As you know, we are desperately in search of candidates for governor in 2026 who will challenge powerful interests even when doing so could jeopardize their political prospects. That’s because we’ve seen the consequences from the approach taken by our current governor, Gavin Newsom, who only challenges interests that can’t harm his political prospects. He did it again last week in an interview about defending immigrants from Trump Administration policies:
Mr. Newsom grew emotional, tears welling and his face turning scarlet.
“I’m going to have the back of those folks every goddamn second of the day,” he said.
Contrast that with Mr. Newsom not having the backs of California kids locked out of schools during the pandemic. As a result of his failure to act, no state had less in-person education:
The difference in Newsom’s reactions to the two situations is pure politics. While his Democratic Party prospects would’ve been at risk if he had challenged teachers’ unions who were in no hurry to open schools, those prospects are not hurt and potentially enhanced when he challenges a Republican policy. He uses the same technique to distract audiences from patronage spending and legislation.
California’s lockout of schoolchildren ranks among the state’s most shameful public policies ever. In 2026, we must elect a governor who puts the public interest ahead of personal political ambitions.
