CA-GOV: They want to be California's next governor. Here's what they'd do about health care

Every day, Californians struggle to afford medications or wait weeks or months for mental health appointments. Thousands in the “sandwich generation” juggle caring for elderly parents with raising children.

Those are top health care issues Californians want to see the next governor address, according to a recent poll. The candidates vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom offered views on them – and addressed the Trump administration’s coming cuts to safety net programs – at a recent forum at UC Riverside organized by philanthropic foundations.

“The reality is too many Californians face barriers to health and wellness in our state,” said Richard Tate, president and CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, one of the organizations sponsoring the event. He said the forum was planned to take place in the Inland Empire, where residents experience some of the largest disparities in health outcomes.

Four candidates, all Democrats, took part in the forum. Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former State Controller Betty Yee all agreed that state response to federal cuts will require them to push for efficiency in the health care system – and look for new sources of revenue. They disagreed on how to fund the state’s response.


https://calmatters.org/health/2025/11/gubernatorial-health-care-california-2026/