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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Democrats Sweep First Major Elections Of Donald Trump's Second Term; Big Wins For Democrats In Key High-Stakes Races; California Voters Approve Redistricting Measure Prop. 50; California Gearing Up for 2026 Governor's Race; Padilla Says He Will Not Run for California Governor; UPS Cargo Plane Crash in Kentucky Kills at Least Seven People. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 05, 2025 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[02:00:35]

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our special election coverage from the Capitol of the state of California. You're looking right there at the seat of power for the most populous state in the union, and welcome to Sacramento.

I'm Elex Michaelson, live tonight, where this story is election 2025. And it's 11:00 here on the West Coast, where voters just approved Governor Gavin Newsom's redistricting plan. And there's so much news tonight, I'm not alone. I've got a co-host for the next three hours.

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: Hey, Elex, we got everybody covered coast to coast. Brian Abel here in Washington, where it is now 2:00 a.m.

And the reason we're here is because on the East Coast, Democrats are celebrating in New York City, New Jersey and Virginia tonight, Elex.

MICHAELSON: Yes, that's right. Major wins for the Democratic Party in a year of contentious battles with the White House and now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. A common theme among the Democratic candidates in these races was countering President Trump's agenda.

President Trump is already downplaying the Republican losses, posting online that he blamed the government shutdown and the fact that he wasn't on the ballots as reasons why democratic swept those races.

ABEL: And let's break down some of those big wins. CNN projects Democrat Zohran Mamdani will win New York City's mayoral election, beating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who did run as an Independent. New York's Board of Elections says more than two million people voted in that election, the most since 1969. A Democratic socialist mayor elect is wasting no time sending a message to President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY GOVERNOR-ELECT: So, Donald Trump, since I know you're watching. I have four words for you. Turn the volume up.

New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants. And as of tonight, led by an immigrant.

So, hear me, President Trump when I say this, to get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: CNN also projects Mikie Sherrill will win the New Jersey governor's race, making her the first female Democratic governor in the state's history. Sherrill campaigned heavily against President Trump and his policies, often comparing him to her Republican opponent. And in a nod to the recent No Kings protest across the U.S., she said New Jersey would never bow to anyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIKIE SHERRILL (D), NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR-ELECT: here in New Jersey, we know that this nation has not ever been, nor will it ever be ruled by kings.

We take oaths to a constitution, not a king. We've chosen liberty, the very foundation of democracy, and we've chosen prosperity necessary to create opportunity for all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And Democrat Abigail Spanberger has flipped the top office in Virginia from Republican leadership. CNN projects Spanberger will become Virginia's first female governor. She is a 46-year-old mother of three who served in law enforcement and the CIA before winning a seat in Congress.

Spanberger is vowing to serve all Virginians, even those who voted for her opponent, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. Her campaign was focused on affordability and the impact of federal job cuts as well as the government shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D), VIRGINIA GOVERNOR-ELECT: Tonight, we turned a page. We turned that page by listening to our neighbors, focusing on practical results, laying out a clear agenda and leading with decency and determination.

To those who have been impacted by the mass layoffs, by furloughs, by the hardships that you are experiencing, please know that I will direct the full power of the governor's office to support you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:05:07] MICHAELSON: And right here in California, CNN projects that California voters will approve Governor Gavin Newsom's push to redraw the state's congressional maps. Proposition 50 is in response to Texas Republicans redrawing their map to help Republicans.

This will allow congressional lines drawn by California's independent commission to be replaced with new ones that make five U.S. House seats more favorable for Democrats. Here's California Governor Gavin Newsom speaking behind us a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): We stood tall and we stood firm in response to Donald Trump's recklessness.

And tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared with an unprecedented turnout in a special election with an extraordinary results.

None of us, however, are naive. This is a pattern. This is a practice. Donald Trump's efforts to rig the midterm election continue to this day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, President Trump claimed without proof, that California's redistricting attempts are what he called rigged and unconstitutional.

