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California's 2026 elections are shaping up to be the most expensive and consequential in the state's recent history — and the money trail tells an important story. Join us on May 27th as we break down who's spending what, and why, across the races that will define our city and state’s political future: the wide-open governor's race, the battle to succeed Nancy Pelosi here in San Francisco, and the ballot measure that's unleashed a flood of money and fury from the ultra-wealthy — a proposed one-time 5% tax on California's roughly 200 billionaires.

“Pacific Standard Time” podcast host Emily Dreyfuss sits down with The Standard's wealth and power reporter Emily Shugerman and politics editor Hannah Wiley to unpack the mega-donors, nebulously-named PACs, and power brokers quietly shaping what and who ends up on your ballot — and even how you might vote.

Then, Keally McBride, a University of San Francisco politics professor, explains the broader patterns here and what academic research tells us about how money and big spending actually shape election outcomes.

With the primary just one week away, there's no better time to understand the wealth, power, and influence behind the names and campaigns on your ballot

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