Antonio Villaraigosa turned a routine campus stop into a full-on campaign pitch Monday, rolling out a gas proposal, an ICE oversight plan and pointed criticism of how California handled school closures during the pandemic. The former Los Angeles mayor cast himself as the guy who can fix everyday problems like pump prices and public safety headaches. Villaraigosa, 73, is competing in a crowded June 2 primary to replace the term-limited governor.
What He Told LAist
Speaking with LAist host Larry Mantle at Loyola Marymount University, Villaraigosa tore into the state’s pandemic-era decisions on education, saying, “we left kids out of school for 18 months longer than any state in the United States of America.” He also leaned hard on his budget credentials, arguing that the next governor will have to make unpopular calls and pointing to his time in Sacramento and at Los Angeles City Hall as proof he can do it. The conversation was detailed in LAist.
Budget Math Bites
The fiscal backdrop for all of this is not pretty. The state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office has projected a multi-year structural deficit running somewhere between $20 billion and $35 billion, a gap that would force the next governor to make real, not theoretical, cuts and tradeoffs. That sobering range is central to Villaraigosa’s argument that California needs someone comfortable juggling reductions with targeted investments. The numbers come from recent outlooks by the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Gas, Detention And Policy Detail
Villaraigosa’s campaign has posted detailed policy pages that try to translate his stump pitch into actual governing plans. His “Gas Plan” centers on an automatic Fuel Affordability Guarantee, regulatory changes aimed at keeping in-state refineries open and targeted relief when prices spike. His “ICE Accountability Plan” calls for regular inspections of detention facilities, specific child-protection protocols and cooperation with federal immigration agents that is conditioned on training and transparency benchmarks. The full breakdowns are on the campaign website’s gas plan and ICE accountability plan pages.
Where This Leaves The Race
Villaraigosa’s push comes as the race itself is in flux. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s sudden exit this month shook up the contest and opened space for more established contenders, according to AP. Closer to home, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass endorsed Villaraigosa earlier in the campaign, a high-profile hometown boost that his team argues strengthens his case with voters statewide, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. With the June 2 primary fast approaching, Villaraigosa is betting that a results-first message focused on the cost of living and everyday frustrations is his best shot at standing out in a packed Democratic field.