Joining me now to discuss is the chair of the California Democratic Party, Rusty Hicks. Mr. Chairman, thank you for having us at your home.

RUSTY HICKS, CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: You're welcome anytime.

MICHAELSON: It's nice to be here and welcome to THE STORY IS, for the first time.

Big night for your party, not only across the country, but here in California. Your big takeaway from the night.

HICKS: It's a great night to be a California Democrat, that's for sure. Lot of hard work has brought us to this point, not only here in California, but around the country, and something for us to build on heading into 2026.

MICHAELSON: What do you think is the big lesson, not only here in California, but for around the country, from what happened here in California?

HICKS: Well, certainly, our focus is fighting back, pushing back against an administration that's really out of control, that's only emboldened by congressional Republicans that have failed to stand up to his darkest ambitions.

In many ways, California has felt the brunt of those, and so we really showed the nation that it's time to fight back.

MICHAELSON: And what does fighting back look like?

HICKS: Well, I think it looks different in every state. It looks different in one different fight heading into the midterms.

Obviously, we've got a government shutdown. We've got to close out and find a way to get a deal that helps not only Californians, but helps all Americans.

And certainly, the future of the House of Representatives runs through California, and so we've got to get about the work of winning those seats in 2026.

MICHAELSON: Yes, talk about that. What we're about to see in California is a big scrambling, because now these districts are all going to be different. We're going to see incumbents probably run against each other. We're going to see some new people come out of the woodwork. What is this going to look like over the next few months?

HICKS: It's another day at the office for the chair of the California Democratic Party. But what I think it means is a great opportunity for us to not only hold on to what we have, but the opportunity to pick up a few more as well. None of these seats are slam dunks. We've got to fight hard every single day in order to win those seats, but I think we'll do that.

MICHAELSON: So, we saw in the four main winners of tonight, and if we put Newsom in that category. Very different Democrats. You know, Newsom, Mamdani, Spanberger, Sherrill, very different. What is, if you had to describe it sort of concisely, the Democratic Party brand right now?

HICKS: Well, I would say, you know, we have always claimed to be a big tent party, and I think you see that expressed. It takes one type of candidate to win in New York City. It takes another candidate to win in New Jersey and Virginia. Something different here in California, at the end of the day, the goal is to improve the lives of all Americans. That's the work we've done here in California and the work that we hope to do nationally.

MICHAELSON: Do you think tonight is more of a celebration of the Democratic Party, or sort of a middle finger to Donald Trump.

HICKS: Two things can be true at the same time, right? In many ways, I think it is a direct repudiation of Donald Trump, his policies that are clearly unpopular. There are long lines on college campuses all across California specifically because of the policies of Donald Trump.

MICHAELSON: And yet, when he's on the ballot, his people show up, not so much sometimes when he's not.

HICKS: We'll see how that turns out in 2026.

MICHAELSON: Yes, when he will not be on the ballot, but I'm sure will be a big part.

Of course, we saw in 2018 when he was not on the ballot, huge wins for California Democrats and taking over places like Orange County.

Rusty Hicks, thank you very much again for having us here. We appreciate it, good to see you.

We've got a lot more ahead from here. We've also got some nonpolitical news as well. For that, we check back in with Brian Abel in Washington.

[02:10:08]

ABEL: Well, Elex, Kentucky authorities say at least seven people died when a UPS plane crashed Tuesday, that number is expected to rise. Three crew members were on board when the MD-11 cargo plane went down shortly after takeoff.

Look at this explosion, a giant fireball sending out black smoke that could be seen for miles. Fire officials say the crash set off secondary explosions at a petroleum recycling facility. We are told the fire is controlled. It is contained. Firefighters are doing a grid search now for more victims.

The flight was bound for Honolulu and had just taken off from Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport when it went down.

