GUEST OPINION
Tom Steyer (Photo – tomsteyer.com)
Since April 10, we have witnessed the astonishing rise of Xavier Becerra in the California gubernatorial race. His polling numbers surged from 2% on April 7 to 24% by April 30. While Eric Swalwell’s candidacy certainly contributed to some polling volatility, something else was happening behind the political curtain. The California Democratic Party quickly began funneling money into Political Action Committees (PACs) and Independent Expenditures (IEs) to support Becerra and provide the media boost needed to propel his campaign.
By Cheryl Auger
At the same time, Newsom’s top strategists joined Becerra’s effort, helping secure endorsements and donations while directing millions of dollars from PACs and IEs toward opposing Tom Steyer. There is also evidence suggesting coordination between the PACs, the IEs, and Becerra’s campaign, conduct that would be illegal.
On April 7, Steyer was polling at 13% and Porter at 8%, both ahead of Eric Swalwell. If the Democratic Party’s primary concern was ensuring a Democrat advanced to the November election, one would have expected party leaders to support one of the top-performing candidates. Instead, they chose to elevate an establishment Democrat who, only weeks earlier, appeared to have little chance of becoming California’s next governor. It was a major gamble that could have further split the vote and potentially allowed two Republicans to advance to the general election.
If it took only 20 days to solidify Xavier Becerra’s lead, I hope it takes even less time for Tom Steyer to reclaim that lead and become California’s next governor. Tom Steyer’s platform is focused on people — healthcare, climate action, and affordable living — policies Californians urgently need. These are also the very issues establishment Democrats have failed to adequately address in the past. That is why I will be voting for a better California. I will be voting for Tom Steyer.
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