California’s Gubernatorial Candidates on Higher Education

The Campaign for College Opportunity was proud to host three gubernatorial forums on higher education and secure responses to a questionnaire from three of the leading California gubernatorial candidates during the 2018 election, including then-State Treasurer John Chiang, then-Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, and former Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. Businessman John Cox was invited but was unable to schedule a forum or respond to our questionnaire within the time frame allotted to all candidates.

Our gubernatorial forum series and questionnaire, titled “On the Record: California’s Gubernatorial Candidates on Higher Education,” provided Californians with the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates about their vision and policy priorities for higher education.

 Forum with then-State Treasurer John Chiang

Forum with then-Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom

Forum with former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa

Forum with Eleni Kounalakis (Lieutenant Governor Election)

The Campaign for College Opportunity is recognized as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and, as a result, does not endorse or oppose any candidate for elected public office.

The Campaign for College Opportunity invited all gubernatorial candidates who raised a minimum of $4 million as reported in the Los Angeles Times (2/26/18) and who had polled at/or above an averaged 8% among California voters in the most recent surveys conducted by the USC Dornsife/LA Times (11/17); UC Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies (12/17); the Public Policy Institute of California (1/18) polls, to be included in On the Record and take part in our Gubernatorial Forums on Higher Education. This meant that then-State Treasurer John Chiang, businessman John Cox, then-Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, and former Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa were invited to submit responses for On the Record on 4/6. Three candidates responded by the April 27th deadline. Businessman John Cox was invited but was unable to schedule a forum or respond to our questionnaire within the time frame allotted to all candidates.