The plane wasn't carrying hazardous cargo, but Kentucky's governor says where it crashed could cause issues moving forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): I can confirm that there was no specifically hazardous cargo on board of the plane that would create an environmental issue for those around the site, but the impact and where it impacted could create those types of situations. So please, if there is a shelter in place, follow it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And there is a Shelter In Place order for a one mile or 1.5 kilometer radius of the airport. Emergency management officials are monitoring the air quality there, schools in the area will be closed this Wednesday.

The airport is expected to reopen in the hours ahead, as National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrive to begin their work. There is no word yet on what caused this crash.

The UPS says it is working with the federal aviation authorities as well as local and state officials. And in a statement, the company said, in part, our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved. UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers. A Louisville council member says the tragedy will touch many members of the community. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETSY RUHE, LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL MEMBER: My heart goes out to everybody at UPS because this is a UPS town. My cousin is a UPS pilot, my aides' tennis partner is a UPS pilot, the intern in my office works overnight at UPS to pay for college. We all know somebody who works at UPS, and they're all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe.

Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: We will bring you the latest details on the investigation as they become available.

And there is much more to come on the U.S. election. Just ahead, our panel of election experts break down a historic night and what it means going forward.

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[02:17:25]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAMDANI: The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a Democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: That is Democrat Zohran Mamdani who CNN projects will be the next mayor of the largest city in the country, New York City.

President Trump's agenda is facing the first major electoral tests of his second term. CNN projects key victories for Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey's governor's races, as well as here in California in the congressional redistricting vote.

We've got the all-star panel, the big dog staying up late for us tonight. Peter Hamby is the host of Snapchat U.S. politics series, Good Luck America for Puck. He hosts their podcast as well, and CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein coming to us live from Washington, D.C. where it's the middle of the night.

Usually, he's here on the west coast. So, Ron, since you're up so late, let's start with you. And your big takeaway from election night.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. The big takeaway is that the fundamental things apply, as Bogart (ph) might have said.

You know, in the 21st Century, the dominant force in off-year elections have been voter perceptions of the performance of the incumbent president. And all year, strategists in both parties have wondered whether that relationship would fray, because poll after poll shows that voters are also really down on Democrats.

Well, the answer, I think, was pretty clear tonight, that attitudes about Trump, far outweighed voter doubts about Democrats.

You know, in Virginia, in the exit poll, a majority of voters said they had an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party. In New Jersey, it was split exactly evenly, and yet Spanberger and Sherrill won decisively because most voters in both states disapprove of Trump's job performance, and over 90 percent of the disapprovers voted for the Democrats.

Same thing in the California initiative, over 90 percent of the Trump disapprovers voted for the ballot initiative.

And, you know, I said this morning, yesterday morning to Wolf Blitzer on CNN, the closer Democrats got to 90 percent of Trump disapprovers in these races, the more ominous sign -- the more ominous the sign would be for Republicans.

[02:20:03]

Elex, that was the number in 2018, 90 percent of Trump disapprovers voted for Democrats in the House races when they made those big gains, and we saw that core relationship still was very much in play tonight.

MICHAELSON: Because President Trump says I wasn't on the ballot.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, he was.

MICHAELSON: And when I was on the ballot, we do better. You say he was.

BROWNSTEIN: He was on the ballot. I mean, he -- look, I mean, that is the reality. I mean, you know it doesn't -- you know, the Republican candidates in New Jersey and Virginia didn't help themselves by refusing to distance themselves at all from Trump, even when he was taking actions that directly hurt their state. And I think you're going to see a lot of Republicans in '26 kind of forced into the same position.

But the reality is that whether you embrace the president or distance yourself from him, you cannot escape the undertow of an unpopular president.

