Clashes over gasoline, housing and insurance mark the debate in California towards the next governor

The California gubernatorial debate became a tense and disorderly confrontation from its first minutes, with personal attacks, constant interruptions and deep differences on key issues. such as the price of gasoline, the housing crisis, insurance and health care.

During the first half hour, the moderators had difficulty maintaining order among the eight candidates, in a scenario that reflected the political polarization of the state.

Democrat Katie Porter even attacked her political rivals, whom she described as “worse than her teenage children.”

insurance disaster

One of the most tense moments occurred when Katie Porter called Idea FAIR a “huge financial burden.””, in reference to the proposal of Republican Chad Bianco, sheriff of Riverside County.

Porter proposed that the state support insurers to make reinsurance cheaper and attract them back to the market: “There are ways to use state funds… to purchase more affordable policies.”

However, the exchange reflected a larger problem: California is facing an insurance crisis linked to wildfires and climate risks, which has led several companies to leave the state.

Housing, the most ambitious promise

Given that California faces one of the deepest housing deficits in the United States, with millions of homes missing and prices constantly risingthe debate opened the door to proposals to address this crisis.

The one who took advantage of this issue was the state superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, who promised to build millions of homes on public land: “We will build 2 million homes… and 2.3 million by 2030.”

He stated that homeownership is “the American dream” and that he would work to provide down payment assistance grants to those who want to buy a home.

For its part, Porter insisted on accelerating permits and reducing costs, while Antonio Villaraigosa proposed a $25 billion support program for first-time buyers.

Economy and Trump in the shadows

The energy issue also generated confrontations. Democratic businessman Tom Steyer attributed the high fuel prices to the international context and President Donald Trump.

“That war has skyrocketed prices… and the cost for oil companies has not increased a single cent,” he said.

Steyer even posited that California should have the ability to outsource oil refining to reduce reliance on local refineries.

In contrast, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan proposed suspending the state’s gas tax, calling it “California’s most regressive tax.”

However, Xavier Becerra warned that eliminating this tax would put infrastructure financing at risk: “Somehow you have to finance everything.”

For its part, Republican Steve Hilton, a favorite of Donald Trump, remained firm on the idea of ​​​​cutting that tax in half. He also noted that he would seek to boost oil production in California.

Health and national politics

Medical care also led to political attacks. Becerra, former federal health secretary, said: “We need someone who will fight Donald Trump, not agree with him.”

In response, Hilton noted that this type of speech shows “what is wrong with politics in California.”

Becerra added: “We need someone who will fight Donald Trump, not agree with him.”
Hilton responded that Democrats “can’t do anything but blame Trump,” which led to an exchange of statements between the two candidates.

“Steve, would you oppose Donald Trump’s cuts?” Becerra asked.
“The actual amount of money the federal government allocates to health care will increase this year,” Hilton responded, sparking Becerra’s rejection.

“The only person who has led a health system, the largest in the world, is me,” said Becerra. “I expanded health care beyond anything ever seen in the country’s history, so if you want to talk about what works, ask someone who’s actually done it.”

Education

On the educational topic, a Pomona College student questioned the candidates about the cost of education.

Thurmond proposed a deferred payment model: “They can use that money to buy a house or start a business.”

“As governor, I will implement this program to help reduce debt for California students,” he said.

Antonio Villaraigosa called tuition at the state’s top universities, including the University of Southern California and Stanford University, “unacceptable.” He said his experience working with the Los Angeles Unified School District during his tenure as mayor supports his approach to education.

Katie Porter, for her part, proposed two years of free tuition in the state’s public higher education systems: the University of California (UC) and the California State University.

Thus, the debate revealed not only the profound differences between the candidates, but also the complexity of the challenges facing California. With ambitious proposals and conflicting positions, The gubernatorial race is shaping up to be one of the most contested in recent years.

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