Newsletter: Essential Politics: A subdued Senate debate

Monday night’s debate between the most prominent Californians vying for the U.S. Senate might best be summed up like this: Six weeks. Five candidates. One burning question.

Good morning from the state capital. I’m Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers, and here’s why those topics seem most important in the race to replace the retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Six weeks from today, voters go to the polls. Five candidates — two Democrats and three Republicans — are considered the leading contenders.

And that burning question: Who has the best chance of securing the second and final spot on the November ballot, alongside Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris? Because as Tuesday arrives, Harris still seems firmly in the driver’s seat.

SENATE DEBATE: STATUS QUO

The debate, held on the campus of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, was one of only two scheduled Senate face-offs before voters cast their ballots. And it came after polls, including our own USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll showed the race to be in slow motion.

Phil Willon has our recap of the evening’s best moments on issues ranging from jobs to immigration and beyond.

UNZ THE UNUSUAL

Perhaps the most unpredictable candidate on the Senate debate stage was Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ron Unz. Willon’s profile of the man and his unusual political résumé offers up a pretty good explanation of how Unz performed in the 90-minute event.

Consider these un-Republican-sounding Unz quips from Monday night.

On whom to help in America, and why: “I think we have to crack down on Wall Street, just like Bernie Sanders is saying.”

On President Obama’s foreign policy: “The Bush administration was even worse.”

On the Senate race in which he’s a GOP candidate: “It’s going to be very difficult for any Republican to win,” at which point Unz criticized the immigration stance of former Gov. Pete Wilson.

One of two theories seems most likely about this race. Either a center-right candidate (Unz, Republican Duf Sundheim or Orange County Democrat Rep. Loretta Sanchez) finds enough crossover votes to wind up as Harris’ final challenger, or these same three candidates split that centrist vote and leave Harris the strong favorite in November against the most conservative of the leading GOP candidates, Tom Del Beccaro.

If you missed any of the Senate debate, we covered it live on our Essential Politics news feed.

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ON THE ACELA CORRIDOR

Rise and shine, voters along much of the Eastern seaboard: It’s primary day. The most frenetic presidential race in a generation now lands in the lap of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Noah Bierman has our preview of the big day and what to watch for as voters in these five states weigh in on both the Republican and Democratic candidates.

And with all of Monday’s buzz about the Sen. Ted Cruz-Gov. John Kasich campaign strategy, Cathleen Decker points out it just might play perfectly into the narrative that Donald Trump has been promoting all along about insider politics.

Meantime, Seema Mehta reported on Monday that Cruz is considering Carly Fiorina as a vice presidential running mate. Since abandoning her own presidential race, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO has become one of Cruz’s most visible surrogates. Californians, of course, remember well how she was handily defeated in 2010 by Sen. Boxer.

Mehta also takes a close look at how guns have become a big issue in the Democratic battle between Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Of the handful of policy differences between them, gun control is the rare split that has allowed Clinton to position herself as more liberal than the senator from Vermont.

For full results from Tuesday night’s primaries, keep an eye on Trail Guide and follow @latimespolitics.

You can also track the delegate race in real time.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

— Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer is turning some of his focus, and cash, toward voter registration. On Monday, he announced a $25-million effort to boost the ranks of the nation’s millennial voters.

— A ban on smoking and tobacco use on all 23 campuses of the Cal State University system? That would be the law under legislation passed by the Assembly on Monday. Now headed to the state Senate, the bill would mirror previous bans imposed by the University of California and a number of community colleges across the state.

— A gaggle of Assembly Democrats is pitching a $1.3-billion budget request to spur affordable housing. The money would target building for the state’s poorest residents, including farmworkers and homeless, but falls far short of addressing California’s larger housing affordability needs.

— The Anaheim City Council will consider a resolution tonight denouncing Trump for divisive rhetoric.

LOGISTICS

Miss yesterday’s newsletter? Here you go. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.