITC.com and YourTechMakeover.com.

You can see more information about The Game at TheGamePeninsula.com.