VALLEY CENTER, Calif. -- The California race for governor is nearly a dead heat.
A new public policy poll shows Democrat Gavin Newsom leading fellow Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa 23 to 21.
Republican John Cox is in third place with 9 percent. In California, the top two vote-getters in the primary go to the general regardless of party.
Several of the candidates were in San Diego Thursday. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was the first to address the Western Indian Gaming Conference.
“I think our message of growing the economy and growing middle class jobs is getting attention from people,” said Villaraigosa.
On the issue of housing affordability, he says he wants to make permitting easier and establish a state housing trust like he did in L.A.
“This is a crisis and it's a crisis that requires the state to partner with cities.”
On immigration he vowed to do what that state can to provide for undocumented immigrants.
“While we don't have jurisdiction, we are going to mark a different path. “We want these young people to get an education, to get the skills they need to be succesfull to give back.”
Next up was Dalainne Eastin, the former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. She says education is still a priority for her.
“When you look at a state that is building Cadillac prisons and run-down schools you have to wonder where our values are.”
Which she says definitely aren’t with President Donald Trump. “So I say to Donald trump, keep your mitts off California!”
She says that includes creating a single payer healthcare market for the state.
“We have to take care of every person, there are real consequences to that, we had a real hep a problem, that's partly due to housing but also a lack of health care.”
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsome agrees touting the universal system he implemented as former mayor of San Francisco. A role he says also makes him the best candidate to solve the state’s homeless crisis.
“Im going to finally end the drought of support as the next governor to step our efforts and get serious about providing resources.”
Despite his vocal stance against the President, he says he wants to tackle issues that affect all Californians.
“Counties went for Donald Trump, inland versus coastal, we’ve got to mind that gap, we’ve got to address the politics and the issues as well.”
