Tom Steyer is running for California governor as a populist billionaire
Billionaire businessman and activist Tom Steyer who once self-financed an unsuccessful White House campaign and spent his own money advocating for President Donald Trump s impeachment has launched his bid for California governor as a Democrat The -year-old s tremendous wealth right away makes him a notable contender in a free-for-all that includes more than a half-dozen Democrats and two Republicans competing in an all-party June primary with the top two vote-getters advancing to a November general referendum to succeed term-limited Gov Gavin Newsom Steyer reported his candidacy with a pledge to improve economic conditions and by framing his political record as friendly to consumers working-class voters and the milieu Californians deserve a life they can afford he announced in a video distributed Wednesday morning But the Californians who make this state run are being run over by the cost of living The approach puts Steyer on a collision program with other candidates like progressive Congresswoman Katie Porter former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former U S Physical condition and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra At one time Porter was viewed as a top contender but the contest is now seen as wide open Steyer s wealth could give him an advantage in reaching voters through television and digital advertising in an expansive state with nearly million people and multiple media markets Steyer nodded to his wealth Wednesday noting his business enterprises made billions of dollars But he also sounded populist tones The richest people in America think that they earned everything themselves he reported before dismissing that notion with an expletive for bovine excrement That s so ridiculous Steyer noted he would make corporations pay their fair share again and his campaign cited his previous work on ballot initiatives with similar aims Steyer was a leading advocate for a ballot initiative that made it harder for corporations to avoid certain taxes The new revenue was steered to vigor improvements in the state s populace schools In other referendum work Steyer helped lead the campaign that yielded a per-pack tax hike on tobacco products The money was steered to state soundness care programs including tobacco-prevention efforts And Steyer was a top opponent of a ballot initiative that would have rolled back California s clean air and surroundings law which has been viewed as a national standard on atmosphere agenda Steyer spent millions of his own money touring the country and pushing for Trump s impeachment during the Republican president s first term He then ran for the Democratic presidential nomination spending more than million of his fortune and receiving no pledged delegates After distant finishes in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary Steyer doubled-down with an expensive push in South Carolina only to finish a distant third behind eventual nominee and President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen Bernie Sanders Steyer then ended his presidential bid and he financially supported Biden s reelection in before the Democrat bowed out in favor of then-Vice President Kamala Harris another Californian Steyer s latest campaign comes amid particular Democrats questioning Porter s candidacy after her combative exchanges with a TV journalist spread online in October He has long been mentioned along with Harris as a likely heavyweight candidate who could join the field Harris who is on a national tour promoting her campaign memoir has commented consistently that she has no plans to run suggesting instead that any future campaign would be for the presidency I will be voting she informed The Associated Press on Oct when requested about entering the governor s race Questioned whether she was satisfied with the field as Porter faced her most of intense criticism Harris explained only that she needed Democrats to have the best and the brightest running and winning and that she was not actively involved Source
