The race to become California’s next governor began Sunday at NUHW’s annual Leadership Conference in San Francisco, where four leading candidates appeared on stage together for the first time to answer questions from journalists and union members.
Following the forum, NUHW conducted a non-binding straw poll of its more than 300 leaders attending the forum and additional members watching remotely. While the union won’t make an official endorsement until after it holds another forum at its Leadership Conference next year in Los Angeles, State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Thurmond was the leading vote-getter in the straw poll.
“We are very appreciative to the candidates who took the time to meet our members this weekend and discuss the issues that are of concern to healthcare workers and California’s working families,” NUHW President Sophia Mendoza said. “It’s an impressive field of candidates that appeared on our stage, and this forum was a great start to the gubernatorial campaign.”
Election cycles are beginning earlier every year, and NUHW’s Leadership Conference has become the starting point for major statewide elections. The union, which has 19,000 members in California, hosted the first candidate forums of the 2018 governor’s race and the 2024 U.S. Senate race. This year’s forum was presented in conjunction with the Los Angeles Times, which served as NUHW’s official media partner.
The forum was covered by several news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, CalMatters, and Politico.
Participating in Sunday’s forum alongside Thurmond were State Senator Toni Atkins, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, and former State Controller Betty Yee. The candidates addressed critical issues ranging from housing affordability, public safety, and healthcare policy.
All four candidates said they supported ongoing efforts for California to transition toward a single-payer Medicare for All-style healthcare system, as laid out in SB 770. The bill, sponsored by Healthy California Now and signed into law last year by Governor Newsom, calls on state and federal officials to begin talks to build a framework for California to become the nation’s first Medicare-for-All state.
The candidates also discussed how they would press regulators, such as the California Department of Managed Health Care, to conduct faster, more efficient investigations of health plans as required under AB 3221, a bill sponsored by NUHW that Governor Newsom signed into law on Friday.
The forum was moderated by Associated Press National Planning Editor Lisa Matthews, who was joined on stage by Politico Senior Political Reporter Melanie Mason and Los Angeles Times California Politics Editor Laurel Rosenhall. NUHW will welcome the four candidates and others who might join the race to its 2025 conference for another forum on September 28 in Los Angeles, after which union members will vote on a binding endorsement.
“We’re proud that NUHW has become the launching point for major statewide races, and we’re excited for our members to continue to learn more about the candidates who are running to be our next governor before they decide our union’s endorsement,” said NUHW President Emeritus Sal Rosselli.
The 2024 NUHW California Governor Candidate Forum can be viewed on NUHW’s YouTube channel. The forum will also be rebroadcast on C-SPAN. Check www.C-SPAN.org for the date and time.
