Kim Guadagno, New Jersey's lieutenant governor and a candidate for governor, is pictured. | AP Photo Playbook Beyond the Beltway Jerry Brown talks climate in China -- Primary day in New Jersey

CALIFORNIA PLAYBOOK -- per David Siders and Carla Marinucci -- Another big day for Jerry Brown in China, at center stage talking climate — as Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced his state would become the 10th to join the U.S. Climate Alliance founded by Brown, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. And they’ll now get a big assist from the tech industry, which announced a new climate coalition — this one lead by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. http://politi.co/2rx1kzf

ILLINOIS PLAYBOOK -- per Natasha Korecki -- Despite some pushback within labor and protests from fellow Democrats, the state’s umbrella group for organized labor, the AFL-CIO, is preparing its endorsement vote today. There was significant arm-twisting behind the scenes in the last several weeks, but two sources again told us that if the vote is called today, that means the votes are there for J.B. Pritzker for governor.


Early this morning, Capitol Fax reported that Pritzker has the votes. Why this is important: It’s a significant show of strength for a primary candidate to have this early of a pledge from the state’s powerful, politically active and highly motivated labor organizations. (We should note that AFSCME and SEIU have said they would not endorse this early.) An AFL-CIO’s nod for Pritzker means he’ll have automatic troops on the ground and can work to build support on the left by touting the union endorsement. However, it also plays into opponent Chris Kennedy’s theme (and GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner’s) that the Democratic party in Illinois is controlled by insiders, including House Speaker Mike Madigan.

The fact that Pritzker is already on TV — and that he’s spending money in targeted House districts to combat Rauner’s attacks — went a long way to convincing labor that he is willing to spend his own resources to benefit the party. http://politi.co/2rHXty2

NEW YORK PLAYBOOK -- per Jimmy Vielkind and Azi Paybarah -- Routine exercise is important, but questions about how to get to the gym for that exercise are not important, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday in a series of exchanges with reporters. The mayor regularly takes a fleet of SUVs 12.5 miles from Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side to his preferred gym in his old Park Slope, Brooklyn neighborhood. Critics argue that de Blasio’s lengthy car rides to a gym so far from his home and office undermines, among other things, his criticism of President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate deal, which is aimed at cutting carbon emissions.

“Everyone in their own life has to change their own habits to start protecting the earth,” de Blasio said last week, when he announced the city would try to cut carbon emissions despite Trump’s actions. That prompted Nicole Gelinas, a contributing editor at the Manhattan Institute, to write, “When the mayor is brave enough to suggest congestion pricing — or can restrain himself from handing out tens of thousands of free parking placards to union workers — he can lament Trump’s decision.”

De Blasio routinely brushes aside questions about his gym-driving routine as proof the media has lost their mind. “I have to achieve what I have to achieve for the people,” de Blasio said yesterday on NY1. “If this is what you want to talk about, you really should be thinking about bigger stuff. That’s all I can say you. This is not what should matter.” He added: "I think you guys think these tabloid headlines are what people care about. They don’t care about that. They care about what is actually going on in their lives."

For some people — like the passengers stuck “for over an hour w/o light and air" — traveling throughout the city is what they care about.

NEW JERSEY PLAYBOOK -- per Matt Friedman -- Today is primary day, the first electoral step toward a post-Chris Christie New Jersey.

Former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. Ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy for the Democrats and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno for the Republicans have been the front-runners from the beginning. Still, the Republican contest appears to be substantially closer than the Democratic race.

Here are 7 things to watch...1) Christie fatigue...2) Murphy’s margin...3) Where does Jim Johnson go from here?...4) The Republican nominee’s relationship with President Donald Trump...5) Will there be Republican backlash in down-ballot races over the gas tax increase?...6) Portents from Legislative District 40?...7) The NJEA's influence in Legislative District 31 http://politi.co/2sOGV6P

FLORIDA PLAYBOOK -- per Marc Caputo -- Businessman Scott Fuhrman spent as much as $1.5 million of his own money in an unsuccessful attempt last year to unseat Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. But the upstart Democrat’s candidacy was a sign that the Republican incumbent, who sits in the nation’s most anti-Trump seat held by a Republican, would face stronger electoral headwinds from Trump, whom she didn’t support. Ros-Lehtinen, who said she would win again if she sought reelection, nevertheless decided to leave FL-27 after next year — and suddenly a flood of candidates wants a shot at the seat. But that won't include Fuhrman, who has decided to drop out of the race (technically he’s suspending his campaign) because it’s best for the party and his family. “I have the best of both worlds: I got Ileana to retire and I don't have to go to Washington and be away from my family,” Fuhrman said with a laugh.

One of those Democrats weighing a bid for FL-27 is Mary Barzee Flores, who could make a decision this week. A well-respected attorney who almost became a federal judge, she was blocked from sitting on the bench by Sen. Marco Rubio (he said she wasn’t completely honest with him; her backers say that’s not accurate). With potential access to trial lawyer money and perhaps help from EMILY’s List, Barzee Flores could pose the biggest challenge in the multi-candidate Democratic primary to state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez. http://politi.co/1OC2BLg

MASSACHUSETTS PLAYBOOK -- per Lauren Dezenski -- As the state’s budget picture (and still uncertain deficit) comes into clearer focus a month out from the end of the fiscal year, Gov. Charlie Baker and House Speaker Robert DeLeo maintain there is no reason for further alarm as the state continues to “nip and tuck” its way into the 2018 fiscal year. Numbers are, for the most part, as leaders have expected for the last month — the latest Department of Revenue numbers for May were $30 million higher than anticipated, though still $439 million below the projected amount for so far this year.

What’s next? DeLeo told reporters yesterday that a sit-down between Ways and Means chairs, as well as economists, could be on the horizon to “decide if any change is necessary” during the conference committee process before the budget is actually finalized before July 1.

Meanwhile, Senate President Stan Rosenberg is using this as another opening to argue for the proposed levy on income earners over $1 million slated for the 2018 budget and another push to close loopholes in the state’s tax code. “You’re not going to reform your way out of this problem,” Rosenberg said of the short-term budget tweaks. “There needs to be additional new revenues discussed.” http://politi.co/2rIeU1k



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