As debates continue in the crowded primary race for the nomination of California’s next governor, mail-in ballots have arrived and people are already voting.
Who has been invited to participate in the major debates that maximize public exposure is a source of continued controversy.
A debate last month hosted by USC was canceled after non-white candidates were excluded.
The university maintained it was not racism but polling and fundraising that were the criteria that determined who the invited candidates were. Under criticism that the selected candidates and the decision did not reflect California’s diversity and smacked of bias, the debate was canceled.
The debate hosted by CNN on Tuesday, May 5, invited candidates based on their polling numbers.
As a result of this criterion, the number of candidates was reduced to five Democrats: Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, Billionaire Hedge Fund Founder Tom Steyer, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Two Republican candidates – Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a former Fox News commentator, and Steve Hilton – were also included on the recent debate stage.
Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction, who received high praise following previous debates, was not invited to participate. Thurmond is currently polling at 1% – 2 %, which was below CNN’s 3% threshold.
Thurmond was invited, however, to speak to reporters via Zoom in a news briefing held by American Community Media (ACoM). The national non-profit news agency is holding a series of online briefings with candidates.
Thurmond was asked, with such low polling numbers, if he is considering dropping out and endorsing another candidate?
“I don’t think polls elect anyone; people do,” he said. “This has been the most unusual election that I’ve ever seen before, with people running around, telling people to drop out because they have a fear that two Republicans are going to get elected.”
Thurmond said he’s not looking for a job in anyone else’s administration and he doesn’t think it’s likely that a Republican would be elected in California.
“I’ve been in five elections where I was outpolled, outspent, and flat out told that I would never win,” said Thurmond.
Now, with the primary election June 2, less than a month away and being excluded from large-scale debates that maximize media coverage, it will be a tall climb.
“Unfortunately, this is the system we have, a top two system,” he said.
Thurmond is described as a “progressive” candidate. But, while at this point, pundits have called him and others not dropping out of the race, “vanity” candidates, he maintains he will see this through and continue to talk about the issues. “The voters have a right to know what I can offer.”
“My plan is to help our state build 2 million housing units, to provide housing for those who are homeless, including the 10,000 homeless teenagers in our state, and to make sure that Californians have access to good-paying jobs.”
Thurmond said he supports single-payer health care and plans to tax billionaires and take the proceeds from those taxes to provide a tax credit to working middle-class Californians, which will provide more money to pay for the rising cost of gas and groceries.
When asked about immigration and ICE, Thurmond, without hesitation, responded.
“I was the first candidate to call for abolishing ICE,” he said.
“I think ICE is showing it is a failed entity. The lives of Americans that have been lost just because they protested ICE, the number of people who’ve lost their lives in ICE detention centers and who’ve experienced horrible and horrendous conditions, from health to lack of sanitary environments,” he said.
“I think it’s okay to get rid of ICE, abolish it, scrap it and start all over again and create a new way to enforce immigration on our borders,” said Thurmond.
“It’s okay to have immigration enforcement, but when you have officers who are poorly trained, who have access to weapons, who aren’t following the Constitution, who just take the lives of those who protest, clearly, this is a system that is not working, and so it’s time to start all over again.”
Thurmond said he would enforce the law against ICE agents in California and direct the attorney general to prosecute anyone who breaks the law.
He believes that after electing a new Congress in November and getting a better president in the White House, the impact of the current immigration policy can be reversed.
“It may take some time in terms of electing a new Congress, which is going to happen this November, and working towards getting a better president in the White House. I will make this a top priority.”
He cites his success in legislation to keep ICE out of schools and hospitals and supports banning for-profit detention centers and is currently sponsoring legislation to impose a 50% tax on companies operating state detention centers.
“I’ve been elected twice statewide in the state of California with more than 5 million votes, even when they spent $30 million against my campaign. Our data shows us that when voters hear our message, they like what we’re working on and that we have a path to victory.
“They say someone like me could never win this election, someone who’s a son of immigrants who lost both his parents by the time he was six years old, someone who worked for $3 an hour, someone who became a social worker to help foster youth and ultimately became the state superintendent.
“My name is on the ballot. I’m in it to the end, and I’m running to win, and I won’t make any contingencies,” said Thurmond adamantly.
“I want to be the first person of African descent and the first Latino to serve as governor [in California’s modern era], but I want to be the best governor that California has had who fights for working people, not for billionaires.”
For more information, go to: Tonythurmond.com.
And that boys & girls is why Tony Thurmond will never be elected to higher office