Takeaways from The Bee’s endorsement interview with CA governor candidate Antonio Villaraigosa

The Sacramento Bee’s Editorial Board interviewed all the major candidates running for governor to determine who would get the board’s endorsement. Each of the candidates vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom for the state’s top office shared why their vision for California is the one that should get them elected.

Here is what gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa had to say.

The Bee also is publishing videos and key points from the board’s interviews with six other candidates: Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Tony Thurmond.

Why run?

Villaraigosa frames his candidacy as a payback to a state that has enabled his family’s upward mobility, saying California has “given me and my family more than we could have ever imagined.”

However, California is a state with big challenges, he says, and requires a “proven problem solver.” He cites his experience in the California State Assembly and as mayor of Los Angeles as evidence that he can manage crises and deliver measurable outcomes.

“The next governor needs to be somebody who’s got the wherewithal to do this, the courage to take on his friends and the willingness to make the tough calls,” Villaraigosa says.

What’s his platform?

Some of the key issues Villaraigosa is running on include homelessness, building more housing, taxes, water and energy.

To tackle homelessness, Villaraigosa says the state needs to collaborate with cities and counties, “fund what works” and build more institutions for the mentally ill.

He says he would spark construction of more housing by cutting red tape, and reforming CEQA and “broken” zoning laws.

Villaraigosa says he wants a tax system overhaul that would result in steadier revenue streams for the state, with no tax hikes on the working and middle classes. He is skeptical of the so-called Billionaire Tax for a few reasons: it could cause billionaires to leave the state and take their companies with them, causing a bigger budget deficit, and because it is a onetime tax that goes to education, he says. He is open to taxing AI firms for job training, he says.

When it comes to water, Villaraigosa says California needs an “all-of-the above” approach, including conservation, recycling, desalination plants, storage and more, in order to get more clean drinking water and water for farmers.

Villaraigosa says he wants an “all-of-the above” energy solution as well. This includes renewables, natural gas, keeping oil refineries open and developing battery power.

What he says sets him apart from the rest of the pack?

While other candidates offer rhetoric and ideology, Villaraigosa says he is uniquely qualified to be the next governor because he is the only experienced political leader in the field with the ability to unify a polarized electorate.

Villaraigosa says he’ll focus on governing, rather than “tweeting about Trump.”

California’s primary election is on Tuesday, June 2. Be sure to check out The Bee’s Voter Guide for key information and the Editorial Board’s other endorsements before the big day.

This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Takeaways from The Bee’s endorsement interview with CA governor candidate Antonio Villaraigosa."