{"id":340348,"date":"2026-05-31T16:06:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T16:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/340348\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T16:06:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T16:06:07","slug":"where-californias-gubernatorial-candidates-stand-on-climate-and-taking-big-oil-money-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/340348\/","title":{"rendered":"Where California\u2019s gubernatorial candidates stand on climate and taking big oil money"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article<\/a> was produced by Capital & Main. It is published here with permission<\/p>\n

The number of liberal Democrats\u00a0across the country who consider global warming an important issue\u00a0has dropped<\/a>\u00a0in the most recent election cycles, from 82% in 2020 to 65% in 2025, according to\u00a0polling<\/a>\u00a0by Yale University and George Mason University. But not in California, where a\u00a02025 survey<\/a>\u00a0by the Public Policy Institute of California found that eight in 10 adults consider climate change to be a very serious (46%) or somewhat serious (34%) threat to the state\u2019s future economy and quality of life. The issue has become one of the dominant topics in the fiercely contested gubernatorial primary, with Democratic candidates touting their commitment to clean energy and condemning each other for ties to the fossil fuel industry.<\/p>\n

So far, the Democratic frontrunners \u2014 billionaire Tom Steyer and former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra \u2014 have vigorously clashed, largely over their commitment to clean energy and their ties to the fossil fuel industry. Steyer is trying to make Becerra\u2019s oil money a defining issue, while Becerra is betting that his overall record holds up to scrutiny.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a summary of where the candidates stand on climate, and what we know about their oil and gas ties:<\/p>\n

DEMOCRATS<\/p>\n

Tom Steyer<\/p>\n

On climate, Steyer is probably the most aggressive candidate in the field. Environmental groups like\u00a0EnviroVoters<\/a>\u00a0consider him one of the best candidates on climate, citing his decades-long dedication, his co-chairing of then- President Joe Biden\u2019s Climate Engagement Advisory Council, and his defense against oil and tobacco companies on environmental policy. His platform includes fast-tracking clean energy and challenging the monopoly status of investor-owned utilities, such as PG&E and Southern California Edison.<\/p>\n

Steyer has also been the most aggressive candidate on fossil fuel accountability. He has emphasized he would take steps to hold the oil industry accountable for climate impacts,\u00a0saying<\/a>\u00a0he would have polluters pay \u201c100%\u201d of any environmental damage. On electric vehicles, he argued that \u201cthe job of the governor\u201d is to bring EV prices down by making affordable electric cars available, predicting that \u201cby 2035, there\u2019ll be $15,000 EVs available. Mark my words.\u201d<\/p>\n

On fossil fuel ties, his record is complicated. Steyer made his fortune at a hedge fund that invested in industries including fossil fuels and private prisons \u2014 though he subsequently sold off those holdings and founded a firm focused on environmental technology. He has signed the\u00a0No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge<\/a>\u00a0and has publicly called on Becerra to return a campaign contribution from Chevron, positioning himself as the clean-money candidate in the race.<\/p>\n

Xavier Becerra<\/p>\n

On climate, Becerra presents a more mixed picture. A\u00a0CalMatters voter guide<\/a>\u00a0notes he\u2019s open to revising the state\u2019s climate goals to keep fuel affordable for middle-class Californians and wants to declare a state of emergency to freeze utility and insurance rates \u2014 a more moderate posture than Steyer or candidate Katie Porter, a former member of Congress.<\/p>\n

Becerra has framed climate through the lens of federal funding battles. He said, \u201cThe biggest challenge we have here is Donald Trump,\u201d arguing that California pays more in taxes than any other state but isn\u2019t getting its fair share back, and vowing to \u201cfight like the dickens\u201d to change that.<\/p>\n

On fossil fuel ties, the scrutiny is real. Becerra accepted a $39,200 donation from Chevron for his gubernatorial campaign, which has become a flashpoint in the race. The\u00a0San Francisco Chronicle\u2018s\u00a0campaign finance tracker<\/a>\u00a0lists Chevron among his top donors, and the\u00a0Los Angeles Times\u00a0reported he had previously\u00a0accepted the legal maximum<\/a>\u00a0from Chevron and Phillips 66 during his 2018 attorney general campaign as well. Climate Hawks Vote\u2019s political director called Chevron\u2019s maxed-out contribution to Becerra disqualifying, saying he\u2019s \u201ca non-starter among climate folks<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becerra\u2019s camp has pushed back, pointing to his record of suing polluters as the state\u2019s top prosecutor \u2014 but Steyer counters that as attorney general, Becerra failed to prosecute oil companies for polluting California\u2019s air and water, even after accepting their contributions.<\/p>\n

