CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

Nov. 9, 2026

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Midterm Election Results Take Shape
Democrats swept into power throughout much of the country in last week’s midterm elections, including modest gains in California, where the party already enjoys supermajority status.

The results of California’s statewide races came into focus relatively quickly on and after Election Day. Democrat Xavier Becerra has defeated Republican Steve Hilton to become the state’s Governor-elect. State Treasurer Fiona Ma (D) prevailed in the election for Lieutenant Governor. Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber were both re-elected to office. In the Dem-on-Dem election for Insurance Commissioner, progressive candidate Jane Kim declared victory over outgoing Senator Ben Allen on Friday.

In the State Legislature, Democrats will extend their existing supermajorities, with Democratic candidates likely to flip at least four Assembly seats and one Senate seat from red to blue, with results of more than a dozen Assembly races and a handful of Senate races still uncalled by the Associated Press and other outlets as of press time.

Federally, Democrats will seize majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives. As of press time Democrats had flipped seven Senate seats from red to blue with contests in Alaska and Missouri still too close to call, ensuring a Democratic majority of at least 54 seats. The Associated Press has called 254 House races for Democrats, ensuring that party will have a solid majority when the 120^th Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2027. Democratic candidates defeated incumbent California representatives James Gallagher (R-CA1), Kevin Kiley (I-CA6) and David Valadao (R-CA22) after redistricting Congressional boundaries to favor Democrats.

California voters rejected Proposition 45, a measure which would have eased environmental reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act for essential projects such as water infrastructure. Voters also rejected Proposition 43, which would have increased voting thresholds needed to approve local tax increases.

CCA will continue to provide updates on the outcome of the 2026 General Election in the weeks to come as final votes are tallied. Counties must report final vote results by December 4, and the Secretary of State will certify election results by December 11.

Sites Reservoir Clears Final Planning Hurdle with SWRCB Permit Approval
The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday unanimously approved a water rights permit for the Sites Reservoir Project, clearing the final regulatory hurdle for construction of Sites Reservoir after years of delays (of the projects intended to be funded by 2014’s $7.5 billion water bond, Proposition 1, Sites is the one storage project which has survived).

Located near the town of Maxwell, the Sites Reservoir would be capable of storing 1.5 million acre-feet of water diverted from the Sacramento River during periods of high flows. It would be the largest water project constructed in the state in the past 50 years.

CCA policy strongly supports “increasing surface water storage throughout the state” and specifically identifies the Sites Reservoir as a priority water storage project. Construction of Sites Reservoir is expected to begin next year with a target completion date of 2034.

USFWS Promotes Grazing and Other Active Management of National Wildlife Refuges
On Friday, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum issued a Secretarial Order entitled “Making America’s National Wildlife Refuges Great Again.” The Order outlines 29 recommended actions for improving administration of the National Wildlife Refuge System managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Of particular interest to cattle ranchers, the Order calls for “the full range of appropriate land and wildlife management tools necessary to improve habitat, manage wildlife populations, control invasive species and use appropriate predator management.” The Order specifically identifies livestock grazing as a target active management strategy for Wildlife Refuges, as well as prescribed fire, forestry activities and “targeted cropland management and water management.” The Department of Interior has also set a goal of acting on grazing permits and other authorizations under the Order within six months of receiving completed applications.

For additional details, see the Department of the Interior press release announcing the plan.

Ranching for Generations Succession Planning Intensive
California Rangeland Trust is hosting a Ranching for Generations Succession Planning Intensive on Dec. 8-11 in Denver, Colorado. The cost for this intensive is $1,500, and California Rangeland Trust will reimburse the full $1,500 workshop tuition expense after program completion. There are a few seats left! For more information about this intensive, click here.

CDFW Issues Quarterly Wolf Program Updates
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released its quarterly wolf news update and other periodic reports for the third quarter of 2026. According to CDFW’s population monitoring update, California now has ten known wolf packs, as the state can no longer detect the Yowlumni or Tunnison packs. Eight wolf packs have reproduced this year, with the Ashpan, Grizzly, Harvey, Ice Cave, Lassen, Long Valley, Whitehorse and Whaleback packs producing a minimum of 42 total pups in 2026. Finally, the agency reports that there were 17 confirmed and seven probable wolf depredations of livestock in the third quarter of the year for a total of 79 confirmed or probable depredations thus far in 2026.

For more information, see the Department’s announcement or the October 26 edition of California Cattlemen Weekly.

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CCA in the News

Becerra wins easily as Democratic landslide reaches across West Agri-Pulse “Farm groups and experts contacted by Agri-Pulse were hesitant to give snap reactions to the results. For instance, the California Cattlemen’s Association didn’t make any formal endorsements of candidates or propositions this year. ‘We’ve got a stellar record of working with politicians across the political spectrum, and I expect that will continue to be the case once the dust has settled on the local, state and federal races of this election,’ CCA Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur said in an email. ‘It’s incumbent upon us to educate all politicians about the issues facing ranchers and the benefits of cattle ranching to our state’s economy and environment, and we’re ready to put in that work as the 2026-27 legislative class comes into focus,’ he said.” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

Roadless Rule Changes Could Expand Forest Management Access RFD TV “Public Lands Council Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover says the U.S. Forest Service manages roughly 93 million acres used for grazing in the West. She says roadless restrictions adopted in 2001 have limited access across portions of those lands. Glover says limited road access can affect fire crews, rescue operations, trail and tree maintenance, and ranchers needing access to fences and grazing infrastructure. PLC has submitted comments supporting changes to the current rule.” To continue reading, click here.

New Animal Health and Food Safety Lab Opens in California’s Central Valley California Department of Food & Agriculture “A new $108 million animal health laboratory in Turlock will help California farmers and veterinarians detect potentially dangerous animal diseases more quickly, respond to outbreaks and protect the state’s food supply. The facility, operated by the University of California, Davis, Weill School of Veterinary Medicine in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, or CDFA, is nearly nine times larger than the lab it replaces.” To continue reading, click here.

National Geographic Just Put Siskiyou County’s Wolf Problem on the Cover Active NorCal “National Geographic published the story this week for its December issue, with writer Nate Blakeslee spending months in Siskiyou County, Sierra Valley and Shasta County alongside ranchers, state biologists and the California Wolf Project team. The Whaleback pack alone has been tied to at least 114 confirmed or probable livestock losses since 2021, and all five packs studied ate mostly livestock in summer.” To continue reading, click here.