This year's candidates for Lieutenant Governor have brought a
lot of attention to a race that usually gets very little.
Republicans are supporting the current appointed Lieutenant
Governor Abel Maldonado. Democrats mostly support San Francisco
Mayor Gavin Newsom. I caught up with Newsom while he was
campaigning in Sacramento.
He was feasting on some Texas ribs while bashing Texas oil. He did
it at news conference to demonstrate his opposition to Proposition
23, which would suspend California's greenhouse gas restrictions.
Newsom initially ran for Governor. After a few months he decided to
run for Lieutenant Governor instead to clear the way for Jerry
Brown. The question remains, whether he has plans to run for
Governor in the future?
Gavin Newsom: "The question is will I be an effective
Lieutenant Governor and I've got to prove that and I can't just
assert that. And one thing I don't want to be is just sitting
around at ribbon cuttings I'm not that kind of person, I'm more
entrepreneurial I want to get into the weeds I want to get into the
details and so I really want to change the focus of the Lt
Governor's office and I want to make it more
meaningful."
Newsom emphasized that although he is very liberal socially, he's
pretty conservative fiscally.
Newsom: "I actually happen to think taxes are very high in the
state of California and a lot of business regulation stifling
business creation and job growth."
Ida Lieszkovszky: Do you think that your time as mayor
of San Francisco has prepared you for a statewide role like
Lieutenant Governor?
Newsom: "You know what's great about being a mayor is
you're in the 'how business' you got to get things done. No one
cares if you're a Democrat or a Republican. I'm not an ideologue,
I'm open argument I'm interested in evidence I get in a lot of
trouble in San Francisco, particularly San Francisco politics
because I'm a pro-jobs pro-business mayor again coming from the
private sector I want to incentivize private job creation. I do tax
incentives, I haven't raised taxes since I've been mayor we've
balanced budgets without it."
Newsom's opponent, Abel Maldonado, has a reputation as a moderate
Republican. Given Newsom's self-professed fiscally conservative
attitude, I asked him what he thinks sets him apart from
Maldonado.
Newsom: "The records are different and the approach will be
different and I just think we need some change up here. Abel's been
here for 12 years. He's supported a lot of budget's not just last
year's budget that cut education he supported the 2004 budget of
Schwarzenegger that cut education I just don't think we need to go
in that direction I think we need a new one."
I caught up with the Republican incumbent, Abel Maldonado at a
campaign event to support Proposition 20, which would increase the
power of the Citizen's Redistricting Commission.
Maldonado has served in the California Assembly and Senate. For
the past five months, he's been the state's Lieutenant Governor.
Given his reputation as a moderate Republican, I asked him what
sets him apart from Gavin Newsom?
Abel Maldonado: "I think the biggest difference
is the style of leadership. My style of leadership is bring people
together, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, decline-to-states.
You put them in a room and you move what's good for California
forward. I'm a family man first, I'm a Californian second, and
third let's talk party. And Gavin's style of leadership is one
'whether you like it or not' this is the way it's going to be. I
think he's thumbed his nose at the law and he says this is the way
it's going to be, I want to do it and moves forward."
Ida Lieszkovszky: "A lot of the polls have been saying
there's a tide of opposition to the incumbent candidate. Does that
worry you at all?"
Maldonado: "People are very disappointed in government
itself and I haven't been on the job that long and I hope that the
people afford me the opportunity to serve them. I mean Gavin is
also an incumbent; he's the Mayor of a city. I'll put up my
qualifications against Gavin's also."
Maldonado was appointed Lieutenant Governor less than half a year
ago. I asked him if he has any aspirations to run for Governor in
the future.
Maldonado: "Right now I want to be the best Lt. Gov
that California's ever had as California's 47th Lt. Gov and I'm
hoping they give me four more years and I'd love to serve for four
more years and work my heart out for the people of this great state
and not go above the law and say 'we're going to do this whether
you like it or not, just do what I think is right for the great
state' and let the voters decide."
As for moving to Sacramento... Maldonado has lived here for
more than a decade, and Newsom says San Francisco is pretty close,
although moving isn't out of the question.