Possible presidential candidate to be among speakers at Panetta Lecture Series finale

MONTEREY – The title of the Panetta Lecture Series’ final event this year is “The Legacy of Free and Fair Elections,” but the discussion June 1 will no doubt cover a whole lot more with possible 2028 presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel and noted political consultant Karl Rove among those on the panel.

Emanuel, who most recently dentialwas the ambassador to Japan and perhaps better known as President Barack Obama’s chief of staff for a time, has made a number of media appearances speaking on current events and policy. Although the prominent Democrat has made no announcement, many speculate he is eyeing a run for the presidency in 2028. Rove, a Republican, was a senior adviser to George W. Bush and deputy chief of staff of the 43rd president.

Also on the panel, led by former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, will be conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt and former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan, who ran for president in 2020 and chaired the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, which investigated the Jan. 6 United States Capitol attack.

The Panetta series winds up its 29th year at 7 p.m. June 1 at the Monterey Conference Center.

Panetta, the chairman and co-founder, along with his wife Sylvia, of the Panetta Institute noted in the press release announcing the lecture that "With only six months to the midterm elections, the basic principle of the right to vote in free and fair elections and to have your vote counted is under attack.

"Blue and Red states are engaged in a tit-for-tat exchange of gerrymandered redistricting. The Supreme Court has gutted the Voting Rights Act. President Trump is pressuring states to turn over their voter rolls and is threatening to send military

or federal agents to polling places. There are those who question the results of the 2020 presidential election and refuse to acknowledge the events of the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol. How can we restore confidence in our elections? How can we protect this essential element of our Democracy and ensure that the right to vote is protected for every American?”

The full title of the season-ending lecture is “The Legacy of Free and Fair Elections – Strong Check and Balance or Constitutional Right in Trouble?” and Panetta adds that the panel features experts from both parties who

“have first-hand knowledge of campaigns, elections and their consequences."

Tickets to the event are $100 and can be purchased by calling the Panetta Institute at (831) 582-4200 to pay with a credit card.

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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 1:10 PM.