California Governor's Race Heats up Ahead of Primary
The race for California’s next governor is in full swing, but it’s only growing more unpredictable as we inch closer to the June 5 primary. The frontrunner, still, is Lieutenant Governor and former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, but a February poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is hot on his heels, climbing within two percentage points behind Newsom’s 23-percent figure.
However, the same poll indicates 24 percent of voters are undecided or otherwise unsure of who to vote for, so it’s safe to assume many Californians are still a little hazy with our gubernatorial candidates’ platforms and history. With nearly two dozen declared candidates from the two major parties alone, it is also overwhelming to sort through every single one. But with less than three months until California decides their “top two” candidates to send on the November ballot, there are only six candidates with any plausible chance of winning the California governorship.
Gavin Newsom (D) — Although the Lieutenant Governor is the frontrunner, he’s tried before. Newsom initially ran for governor in 2010, but dropped out after eventual winner Jerry Brown entered the race. Newsom was the first to announce his candidacy for governor in November 2015, despite the fact that the election wouldn’t be held for three more years. His platform includes budget increases for public education and the adoption of a statewide universal-healthcare bill.
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) — Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013 and speaker of the state assembly from 1998 to 2000, Villaraigosa claims his campaign is aimed at middle-class Californians who feel left behind in the state’s “new economy.” He successfully guided L.A. through an economic downturn, revitalizing the city’s public transportation system and lowering crime during his two terms as mayor. Spending increases in public education and improvements to transportation infrastructure are also a core part of his platform.
Read more: http://www.sfweekly.com/news/california-governors-race-heats-up-ahead-of-primary/
= new reply since forum marked as read
