Billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s record on California’s affordability crisis while carefully avoiding direct criticism of the term-limited governor’s job performance, raising questions about whether deep-pocketed Democratic challengers will truly confront the failures that have driven working families out of the Golden State.
Story Snapshot
- Tom Steyer enters California’s 2026 gubernatorial race focusing on affordability and housing costs, positioning himself as an alternative to Newsom’s legacy without directly attacking the outgoing governor
- Six Democratic candidates now openly challenge Newsom’s $24 billion homelessness spending record and failed housing policies as the June primary approaches
- Newsom faces separate backlash over viral comments at Atlanta book tour that critics viewed as racially condescending, undermining his national presidential ambitions
- The crowded Democratic field signals growing willingness to acknowledge California’s policy failures under progressive leadership, though solutions remain tied to more government intervention
Steyer Reenters California Politics on Affordability Platform
Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate activist and former 2020 presidential candidate, declared his candidacy for California governor at a February 4, 2026 Black Action Alliance debate, emphasizing affordability as his central campaign theme. Steyer pledged to tackle the state’s housing crisis and rising costs that have made California unlivable for middle-class families, stating “Californians can’t afford to live here… I’ll go after those costs.” His self-funded campaign positions him as an outsider willing to fight special interests, though his progressive policy prescriptions including rent control and billionaire taxes mirror the same government-heavy approach that created California’s current mess.
Democrats Finally Confront Newsom’s Failed Record
The 2026 gubernatorial race marks a dramatic shift as six Democratic candidates abandon the previous reluctance to criticize Newsom’s two-term tenure, directly attacking his $24 billion homelessness spending that produced minimal results. Candidates including Antonio Villaraigosa, Eric Swalwell, Betty Yee, Tony Thurmond, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joined Steyer in recent debates challenging Newsom’s legacy on housing affordability, taxation, and crime. This represents California Democrats finally acknowledging what conservatives have warned about for years—progressive policies concentrating power in Sacramento have devastated working families while enriching coastal elites and government bureaucracies.
Newsom’s Tone-Deaf Comments Spark Separate Controversy
Governor Newsom generated additional backlash during a February 2026 Atlanta book tour stop promoting his memoir, where he disclosed his dyslexia and 960 SAT score in remarks critics deemed patronizing toward Black audiences. A viral clip captured Newsom stating “I am like you. I’m a 960 SAT guy. I can’t read,” which California GOP Chair Corrin Rankin condemned as racially insensitive condescension. Newsom’s staff dismissed the criticism as “MAGA-manufactured” smears, despite the governor’s well-documented history of tone-deaf elitism. The incident highlights Newsom’s struggle balancing presidential ambitions with defending his California record against both Republican opponents and now his own party’s gubernatorial candidates.
California Voters Trapped Between Failed Policies
The gubernatorial field’s proposed solutions reveal how California voters face a choice between varying degrees of the same progressive failures that created the affordability crisis. While candidates correctly identify homelessness, housing costs, and taxation as urgent problems, their prescriptions double down on rent control, zoning mandates, and wealth redistribution rather than reducing regulatory burdens strangling construction and small businesses. Steyer’s platform pushes prefabricated housing technology and anti-corporate rhetoric, while other Democrats propose billionaire taxes that will drive more job creators from the state. For frustrated Californians who remember when middle-class families could afford homes and safe neighborhoods, this race offers little hope that Sacramento’s political class has learned anything from decades of progressive policy disasters.
Sources:
Newsom backlash and POLITICO’s new bureau chief in CA – POLITICO
California gubernatorial candidates address antisemitism crisis – The Jerusalem Post
