Gavin Newsom’s successor is already making waves — here are the top 5 things you need to know about the california governor race.
- The frontrunner is a moderate Democrat who has broken with the party on housing policy, promising to fast-track 500,000 new units and override local zoning laws, which has alienated progressives but attracted major tech endorsements.
- A high-profile independent candidate, a former Silicon Valley CEO, is polling at 18% by spending millions on ads that attack both party establishments, focusing on water infrastructure and tax cuts for remote workers.
- Recall chatter is back: A grassroots group is already collecting signatures to force a special election if the winner doesn’t immediately address the state’s $30 billion budget deficit.
- The wild card is an environmental activist running on a platform to ban all new oil drilling and impose a wealth tax on billionaires, drawing massive small-dollar donations and threatening to split the progressive vote.
- A recent poll shows 45% of voters are still undecided, with the top issue being the rising cost of living — candidates are scrambling to avoid being labeled as either a “fast food wage hike radical” or a “corporate shill.”