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California’s Gubernatorial Candidates on Higher Education

Published
May 3rd, 2018
Author
2023 Amber Roman Headshot(1)
Amber Roman
Director of Strategic Communications

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.