Gubernatorial Choices in California
1. Xavier Becerra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Becerra and https://www.xavierbecerra2026.com
Xavier Becerra is the most experienced and accomplished (in government) of the bunch. I first met and was very impressed by him in 1989 when he was elected to the California Assembly and joined the Way and Means Committee then chaired by my boss Burt Margolin. He was solid and thoughtful from the start. Thereafter, he served in Congress rising to leadership, as California Attorney General, and as HHS Secretary under Biden with great distinction and a lot of success. Most importantly for me has been his steadfast support of the Affordable Care Act and the big progress in covering the uninsured and reining in drug costs during his tenure as HHS Secretary.
2. Tom Steyer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Steyer and https://www.tomsteyer.com
Tom Steyer founded and led a hugely successful hedge fund in San Francisco. He has financed and led many important environmental movements. He has been a generous and ground-breaking philanthropist. He has run for the Presidency and is now running for California’s governorship on a very progressive platform that includes support for single payor health care as proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders.
3. Katie Porter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Porter and https://katieporter.com
Katie Porter is a protégé of Senator Elizabeth Warren. She was an Orange County Congresswoman who came into the national spotlight through her aggressive and effective cross-examinations of federal officials. She has been a passionate and impassioned advocate in Congress on a wide range of issues from health to housing.
4. Matt Mahan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Mahan and https://www.mahanforcalifornia.com
Matt Mahan is Mayor of San Jose. He is the youngest and most business friendly of the top Democratic candidates. He has a lot of support from Silicon Valley business leaders. He touts his success as Mayor in reducing homelessness, building new housing and reducing crime.
5. Steve Hilton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hilton and https://stevehiltonforgovernor.com
Steve Hilton is a British conservative and was an adviser to the David Cameron government. He became a naturalized US citizen in 2021 and has been a Fox News commentator and ardent Trump supporter. He has never held elective office. He is endorsed by Donald Trump.
6. Chad Bianco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_Bianco and https://biancoforgovernor.com
Chad Bianco is the sheriff of Riverside County. He has apparently not been effective in assuring inmate safety in the county jail, resulting in inmate deaths and an investigation of allegedly unconstitutional practices. He appears to have been affiliated with some pretty extremist right-wing groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Constitutional Sheriffs Assn. He recently achieved notoriety by seizing over 600,000 elections ballots, saying he was investigating election fraud. https://calmatters.org/newsletter/chad-bianco-emails/ He is running a law and order campaign to restore “the California Dream”.
The best advice I have read is to listen to and/or watch the three upcoming debates, do not vote early, and to consolidate on the Democratic candidate most likely to prevail in November. Otherwise, the two Republicans could win the top two positions amid a crowded and fractured Democratic field. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37TlUw8r9IY For information on tonight’s debate, see https://apnews.com/article/california-governor-democrats-steyer-porter-becerra-hilton-1b73c5ff346aeb1b668ea024cfe0e298