Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at a gubernatorial candidate forum in Sacramento last year. He’s one of four candidates who was endorsed by the California Federation of Labor on Monday.
PAUL KITAGAKI JR.
pkitagaki@sacbee.com
The California Federation of Labor Unions endorsed four candidates to become California governor, reflecting a splintered field with no obvious frontrunner.
The Federation is a coalition of more than 1,300 unions representing 2.3 million members across a variety of sectors. In a statement after the unions’ vote, Federation president Lorena Gonzales called the eight-person gubernatorial field a “spoil of riches.”
“Tom Steyer, Eric Swalwell, Antonio Villaraigosa and Katie Porter all earned such significant support from our unions, the only way to get to [the] two-thirds required was to endorse all four,” Gonzales said. “This also allows us to communicate to our members about the anti-union candidates in this race. At the end of the day, our enemy is the Big Tech billionaires.”
California’s powerful unions could play a decisive role in winnowing the eight-candidate Democratic field to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited. Unions can mobilize members and bring financial resources to help support chosen candidates.
On Friday, SEIU California endorsed Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, calling him “a fearless leader who has a deep understanding through lived experience of our struggles.” The union represents 750,000 workers, from state employees to custodial staff.
The same day, billionaire Tom Steyer won the backing of the California Federation of Teachers, which represents 120,000 educators. The CFT called Steyer “a leader who understands the challenges Californians face and who has outlined a clear path to shared prosperity in our state.” Steyer has also won endorsements from United Domestic Workers and California Nurse’s Association.
Former Rep. Katie Porter won support last year from the National Union of Healthcare Workers, United Auto Workers Region 6 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (California).
The 310,000-member California Teachers Association has yet to weigh in on the race.
Several recent surveys show Swalwell, Steyer, and in some cases, Porter polling in the teens, alongside Republicans Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
The splintered Democratic field has raised the prospect that Hilton and Bianco could emerge from California’s top-two June 2 primary despite the state’s deep blue political tint. In a letter earlier this month, California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks urged candidates to assess the viability of their campaigns and drop out if they lack a clear path to victory.
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Ben Paviour is the California political power reporter for The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Bureau. He previously covered Virginia state politics for public radio and was a local investigations fellow at The New York Times. He got his start in journalism at the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. Before becoming a reporter, he worked in local government and tech in the Bay Area.