You know, in 2010 a majority of voters in the exit poll said they had an unfavorable view of the Republican Party, and they gained more seats than either any party had gained in a midterm since 1938 because people were expressing a view about the president. That is what drives American politics now, particularly in these off-year elections. Maybe by '28 the democratic image problems will matter, and they probably will matter if they can't resolve them by '28 but for in the off-year elections, there's just no evidence that views of the party out of the White House exert nearly as much influence as assessments of the president who was actually in the White House, and I think we saw that very clearly, Democrat demonstrated again tonight.

MICHAELSON: Those democratic image problems certainly mattered in 2024. Peter Hamby, your big takeaway from election night 2025.

PETER HAMBY, HOST, SNAPCHAT'S "GOOD LUCK AMERICA": I've learned from Ron Brownstein over the years that what he said just now is exactly right. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals, and off-year elections such as this one, it is impossible to separate the atmospherics of Donald Trump from the elections.

Now, Democrats in New York will say that this is a victory for democratic socialism. Democrats in Virginia will say this is a victory for moderation and running on kitchen table issues and not talking about Donald Trump.

Well, you know what Virginia voters were getting in the mail, partly because my parents were sending me these mail pieces from Richmond. They were talking about Trump and they were talking about prices. They can talk about two things at once. Voters can handle two things in their brain at once.

Stepping back though, looking at Virginia being a good microcosm here, about three million people -- 3.5 million people voted there, a very ominous sign for Republicans heading into next year.

Look at Jay Jones, the attorney general victor in that race, who was hobbled by a texting scandal. People thought he might lose. He won 1.8 million votes in that race, that's more total votes than Terry McAuliffe got when he was running for governor four years ago.

And that's on top of Democrats probably taking an over 60 seat majority in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Look, if you're watching out there, you don't have to care about Virginia. I love it. It's my home state, but probably the best microcosm of the country of all the elections tonight, Democrats absolutely roll up and down the ballot, and that is a bad time for

Republicans.

BROWNSTEIN: You know, Elex, the other point -- the other point out of Virginia especially, but also New Jersey, both of them, is that the groups where Trump made his biggest gains in '24 roll back away from the Republicans.

I mean, you know, he ran very well among young voters. Spanberger and Sherrill each won two thirds of young voters according to the exit polls. Exhibit A of the putative realignment in 2024 was Trump's very real gains among working class nonwhite voters, you know, kind of paralleling what happened earlier among working class white voters.

Well, you know, in the election, Spanberger won 84 percent of nonwhite voters without a college degree, and Sherrill won 76 percent of them.

Among Hispanics in both states, Republicans fell back to about a third, down from Trump's 40 percent plus in 2024. Their Black vote was a small share of his vote in 2024. That doesn't mean these voters are reliable Democrats, necessarily, but it does mean that the predictions, the very exuberant predictions of a lasting realignment in '24 were at the least premature, and that these are now swing voters who are, you know, responding mostly to how they feel the economy is doing, how they feel their lives are going, and the same economic discontent that boosted Trump in '24 is buffeting him and other Republicans now.

And I think is very clearly, you know, in position to hurt them in '26 unless perceptions of the economy and his the impact of his policies on people's finances improve.

MICHAELSON: And you're talking about the economy, and it's interesting sort of how Republicans are processing this loss. Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running for governor of Ohio, of course, ran for president. Was a big MAGA guy, here is what he said about the loss.

[02:25:15]

VIVEK RAMASWAMY (R), OHIO GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Our side needs to focus on affordability, make the American dream affordable, bring down costs, electric costs, grocery costs, health care costs and housing costs, and lay out how we're going to do it.

And number two, cut out the identity politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Peter, what do you make of the fact that that's his response to it, and do you agree with his analysis?

HAMBY: There's a joke with political operatives that that reminds me of, which is somebody got a pullback. Vivek is running in Ohio obviously has gone pretty Republican in the Trump years, but it's very clear that he's seeing the writing on the wall after tonight.

