Daily Business Report: Friday, June 20, 2025
San Diego Unified Has a New (Permanent) Superintendent
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
San Diego Unified’s board voted unanimously on Wednesday to appoint Interim Superintendent Fabiola Bagula to a permanent role. This marks the district’s third home-grown superintendent.
San Diego Unified’s board voted unanimously on Wednesday afternoon to give former-Interim Superintendent Fabiola Bagula a new title: Superintendent.
The decision came nine months after Bagula took the reins of the district following the board’s firing of Lamont Jackson for sexually harassing multiple district employees.
Gavin Newsom finally admits he’s contemplating a run for president
By Dan Walters | CalMatters
After 6 1/2 years of denying any interest in running for president, Gavin Newsom has finally fessed up.
In a flurry of media interviews keyed to anti-Donald Trump demonstrations in Los Angeles and elsewhere, Newsom has acknowledged what everyone in and around national politics had already assumed — that he’s entertaining a White House bid.
The most explicit of several hints was published in the Wall Street Journal. Responding to a question about his presidential ambitions, Newsom said, “I’m not thinking about running, but it’s a path that I could see unfold.”
Newsom Rises In 2028 Presidential Polling Amongst Dems Following Opposition to Trump Over L.A. Protests
By Evan Symon | California Globe
Governor Gavin Newsom saw a rebound in 2028 presidential polling this week, with new polls showing him back in second place thanks to Democratic voters approving of his heavy opposition to President Donald Trump’s actions in response to the L.A. protests.
However, while Newsom did see a surge of support in the past few weeks, it is unknown if it will have long-term promise. Aggregate polling compared from a few weeks ago to this week shows a more subtle story. While Newsom did move up to fourth place in combined poll percentages this week over Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), he is still an overall distant fourth place. Harris still has a lead with 27.4% of Democrats backing her, followed by Buttigieg with 15.3% and AOC’s 11.7%. Newsom’s prior lower showing are dragging him down here, as he is in 4th place with 8.2%.
According to the Morning Consult poll conducted over the past weekend, Newsom now has 11% of the vote – his highest total in any presidential poll since January of 2024. Only former Vice President Kamala Harris was higher, with a commanding 34% of the vote. Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) were tied for third behind Newsom with 7%. 16% of all Democrats are also currently undecided in the polls.
