Gov. Gavin Newsom’s absence at the California Democratic Party convention was met with a range of emotion — from indifference to outrage — as party officials, delegates and activists flocked to the Anaheim Convention Center to strategize how to protect LGBTQ rights, immigrants and health care access from the White House and Republicans in Congress.
Newsom planned to attend a Democratic Governors Association conference in Portland, sparing him potential conflict with members of his own party who have recently taken him to task on his views about transgender athletes, proposed suspension of new Medi-Cal enrollments for undocumented residents and an ongoing feud with the oil industry.
During his keynote speech, members of California’s supermajority party faithful cheered as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz name-checked Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Kamala Harris…