You know, I was looking at the mayor's race down in Cincinnati, democratic city, the Democrat won like 80-20 in that race, after a while, got reelected. It's funny hearing that from Vivek Ramaswamy, who premises entire presidential campaign on culture war issues, identity politics and wokeness, reacting to wokeness, now saying, oh, we got to focus on kitchen table issues, that amused me but I was not (INAUDIBLE).

MICHAELSON: That's his brand.

HAMBY: Absolutely. And we'll see if the Vivek doesn't run an ad about, you know, trans people in the governor's race in Ohio next year. We'll see if he lives up to what he just said.

But no state is immune from the pressures around prices in the economy, you know, gas prices, health care, etcetera. And it's not a presidential year anymore. It's an off-year, and that's when Democrats can probably do well in some house seats and possibly the governor's race, even in a state like Ohio.

MICHAELSON: And Ron, another question is sort of, what are the lessons that Democrats take from this? We heard from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on CNN. Here's some of that. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): The Democratic party cannot last much longer by denying the future, by trying to undercut our young, by trying to undercut a next generation of diverse and upcoming Democrats that have the parties, the actual party, that are actual electorate and voter support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: I mean, the Democratic Party has not embraced on a presidential level, the democratic socialism that Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have talked about, what do you make of this moment for Mamdani and what it means for the future the Democrats?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first of all, I think she's right in a generational sense. I mean, there's no question the Democratic Party has to, you know, have a generational replacement in his leadership, and I think that process is going to be pretty profound over the next few years.

If she's implying that, like Mamdani, is the future of the Democratic Party nationwide, you know, I mean, I think the evidence -- the answer is very clear. There is no single answer for the Democratic Party.

I mean, what we saw in Virginia and New Jersey was how much trouble you can get into a party if you try to impose the same answer everywhere.

I mean, Ciattarelli and, you know, Winsome Earle-Sears, I mean, they would not differentiate themselves from Trump, even when it was -- when he was clearly hurting their own state.

And I think, you know, kind of let a thousand flowers bloom is going to be the mantra of Democrats, and in 2028 we will see a strong candidate from the left, but there is no guarantee that candidate will win.

In fact, I think you know, they would not even be favored. I mean, what -- you know, what happens in New York City is not necessarily reflective of what you're going to see in Democratic primaries, you know, in states all over the country.

So yes, Mamdani reflects a rising current in the Democratic Party, but it's not a majority current, I think, by any means. And the kind of the Sherrill Spanberger lane has as much claim, and probably more claim, to being the dominant view in the party at this point, I think.

MICHAELSON: I'm pretty much out of time. So, one word answer from each of you. Peter, who was the Democratic front runner for 2028 after tonight?

HAMBY: Gavin Newsom, that's two words. It's Gavin Newsom, though.

BROWNSTEIN: I agree.

MICHAELSON: Ron, do you agree. BROWNSTEIN: I agree. Yes.

MICHAELSON: That Gavin Newsom is potentially the leader. And you think about how different he was when Kamala Harris potentially would have been the president, where he potentially could never be president, and now we're talking about him as the presidential front runner. A lot to dig into on that front going forward.

We'll have to have both you back on THE STORY IS. Ron Brownstein, Peter Hamby, thank you so much. Really appreciate your insights to the smartest guys around. It's great having you on.

BROWNSTEIN: Good to be with you guys.

[02:30:00]

MICHAELSON: All right. So after Prop. 50, the next major race in California is for governor. Just ahead, I'll speak live with former U.S. House Democrat and California gubernatorial candidate, Katie Porter, plus Republican candidate, Steve Hilton. You're watching a very special edition of "The Story Is" live from Sacramento.

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[02:35:31]

MICHAELSON: Our special election night coverage continues here on "The Story Is" live from Sacramento. Democrats winning major victories across the U.S. tonight, one of the most significant right here in California. CNN projecting California voters will approve the Democrat-led redistricting measure Prop. 50, which will boost the party's efforts to counter Republican gerrymandering in other states by doing their own gerrymandering here.