Katie Porter<\/p>\n

EnviroVoters and environmental groups\u00a0rank Porter alongside Steyer<\/a>\u00a0as the best candidates on climate, citing her aggressive clean energy stance, corporate accountability record and rejection of oil and corporate polluter money.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Porter held oil companies accountable for spills and gas price gouging as chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight, and\u00a0earned a 94% score<\/a>\u00a0from the League of Conservation Voters during her years in Congress. She has signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. At a recent debate, Porter expressed a more nuanced stance, saying she supports keeping oil refineries open while the state works toward greater electrification \u2014 a pragmatic position that distinguishes her somewhat from Steyer with his harder line.<\/p>\n

Porter has framed environmental justice as both a policy and political independence issue, arguing that enforcement starts with refusing fossil-fuel industry influence and advancing federal legislation to strengthen protections across communities.<\/p>\n

Antonio Villaraigosa<\/p>\n

The former Los Angeles mayor is the most complicated Democrat on climate. Despite claiming environmental credentials, Villaraigosa has pivoted toward defending the oil industry, calling for an \u201call-of-the-above\u201d energy approach.\u00a0CalMatters\u2019 voter guide<\/a>\u00a0notes that he includes oil and gas as necessary \u201ctransition\u201d fuels and is calling for a moratorium on a variety of state greenhouse-gas reduction rules he calls \u201cfailed policies,\u201d including carbon emissions limits at refineries and low-carbon fuel standards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Villaraigosa has argued that neither climate deniers nor advocates of going purely renewable had a workable policy. At the CBS California Governor\u2019s Debate on May 14,\u00a0he said<\/a>\u00a0\u201cFolks, anybody that thinks that the climate deniers have a policy that works \u2014 or the ones that believe we\u2019re just going to go all renewables \u2014 that\u2019s not gonna work. We need an all-of-the-above energy policy.\u201d He also pointed to EV charging infrastructure, noting California has built 167,000 stations (there are actually over 200,000) but will need 2 million more within a decade.<\/p>\n

On the money side, he has received\u00a0campaign donations<\/a>\u00a0from Chevron, Marathon, California Resources Corporation (the state\u2019s largest oil and gas producer) and executives of two Kern County drilling companies. Climate Hawks Vote\u2019s political director says that\u2019s more than $100,000 in donations that violate the fossil fuel pledge Villaraigosa signed during his 2018 gubernatorial run \u2014 which he says he has not re-signed for this campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In stating his opposition to policies that could lead to refinery closures, Villaraigosa\u00a0told the\u00a0Los Angeles Times\u00a0in 2025<\/a>: \u201cI\u2019m not fighting for refineries. I\u2019m fighting for the people who pay for gas in this state.\u201d He has\u00a0also argued<\/a>, \u201cWe\u2019re putting this notion of just renewables on the backs of working people. We have the highest gas prices in the United States of America. We have the second-highest utility costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony Thurmond<\/p>\n

Current State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thurmond has signed the fossil fuel pledge and wants to retain refineries while investing in cleaner technology,\u00a0arguing<\/a>\u00a0that the state needs to \u201cfind ways to balance climate change\u201d with investments like carbon capture. He\u2019s also one of the candidates who supports suspending the gas tax for near-term relief.<\/p>\n

Matt Mahan<\/p>\n

The San Jose mayor is a moderate. He supports temporarily suspending the gas tax and\u00a0said he wouldn\u2019t rule out<\/a>\u00a0curbing some of the state\u2019s refinery regulations.<\/p>\n

He has not signed the fossil fuel pledge, though his industry donation trail appears less extensive than Becerra\u2019s or Villaraigosa\u2019s.<\/p>\n

REPUBLICANS<\/p>\n

Steve Hilton\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hilton, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, blames California\u2019s high gas prices squarely on the state\u2019s climate agenda \u2014 specifically the gas tax, cap-and-trade and the low carbon fuel standard \u2014 and has promised to lower gas to $3 a gallon by suspending environmental regulations. On industry money, he\u2019s made no secret of where he stands: When asked about campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry,\u00a0Hilton said<\/a>, \u201cOh, as much as possible. I mean, I support that industry wholeheartedly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chad Bianco<\/p>\n

The sheriff of Riverside County, Bianco\u00a0promises<\/a>\u00a0to make California \u201coil independent,\u201d cut taxes and regulations broadly and expand oil drilling to help offset revenue lost from eliminating the income tax. Like Hilton, his campaign has said it welcomes industry donations. He\u2019s also pushing to suspend numerous state environmental regulations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The broad picture: The field breaks pretty cleanly between Steyer and Porter (aggressive on climate, no industry money) on one end; Hilton and Bianco (full-throated industry support, rollback of climate rules) on the other; and Becerra, Villaraigosa, Thurmond and Mahan occupying various points in between \u2014 all with varying amounts of fossil fuel money donated and a shared affordability argument for moderating climate policy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Capital & Main<\/a> is an award-winning nonprofit publication that reports from California on the most pressing economic, environmental and social issues of our time, including economic inequality, climate change, health care, threats to democracy, hate and extremism and immigration.\u200b<\/p>\n

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