By Simone Henry
This November 6, California will be voting in a new governor. Here is a quick look at the candidates and then their views on affordability, the environment and energy, education, and immigration. John H. Cox is the Republican candidate and Gavin Newsom is the Democratic candidate.
Cox has little public record in comparison with Newsom, but Cox has run for multiple positions including county recorder of deeds, U.S. House and Senate, and briefly for president in 2008, although he did not win elections. Cox has spent most of his life as a real estate investor and businessman in Chicago and California.
Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. In his second term campaign in 2007, Newsom won 72% of the vote. Since 2011, he has been Lieutenant Governor of California under Jerry Brown.
On affordability, Cox blames taxes for California’s high poverty rate, and vows to lower taxes with focus on lowering, even repealing the gas tax. Newsom plans to protect California consumers from “predatory financial practices” and focus on lifting children and their families out of poverty through financial foundations.
On the environment and energy, Cox believes in prioritizing environmental protection and the ability for California residents to pay for rent and food. He opposes beginning or expanding offshore oil drilling in order to protect the coastline and natural habitats. Newsom plans to put California on the path to 100% renewable energy, have zero diesel pollution by 2030, protect public land, strive for clean air, clean water and secure food, defend the coastline, improve reliability of water supply, counter the threat of wildfires, create an updated energy grid.
On education, Cox says that the US school system is in need of reform. He supports Charter schools and the promotion of choice for parents. Cox also wants to give control over schools more locally and has said, “I don’t believe in a one size fits all model” in regards to the school system. Newsom’s rhetoric leans towards bettering the public higher education system, but he does have plans that focus on the first three years of a child’s life through education.
On immigration, Cox will not make California a sanctuary state. He supports “smart immigration”, citing that it will favor immigrants with specific skills to fill worker shortages for that they are not competing with Americans for jobs. He also supports a more secure border to restrict illegal guns and human trafficking into the US. Newsom’s campaign website does not have a portion on immigration but he does support California becoming a sanctuary state. Although, as mayor of San Francisco, Newsom supported legislation that enforced the reporting of young undocumented immigrants to ICE he now says, “looking back, there were things we could have done differently. I’m very honest about that.”
Please visit both of their websites and continue your own research before voting!
www.johncoxforgovernor.com and www.gavinnewsom.com
Check out their twitters, @TheRealJohnHCox and @GavinNewsom, to learn more about their policy proposals.
