October 27, 2026

With midterm season comes the opportunity for California voters to weigh in on potential investments in climate policy and resilient infrastructure. Will we seize that chance? Photo: Ariel R. Okamoto

E L E C T I O N

The Sleepy Midterm Race with the Biggest Influence on Climate Policy

After the LA fires of January 2025 left more than 18,000 homes and structures destroyed, insurance payouts to help the rebuild quickly became top of mind for many survivors. But that process didn’t exactly pan out as planned, and the state is now suing State Farm for denying, delaying, and underpaying claims. Nearly two years later, one vote in next week’s election has the power to change that system. The little known state office of insurance commissioner has significant influence over how insurance companies operate in California and what they charge consumers. The position is up for grabs, and the backstory — how to reward risk reduction or not in insurance coverage — is at the forefront of the race. Photo: Steve Kuehl

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Climate Issues on Your Ballot This Fall

As veteran California voters know, election season isn’t just about candidates running for local or state office — it’s also about dozens of ballot measures that get put to the public each year, either through citizens’ initiatives or directed by a government agency. This midterm election, Bay Area voters will get the chance to weigh in on a number of new climate-related proposals.. Collectively, $12 billion in one-time revenue for housing, climate adaptation, and infrastructure and $1.2 billion in recurring annual revenue for public transit, wildfire risk mitigation, and land stewardship are on the ballot in the Bay Area. Here’s what you need to know before you vote. Graphic: Christina Alvear

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E D I T O R I A L

A Wasted Opportunity

“Too many of this year’s crop of Democratic candidates for federal, state, and local office — including gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra — are squandering the opportunity to bring focus to the intersection of the affordability crisis and the climate crisis, and to build support for climate-friendly policies,” writes Cariad Hayes Thronson. “The climate crisis is making everything from food to insurance more expensive. Higher temperatures are projected to increase food price inflation by up to 3.2% per year by 2035 and have driven up the cost of cooling by more than 50% over the last decade. The wisdom of 2026 seems to be that voters only care about affordability and not climate. But the job of leaders is to lead, which in this case means shining a spotlight on the connections between the two.” Photo: Becerra campaign.

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A F F O R D A B I L I T Y

6 Californians on Affordability

KneeDeep’s Alex McCutcheon spent a recent afternoon talking to voters along Lake Merritt in Oakland, where he asked passersby for their thoughts on affordability and its relationship to climate change. Housing, food, and gas were top of mind for many. “Climate change renders the most vulnerable populations even more vulnerable, and creating an unstable planet makes everybody unstable, from coastal tides to wildfires. People can’t individually front the cost of mitigating climate change,” one said.

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C H A T T E R

Catching Up on Your Resilience Work...

What projects, reports, collaborations, and events have happened recently that we may have missed? For our next issue, we'd like to do a regional roundup of recent resilience initiatives — just click on the box below to email us a few bullet points, links, fact sheets, and key contacts. Send us your thoughts before November 1! We'd love to hear from you.

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KneeDeep Times shares stories from the frontlines of climate change resilience and adaptation action.

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Managing Editor: Ariel Rubissow Okamoto

Assistant Editor: Duncan Agnew

Research & Social Media Editor: Isabella Eclipse

Editor-in-Training Fellow: Meghan Crebbin-Coates

Art Director: Afsoon Razavi

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