Former Santa Monica Mayor Urges Politico to Include Green Gubernatorial Nominee in California Summit

Former Santa Monica Mayor Michael Feinstein urged Politico in an open letter this week to include Green Party gubernatorial candidate Dr. Butch Ware in its August 27 California policy summit, which will feature several major party contenders for governor as featured guests.

In the letter, posted August 20 on the national Green Party website, Feinstein wrote that excluding Ware would limit the viewpoints available to voters at this early stage in the campaign. Feinstein, a Green member who served on the Santa Monica City Council and was mayor in December 2000, framed debate access as a voter-rights issue and cautioned against the influence of “big money” in determining the specific voices voters are exposed to.

“To be clear, Dr. Ware is no fringe candidate,” Feinstein wrote, noting that Ware was also the only third party participant in a separate forum hosted earlier this month by Service Employees International Union Local 1000.

Politico’s “California Agenda: Sacramento Summit” is the outlet’s first statewide policy conference, scheduled for next Wednesday in Sacramento. The event will bring together lawmakers, policy experts, and industry representatives to discuss issues including housing, energy, technology regulation, and healthcare. Several 2026 gubernatorial contenders are slated as featured guests, including Democrats Xavier Becerra and Katie Porter and Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.

Feinstein argued that even if Politico believes Ware may not advance beyond the state’s June 2026 top-two primary, voters have a right to hear his “substantial critiques and alternatives.” California’s primary system places all candidates for a given office on the same ballot regardless of party preference, with only the top two finishers moving on to the general election in November.

“Throughout American political history, important ideas have come from inside and outside of the major parties,” Feinstein added. “As an influential media organization, POLITICO’s candidate forums should reflect that.”