If you believe the polls, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom is favored by voters going into the primary election tomorrow. Republican John Cox is in the number two position, followed by Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa in third place.
California’s State Treasurer John Chiang is trailing. The Democrat said the race has turned into a “scam.”
“Billionaires are trying to buy this race. We have a handful of individuals who have dumped in millions of dollars to try and influence this election. We have Gavin Newsom campaigning as the anti-Trump, running commercials that highlight John Cox because he wants to face someone who, frankly, isn’t going to win in a general election.”
Villaraigosa told KABC morning show hosts Doug McIntyre and Leeann Tweeden he faced down the city’s employee unions and promoted a business-friendly environment as mayor of Los Angeles.
“I think the track record is the biggest asset I have in this campaign, and it really is when you think about it. I was mayor of L.A. in the toughest recession since the 1930’s. I had to make tough calls. I think we both know – because you followed that race both times in 2001 and 2005 – I didn’t run on addressing the pension issue in the city. But I had to deal with it and I got current employees to go from 6 percent to 11 percent (of their paychecks to pensions). I made it free to open a business in L.A. because business wasn’t coming to L.A.”
Cox said excessive spending and taxation by the Democrats in Sacramento have given him a chance to become the next governor.
“I think it’s all about the working people in the state. The Democrats have been in charge for eight years. We spend more money on schools. The education system even more than it was before that. Our roads are lousy. We spend four times what Texas does to build a mile of road. That’s corruption. Then the legislature pounds people into poverty with a gas tax increase.”
Cox, Villaraigosa and Chiang were guests on McIntyre in the Morning.
By Sandy Wells
KABC News
