It's Newsom vs. Cox in November as Villaraigosa tumbles in governor's race

[left-of-center2012]

Source: L.A. Times

Gavin Newsom, the favorite of the California Democratic Party's core liberal base, coasted to a first-place finish in Tuesday's primary election for governor and faces a November showdown with John Cox, a multimillionaire Republican hitched to the far-right policies of President Trump.

The results mark a stunning defeat for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, representing the fall of a politician who embodied the growing power of the Latino electorate when he was elected mayor in 2005. Villaraigosa conceded late in the evening, urging those who voted for him to give their support to his opponent.

“I’m asking you to get behind Gavin Newsom,” said Villaraigosa, surrounded by his family. “I’m asking you to stand up and pressure every one of us — Democrat and Republican alike — pressure every one of us to stand up for you, to fight for you, not just for ourselves, but for all of us for an America and a California where every one of us are growing together.”

Newsom, 50, a former San Francisco mayor who is currently serving his second term as California's lieutenant governor, will face Cox, 62, an Illinois transplant and real estate investor who ran for the U.S. House and Senate twice in Illinois, failing to reach the primary in all three. In 2008, Cox also launched a campaign for president before dropping out when he failed to gain any traction.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-governor-california-20180605-story.html

[7962]

1. Watch out for Newsom in '20. Formidable trump opponent.

Able to form complete sentences, no rape accusations, no bankruptcies, actually attractive etc...

[WhiteTara]

2. incredibly charismatic.

I watched him walk in a room, feel the electricity in the air and watched a wave of people surge toward him. He has the magic.

[kimbutgar]

9. Wouldn't it be something if he ran against Twitler

While don dr was still dating or married to Gavin’s ex wife Kimberly Guilfoyle the Fox propagandist?

[7962]

13. oh wow what a campaign that would be! And what a show! nt

[honest.abe]

15. Yep. I hope he runs.

He would win.. no doubt in my mind.

[StevieM]

25. I cannot imagine that he will run for president right after being elected governor.

As I wrote in my own reply to this post, he may run in 2024 or 2028, but not 2020.

[honest.abe]

28. Yeah, that's would be an issue for sure.

However, if there is a big enough groundswell of support for him to run, I think he would do it.. for the sake of the nation.

[StevieM]

29. There are already three candidates from California who are likely to run:

Senator Kamala Harris
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Tom Steyer

I plan on supporting Tom Steyer for president in 2020.

[honest.abe]

30. I am only familiar with Harris.

I think she would be my choice but she does have a few issues. Newsome seems clean and solid liberal.

[StevieM]

23. It is impossible for me to imagine that Newsom will turn around and run for president immediately

after winning the governorship. He may run in 2024 or 2028, but not 2020.

[7962]

41. I think its been done a few times before. And if a lot of people get in his ear about it.....

I think we are craving a person like him; with things that SHOULDNT matter but do. Good looking guy who is articulate and can speak well off the cuff. Exactly what we DONT have now.
I think hes got the best chance out of any other Californian

Although Steyer could be the left version of Trump; outsider, not a politician, wealthy enough to run his own campaign, etc.

[oberliner]

3. Villaraigosa got screwed over

Lots of shenanigans going on here. It should be Newsom vs. Villaraigosa in the general.

[George II]

4. How did he get "screwed over"?

Here are the results, he wasn't even close to the top two:

Gavin Newsom 1,332,051 33.3%
John Cox 1,045,817 26.2%
Antonio Villaraigosa 537,883 13.5%

[oberliner]

37. He got screwed over by folks intervening for Cox because they thought he'd be easier to beat

than Villaraigosa.

[ripcord]

38. It was one of the strangest primaries I've ever seen

The Newsome campaign phrased their attacks on Cox in a way that would promote his conservative policies to republicans because they would rather face Cox than Villraigosa in November. What makes it really bizarre is that Villaraigosa was doing the same thing for Travis Allen in order to take votes from Cox.

[left-of-center2012]

7. From the linked article

“Villaraigosa hoped to recapture the magic that led to his two terms as mayor of Los Angeles, but failed to stitch together support from enough Latinos, moderates and lower-income Californians to finish in the top two.

... he ran afoul of teachers’ and public employee unions after his failed attempt to take over city schools and laying off hundreds of city workers during the height of the recession.”

[MurrayDelph]

8. And he tried to turn

the carpool lanes into toll roads.

[kimbutgar]

10. The teachers union was against Villaraigosa because he was funded by charter schools

Villaraigosa screwed his self over. As a teacher I was reminded of his support via emails, texts and mailers.

[oberliner]

36. He was the clear number two

There is no way Cox should have finished ahead of him.

[Merlot]

12. Villaraigosa is in chart schools pocket, so he screwed himself over.

And, for me at least, he was dissapointing as LA's mayor. I had high hopes for him, but no longer.

[oberliner]

35. There is no way Cox should have finished second

[BuddhaGirl]

14. Exactly "how" did he get screwed over?

If you're going to drop that comment here, kindly provide the evidence.

[oberliner]

34. Cox was helped by those who thought he'd be easier to beat that Villaraigosa

It should have been Newsom and Villaraigosa in the general - Cox was a very distant third as recently as February.

[Codeine]

40. Your evidence for this? nt

[JI7]

26. No he wasn't. He wasn't very popular when he left office as mayor.

[oberliner]

32. Yes, he was

There is no way Cox would have finished ahead of him without shenanigans.

[Codeine]

31. How so?

Even if all the votes of the people who had the voter roll issue went to Villaraigosa he would still be a distant third.

[oberliner]

33. Cox was propped up at his expense

In Feb, Newsom and Villaraigosa were top two by a long margin. Cox did not even crack 10 percent.

[Codeine]

39. "Propped up at his expense"

Please explain.

[George II]

5. Cox has quite a dismal electoral record - losing over and over again in Illinois.

Some never learn to give up.

[kimbutgar]

11. He will be viewed as a carpetbagger not a true Californian like Newsom

With the exception of Schwarzenegger and Reagan our governors are native Californians. Schwarzenegger ruined the rethug party for a few generations in California.

[Johnyawl]

16. Both Reagan and Schwarzenegger were long time California residents..

..before they ran for office. (I think Arnold lived in California from the time he came to the US).

This guy is a recent transplant, trying to buy a political office.

[lapfog_1]

22. I've been here 30 years now

and I'm still considered a "transplant" by some of my native co-workers.

[Johnyawl]

24. You get that in Seattle, too

even though the majority of us weren't born here.

[Paladin]

6. So glad that Newsom prevailed.

A trump-Newsom 2020 race would be very gratifying.

[Johnyawl]

17. Wouldn't that be awesome...

...Especially if his running mate was Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

[honest.abe]

18. Is Newsom liberal enough for the "Bernie wing" of the party?

I wonder.

[Paladin]

19. Does the "Bernie wing" produce wines as good as Newsom's PlumpJack line?

PlumpJack cabernets would be enough for Newsom to get my vote, in and of themselves.

[honest.abe]

20. +1

[MrsCoffee]

21. I voted for Villaraigosa just in hopes that he would get 2nd.

[echler]

27. Cox Sucks

Vote Newsom! (Strictly outside advice, as I don't live in CA. But a D is ALWAYS better than an R.)