Endorsement: California Gov. Gavin Newsom deserves re-election even as he overtly eyes White House bid [Opinion]
Newsom easily fended off his own recall election last year, making his re-election this year all but certain. He did so during a once-in-a-century pandemic that put his ambitious housing agenda and other plans on the back burner but helped him introduce himself to a nation sharply divided in its political response to health and economic crises.
All the while, as he has throughout his political career, Newsom has been a voice advocating for California’s inclusive values and its determination to protect vulnerable communities — starting with people of color and LGBTQ people. He’s fond of saying we don’t tolerate diversity in California, we celebrate it, and his political appointments back that up.
But the fact that a shift to inconsistent renewable energy would put the power grid at risk on hot afternoons and evenings has been plain for years — as is the fact that the climate is warming. California lawmakers, only starting with Newsom, need to do far more to ensure a reliable grid, affordable energy and accessible infrastructure. The state avoided rolling outages during an unprecedented heat wave this month, but that might not happen next time.
On housing and the related issue of homelessness, budget surpluses and the Legislature’s Democratic majorities have allowed Newsom to spend billions on shelter. But a growing number of residents are still moving out of state, where homeownership seems possible. And most residents of big cities see homelessness burgeoning, not receding.
, and the learning loss suffered by many students, especially children in low-income households, will linger for years.