The measure will allow the Democrats to redraw congressional lines with the new ones that will make five U.S. House seats more favorable for Democrats. Here to talk about that and more is somebody who knows a thing or two about congressional lines. Katie Porter is a former member of the U.S. House from Irvine. She's a current candidate for governor of California. Congresswoman Porter, good to see you. Welcome to "The Story Is" for the First Time.

REP. KATIE PORTER, (D) CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: So let's talk about Proposition 50, your reaction to pretty overwhelming support from the people of California.

PORTER: I'm not surprised to see the result we got. I think this is really -- Prop. 50 is really about empowering the American people who are really fed up with what Donald Trump has been doing. So Californians are seeing on the ground, in their lives, the effects of tariffs, the threats on healthcare premiums, what's happening in our colleges and universities. And this was their chance to push back on that. So I'm not surprised to see a very strong victory for Prop. 50 tonight. And I think it really tells people that people want to make change. They want to stand up to Donald Trump. This was their opportunity to do it.

MICHAELSON: And for people, including our next guest, Steve Hilton, who's also running for governor, who thinks that this whole thing is unfair, that it actually isn't good for democracy. It's taking away people's right to a fair representation if they live in heavily Republican areas that will now have Democratic Congress members. You say what?

PORTER: Well, look, I actually teach gerrymandering at the University of California Irvine Law School in my legislation class. And so it's really important, I think, to push back on whether Prop -- I don't think Prop. 50, even that's an appropriate term to use with regard to Prop. 50. And let me explain why. What Texas did is they have a gerrymandered legislature, people who -- politicians who pick their own voters, who then went and redrew congressional lines to pick their own voters, again, at the congressional level.

What California did is really different. Our legislature that put these maps before the people of California was a legislature elected using a non-partisan redistricting commission. And when they put those congressional maps together, where did they go? They went straight to the people of California. That literally is Prop. 50. It is those maps. So this is about the people of California deciding how they want to draw their lines. Republicans are in a minority in the state. People who support Donald Trump are a really big minority in the state. And so, I think that explains the outcome we saw on Prop. 50.

MICHAELSON: Let's talk about the race for California governor today. Big news, when Senator Alex Padilla, who a lot of folks thought was going to announce that he was running for governor, sort of surprised everybody by saying he wasn't running. Certainly surprised people with the timing, making this announcement in the middle of the day when people were voting on Proposition 50. Your reaction to Senator Padilla not getting in, where you surprised by that?

PORTER: Well, Senator Padilla is my friend and more importantly, he is my Senator. He is in Washington and here in California, fighting Donald Trump, standing up for immigrants, protecting voting rights. He was so instrumental in helping to pass Prop. 50. I'm really glad. My kids are really glad that Alex Padilla is going to continue to fight for us in Washington. He and Senator Schiff are a formidable player, and I think we need their strong voices in Washington right now. So, I'm really proud to have cast my ballot for Alex Padilla when he was on the ballot, and I'm glad he is going to be there fighting for me.

MICHAELSON: But it also makes the race easier for you to not have him in there, right?

PORTER: Well, look, Alex, we've seen on this field, there has been a lot of speculation throughout this race about who might run and who might not run. And again and again, what the polls have shown, and what I need to do is to continue to do the work with the people of California to stay where I have been, which is at the front of the Democratic field.

[02:40:00] So, that's my job. It's to continue to do what I have done for years, which is talk about the cost of living. This isn't a new talking point for me. It's not something I discovered in a poll. It's who I am, fighting for families who lost their houses to foreclosure, a mom who pushes the shopping carton and pays the bills. I think that is the kind of energy that Americans and Californians want right now. And I think we saw a lot of that results tonight across the country.

MICHAELSON: So this is the first time I've had the chance to talk to you since those videos went very viral, of you having a confrontation with a reporter and then you using language towards a staff member. There was a poll that came out today, that Antonio Villaraigosa paid for who you're running against, so take that with a grain of salt. But, it suggested that that has hurt you politically.

