Four questions for Democratic candidates running for California governor
Good morning, happy Monday and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
It was all hustle for the eight major Democratic candidates for California’s 2026 gubernatorial election during the party’s state convention in Anaheim over the weekend: they speed-walked between caucus meetings to give elevator pitch campaign speeches, posed for selfies with supporters and passed out swag at booths in the main convention hall.
A phone-charging station set between two enormous pink velvet couches at the booth of former Senate pro Tempore Toni Atkins invited in those who were depleted in more ways than one.
Businessman Stephen Cloobeck gathered swarms of volunteers and paid canvassers sporting blue t-shirts with his campaign slogan, “California Get a Cloo,” to pass out fliers for the former timeshare mogul’s platform. Several said they were unpaid volunteers who benefited from Cloobeck’s philanthropy to organizations like After-School All-Stars in Los Angeles, though at least one told the L.A. Times he was paid $25 an hour.
Most of the candidates hit events sponsored by influential groups — SEIU, the party’s Chicano Latino Caucus and the Women’s Caucus — in hopes of a future endorsement. (Though the convention was on her home turf, former Rep. Katie Porter missed Saturday events to attend her daughter’s water polo meet.)
Some hosted parties or other social events — Atkins teamed up with the California Young Democrats for a packed party at Anaheim’s House of Blues and Cloobeck brought comedian and roast-master Jeff Ross to a Saturday night event. Former Controller Betty Yee provided coffee for early risers at a Saturday morning “Power Breakfast.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is mulling a run for governor but did not attend the convention. Gov. Gavin Newsom also skipped it.
In between their stuffed schedules, each of the candidates answered a few questions about the state of the race and their party.
Candidates are listed in the order they spoke to The Bee. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
On one word to describe the biggest issue facing Californians
Katie Porter: “Cost.”
Stephen Cloobeck: “California is not open for business.”
Toni Atkins: “Housing.”
Eleni Kounalakis: “Affordability.”
Xavier Becerra: “Affordability.”
Betty Yee: “Affordability and deterioration of the social condition.”
Antonio Villaraigosa: “Cost of living.”
Tony Thurmond: “Affordability.”
On what they’ll do if Kamala Harris enters the race
Porter: “I will see what happens.”
Cloobeck: “Kick her a—.”
Atkins: “I’m running for governor.”
Kounalakis: “Reconsider.”
Becerra: “Welcome her.”
Yee: “I’m going to stay in the race and really continue to lean in on my experience in terms of fiscal and finance.”
Villaraigosa: “I’ve made that crystal clear. I’m in it to win it.”
Thurmond: “That’s a decision I’ll have to make if she gets into the race. I won’t be running for lieutenant governor or any down-ballot office.”
On dealing with the Trump administration
Porter: “When Trump was elected the first time, that was what inspired me to run and get elected in 2018. I did battle when necessary with Trump and his administration, fighting for and winning things like free COVID testing for Americans during the pandemic. The goal is to fight like hell when you need to fight, but if you can find a solution that delivers for California families, great.”
Cloobeck: “There’s no one that’s running for governor right now that’s ever gone head to head with him. I have. We’re dealing with somebody who loves to deal in chaos. We both did reality TV. Both our shows ended in tears: Mine are happy tears. His are tears of unhappiness.”
Atkins: “I will work with anybody to get things done for Californians. But given what’s coming out of Washington right now, and the cruelty that becomes policy, I will stand the ground when it comes to protecting California values.”
Kounalakis: “I’m a former United States ambassador and I sat across the table from Victor Orban for three and a half years as he deconstructed Hungarian democracy. I fully understand the model that Washington and Trump are aspiring to, and I will call out the anti-democratic nature and illegal nature of what he’s doing. But I also will preserve the relationship between California and Washington as needed.”
Becerra: “I did it for four years. I’ll challenge them where we must, and I did that over 120 times as Attorney General. And we work together where we can. While we resisted their efforts to use ICE in conjunction with our local law enforcement, we worked with them to go after the drug cartel criminals trying to smuggle in contraband.”
Yee: “Definitely continuing to push back. We will fight for every ounce of funding that should come to California, and look also for opportunities where we’re developing our own financial resilience, so that, hopefully over time, we’re not as dependent on federal funds.”
Villaraigosa: “We’re going to stand up for California values. The best way to fight Trump, is to improve the quality of life of people in this state. If we don’t address (affordability), we’re going to lose people.”
Thurmond: “It’s a dance and it requires a lot of creativity because in some places, we have to push back, but in other things, you have to be to work with the administration. I’m signed on to six different lawsuits that push back on his attempts to take away money from the Department of Education.”
On Newsom’s shift to the political center
Porter: “I can’t really comment on our current governor, other than to say that I’m grateful that he continues to fight Trump. I can only speak for me, and I think that people in California have the same values they’ve always had. We care about clean air and clean water. We care about making sure that people’s rights are protected.”
Cloobeck: “It’s tough for me to judge what Gavin does. Gavin is going to do what Gavin does.”
Atkins: “My heart really goes out to the young person who’s just trying to compete. My record is clear. I think we cannot let cruelty become policy, and we really have to stay focused on supporting these individuals.”
Kounalakis: “I admire him for getting out of his comfort zone. I am sure that Democratic policies are better for Americans, but we need to do a better job convincing them of that.”
Becerra: “It’s a free country.”
Yee: “I wish I could understand it more because frankly, I hope that what really anchors the work a governor does is our values as a state. I think there have been many communities that are just perplexed at the kind of change in position on a lot of things.”
Villaraigosa: “I’m not running against Governor Newsom.”
Thurmond: “I disagree with it. I think we have to hold the line in protecting the rights of our LGBTQ+ students and our transgender athletes. I suspect he’s doing this because he has to articulate a message that shows that he can move closer to the center.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Things are probably going to get worse before they get better, but that is not a reason to throw up our hands. It is a reason to roll up our sleeves.”
— Former Vice President Kamala Harris in a video message to CADEM convention attendees
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This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 4:55 AM.
CORRECTION: This story previous referred to Betty Yee as a former State Treasurer and has been updated to reflect that Yee is a former State Controller.