Backlash to Taylor Swift inquiry fails to sway Calif. lieutenant governor

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is doubling down on her request for Taylor Swift to postpone her upcoming concerts in Los Angeles to show solidarity with striking hotel workers in the region.

Kounalakis — who is running for governor in 2026 — faced criticism Wednesday for agreeing to join with dozens of other state and local politicians in sending an open letter to Swift urging the singer to delay her Los Angeles concerts. The editorial board of the Orange County Register penned an opinion piece Wednesday accusing Kounalakis of virtue signaling and hypocrisy given that Kounalakis attended one of Swift’s two concerts in the Bay Area last week (it should be noted that hotel workers in the Bay Area are not on strike, and Kounalakis has only asked for LA shows to be postponed).

Furthermore, state Sen. Josh Becker, who represents parts of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, called Kounalakis’ ask a “bad idea,” tweeting, “Clearly we can find other ways to support the strikers that don’t dash the dreams of young fans who have been so looking forward to this concert.”

In a statement to SFGATE on Thursday, Kounalakis stood by her decision to sign the letter when presented with these criticisms.

“All workers deserve dignity and fair wages,” she said. “I stand with Unite HERE in their fight for a living wage, and I hope we can use this moment to bring attention to the hardworking men and women who are the engine of our economy.”

Thousands of hotel workers in Los Angeles and Orange County walked off the job last month after members of Unite Here Local 11 voted to authorize a strike. Members are demanding better pay, as well as a better pension plan and improved health care benefits. They’re also asking their employers to hire more staff so that daily workloads become more manageable.

The editorial board of the Orange County Register levied the charge that Kounalakis, who has associated more closely with the moderate wing of the Democratic Party as opposed to the progressive one, is being deeply cynical in trying to shore up union support.

“Clearly, Kounalakis is trying to gain favor with the union and virtue signal to other unions since she is now also running for governor of California,” the board wrote. “As far as we can tell, Kounalakis’ most notable interaction with unions traces back to her 2019 arrangement of having unions help pony up hundreds of thousands of dollars to refurbish her office.”

The letter to Swift was signed by more than 50 state and local politicians, including Assemblymember Isaac Bryan — the majority leader in that chamber — and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn. It claimed that hotels are making more money than ever, a phenomenon that hasn’t yet been reflected in how workers are compensated.

“Your shows make our region’s hotels a lot of money,” the letter said. “In Los Angeles, hotels are doubling and tripling what they charge because you are coming. The hotels are making more money than ever, but many workers cannot afford to live close to where they work. Some of them even sleep in their cars between shifts. Others are at risk of losing their homes.”