They certainly went to a whole lot of people, a lot of people saw that. What do you say to voters who are concerned about your temperament, who feel like they saw that video, they said, "I don't want that as my governor."

PORTER: Well, so as I've said, and I will continue to say, those videos, they are -- I could have done better. I look at those videos and I know that, and I want Californians to know that. But I'm also going to tell you that what matters to me, what I think matters to Californians is character. Who are you going to fight for? Are you willing to stand up to Donald Trump? Are you going to be tough? Are you someone who's going to change the direction of what the Democratic Party has been doing to make sure that it's delivering for working people, for young people, for our economy?

And so that's what this election is really about. So, it's about my character and the only candidate in this race, as you know, on the Democratic field who's not taking corporate money and corporate PAC money, that says something about me. So as I said, I know I could have handled those two situations better. I absolutely acknowledge that I'm going to continue to communicate with Californians about why I'm in this race and what my vision is, to grow and strengthen California.

MICHAELSON: Katie Porter joining us live from Irvine, California. Thank you so much for being with us. Appreciate it. Always great to talk with you.

PORTER: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: We always like to bring multiple perspectives here on "The Story Is." So joining us now is a leading Republican candidate for California Governor, Steve Hilton, who joins us now from Los Angeles. Steve, welcome to "The Story Is" for the first time.

STEVE HILTON, (R) CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Great to be with you Elex, and congrats on the show. It's fantastic.

MICHAELSON: Thank you very much. Really appreciate that. So, you've been campaigning against Proposition 50, tough night for your side, your reaction and why do you think it went down? HILTON: Well, I think it's a sad night for the millions of Californians who will now be disenfranchised and won't have their voices heard in the same way that a fair system would allow. If you just look at the numbers and the expectation that Democrats win the new seats that they've created, it's going to take 193,000 votes to elect a Democrat to Congress from California, 1.52 million votes to elect a Republican. A Democrat vote in California would be worth eight times a Republican vote. That is obviously unfair and not something that I think most people would support if they really thought about it.

But the real point I think is that Gavin Newsom and the Democrats, I think they may be celebrating a little bit too early tonight, honestly. They called Prop. 50, the Election Rigging Response Act. But what I don't think they anticipated was the response to what they did from other states. And if you look at the national picture, I think that you're going to see a net gain for Republicans in this redistricting war. And that was really prompted by what Gavin Newsom did here.

And also, I think the reaction in California is going to be very strong because the people who gave California the highest poverty rate in the country, the highest unemployment rate in the country, the highest taxes, highest cost of gas, electric bills, everything, the housing costs that are so unmanageable for most people, the Democrats who did that have now entrenched their power even further, so they can try and do more of the same. And I think you're going to get a strong reaction against that next year in the governor's race here in California.

MICHAELSON: But voters had a chance to make a strong reaction against that tonight. I mean, that's what you've been going up and down the state campaigning for, as have other people, and the voters clearly gave Governor Newsom a big sign of approval, did they not?

[02:45:00]

HILTON: Well, I don't think they were voting tonight on my plan for $3 gas, which is what I'll be putting before the voters next year, on my plan to cut electric bills in half.

MICHAELSON: But it's --

HILTON: -- with double the national average.

MICHAELSON: But it seemed like though --

HILTON: On my plan to make housing affordable. It wasn't a choice between a practical alternative to Democrat policies that affect your daily life. It was a conversation about national attitudes towards Donald Trump and redistricting. Also -- you also had a very low turnout in the election today. I don't think that's going to be the case next year when specific issues that affect Californians every single day are going to be right there and voters will have a choice. Do we want more of the same or do we want to change? And I think people will choose change next year because we clearly can't go on as we are after these 15 years of one party rule in California that have made the rich richer, but regular working people have been losing out, small businesses.

