Overview:
The contest to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited, has drawn a crowded field under California’s top-two primary system
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is centering his campaign for governor on housing, health care, and cost-of-living relief, arguing that economic pressures facing working families should drive the state’s priorities.
Speaking during an April 30 interview hosted by American Community Media, Thurmond said “a better California is possible and that we have to build it together,” outlining a platform focused on expanding housing, lowering costs, and increasing access to care.
The contest to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited, has drawn a crowded field under California’s top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on a single ballot and the two highest vote-getters advance to November regardless of party. With multiple well-known candidates competing for support, the outcome remains uncertain heading into the June 2 primary.
Thurmond is among several Democrats seeking the office, alongside Becerra, Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, investor Tom Steyer, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. Republicans in the race include Hilton and Bianco.
A recent CBS News poll showed a fragmented field, with Steve Hilton at 16%, Tom Steyer at 15%, Xavier Becerra at 13%, Chad Bianco at 10%, and Katie Porter at 9%, while more than a quarter of voters remained undecided. Thurmond registered at 1% in that survey.
Thurmond addressed questions about his campaign’s low standing, emphasizing voter engagement over polling. “I just don’t think that polls elect anyone. People do,” he said. He added that he intends to stay in the race through Election Day. “My name is on the ballot. I’m in it to the end. And I’m running to win.”
Within that crowded field, Thurmond has staked out a platform rooted in economic equity. He has proposed building 2 million housing units, supporting single-payer health care and raising taxes on billionaires to fund tax credits for working- and middle-class Californians. “My plan is to help our state build two million housing units, and to make sure that Californians have access to good-paying jobs,” he said.
He tied those priorities to his upbringing, describing a childhood shaped by financial hardship after his mother died when he was 6. “We used free lunches, food stamps, and government cheese,” and other forms of public assistance, he said, adding that education ultimately “changed my life.”
On immigration, Thurmond said he would continue pushing to limit enforcement actions in sensitive areas and expand protections for undocumented residents. “I was the first candidate to call for abolishing ICE,” he said, adding that he would work toward “a pathway to citizenship.” He also pointed to policies aimed at keeping immigration enforcement out of schools. “To date, we have not had ICE in our schools,” he said.
Thurmond said his support for universal health care is rooted in personal experience, recounting the death of his brother after losing health coverage. “No person should lose their life simply because they don’t have health insurance,” he said, calling for a system that would “take the profit out of health care” and focus on patient care.
Affordability remains a defining issue in the race, particularly the rising cost of housing, transportation, and basic goods. Thurmond said the state’s role is to provide relief while increasing supply. “The governor and the state can’t just make prices go down,” he said, “but we can create conditions that ultimately will support bringing costs down.”
He described California’s housing shortage as “a crisis of supply and demand” and said expanding construction is key to lowering costs over time.
As the race accelerates toward June, Thurmond’s challenge is clear: translate a working-class message into broader traction in a crowded, unsettled field—where visibility, not just policy, may determine who advances.
This interview is part of a series hosted by American Community Media to give ethnic media outlets direct access to gubernatorial candidates on issues including immigration, health care and affordability ahead of the June primary.
