SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — With just one day remaining before voters cast their final ballots in California's gubernatorial race, candidates from across the political spectrum are making affordability a central focus of their campaigns.
From housing and taxes to economic opportunity and public safety, candidates are offering sharply different approaches to address the high cost of living that continues to challenge Californians.
Green Party candidate Butch Ware argues that income inequality is at the root of many of the state's most pressing problems, including housing instability, healthcare access, educational disparities, and broader social inequities.
Ware has proposed imposing steep taxes on vacant properties owned by large investment firms and private equity companies.
"I want to tax those private equity companies that are making it so that none of us can afford a place to live," Ware said. "I want to tax them so hard on those vacant properties that they can't wait to sell those back to the state, and that that becomes the basis for social housing."
Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who is campaigning under the slogan "Fighting for the California Dream," says many Californians are within reach of homeownership but need assistance overcoming financial barriers.
"Most of you… the only thing missing between being a renter and being the owner is that down payment," Becerra said.
Fellow Democrat Tom Steyer says California must significantly increase housing construction while also providing immediate relief to renters.
"The biggest issue in housing is that we need to build a lot more houses, and we need to build them a lot faster and a lot cheaper," Steyer said. "But in the short run, I'm going to push to greatly expand the renters tax credit."
Republican candidate Steve Hilton is emphasizing tax relief as a way to boost affordability for working Californians.
"That'll help everybody in California, but it disproportionately helps those who are working-class Californians working incredibly hard," Hilton said while discussing his proposal to make the first $100,000 of income tax-free.
Meanwhile, Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, says affordability cannot be addressed without tackling public safety concerns and reducing government regulations.
"We have to reduce our taxes and business regulations, and we have to make us safe," Bianco said.
As voters prepare to make their decision, affordability remains one of the defining issues in the race to lead California, with candidates presenting competing visions for how to make the state more affordable for residents struggling with housing costs and rising expenses.
The election will determine which approach Californians want to see implemented in the years ahead.
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