I used to run a small business; the pain and struggle of small businesses in California is really, really serious. We can't go on like this. And I think that those issues are going to be the subject of the election next year in a way that they weren't in this special election this year.

MICHAELSON: Yeah, I mean because Governor Newsom went out of his way to make Donald Trump the issue. This was really --

HILTON: Yes.

MICHAELSON: -- not about redistricting for a lot of folks. It was certainly not about California issues. It was about sending a message and giving a middle finger to Donald Trump. That's what they ran on. That's what voters backed. But I'm wondering from your perspective, as somebody who's now trying to run as a Republican in California, if that is concerning?

Because you think back to 2018, which was the last time that there was a midterm during the Trump administration and that midterm was a lot about Donald Trump, and Democrats did really well in California because of that. How do you get over that? How do you make the conversation what you are talking about, about state issues and not about President Trump?

HILTON: Well, you are right. And you heard it just there from Katie Porter. And Katie and I are the leading candidates in the race. We've been in pretty much in all the polls in the top two. So it looks like we may be facing off in the general election next year.

(CROSSTALK)

MICHAELSON: I know we're doing the debate here on "This Story Is."

HILTON: I'd be happy to do it -- all about Donald Trump. But look, we have the highest housing costs in the country, much higher than in Florida, for example. Donald Trump is president also in Florida. He didn't cause the high housing costs in California. Democrats did that. The high gas prices in California, the highest in the country, that's not caused by Donald Trump. That's caused by Democrat policies, on and on through every issue.

I'll be making the case that it's 15 years of one party rule that have brought us to this point where working families can barely afford to pay the bills, where we have the highest unemployment. That's all the result of Democrat policies, not Donald Trump. And so, I think the choice for voters next year, when I'm out there making that case and putting forward a positive alternative to reduce the regulations and the taxes and the nanny state government bloat that's causing all this, actually, I think when that choice is in front of voters, do you want more of the same or do you want to change direction? I think they will choose change. And by the way, the polls will show that right now. People are saying it is time for change in California. How can the people, the Democrats who actually caused these problems be the ones to clear it up? I think that actually, we're going to have a very strong argument there. Yes, they're going to try and make it about Donald Trump. I think Californians are going to see through that next year and vote for change.

MICHAELSON: Steve Hilton, thank you so much for joining us live and sharing your perspective live from Los Angeles. Really appreciate it.

HILTON: Good to be with you. Thanks, Elex.

MICHAELSON: Just ahead, the latest on the deadly crash of a UPS cargo plane at the Louisville Kentucky Airport. Just horrible images there. We'll have more when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:53:46]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the hours ahead, U.S. transportation officials will begin their investigation into what caused the crash of UPS Flight 2976. A warning, you may find the video you are about to see disturbing A camera capturing the moment the flight from Louisville, Kentucky to Honolulu, Hawaii went down shortly after takeoff. Look at this, sending huge flames into the sky. At least seven people were killed. Fire officials say the crash set off secondary explosions at a petroleum recycling facility. The fire is now contained. It is controlled.

A shelter in place order is in effect for the area around the airport. And officials are monitoring air quality. Three crew members had been on board the MD-11 cargo plane. UPS says it will work with state and local officials on response efforts. And Louisville's mayor spoke about the impact the crash is having on the community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG GREENBERG, MAYOR OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: This is an incredibly difficult day for so many people, for our entire city. And once again, we will be praying and sending our love and doing everything we can to support the families, the friends, everyone who has been impacted by this. We ask that nobody touch any debris if there is debris from this crash on your property, but you register that online just as we do after other large incidents, so that we can track that and come out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:55:00]

MICHAELSON: And we will be right back with a special election edition of "The Story Is."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MICHAELSON: Welcome back. If you're a political geek like me, I'm going to give you some trivia to share with your friends at your next party and it's going to make you the coolest kid in the room. OK, so here's some fun facts about the race. New York City's Board of Elections say that two million votes were cast, which is the --

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