California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and dozens of elected officials are calling on Taylor Swift to postpone her Los Angeles concerts in solidarity with striking hotel workers organized by Unite Here Local 11.
The call for postponement comes mere days after Kounalakis attended Swift’s concert at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Driving the news: In an open letter to Swift, Kounalakis and others wrote, “Hotel workers are fighting for their lives. They are fighting for a living wage. They have gone on strike… Speak Now! Stand with hotel workers and postpone your concerts.”
- Four days ago, Kounalakis – currently vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026 – posted photos from Swift’s concert at the home of the San Francisco 49ers.
The move by Kounalakis and other California Democrats caught some rebuke from other Democrats in the legislature, including Sen. Josh Becker (D–Menlo Park), who wrote of the solidarity play: “This seems like a bad idea to me. So many people have bought tickets, some overpaying on the resale market. 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.”
