"The race for California governor has been a low-boil, late-developing affair, noteworthy mostly for its lack of a whole lot that has been noteworthy. That changed a bit on a sunny Saturday in San Francisco, the contest assuming a smidgen of campaign heat—chanting crowds, sign-waving supporters, call-and-response from the audience—as the state party held its annual convention in this bluest of cities."
"But with an overstuffed field of nine major Democratic contenders, the vote proved to be a mere formality. Nowhere near consensus. No candidate came remotely close to winning the required 60% support. That left the contestants, sans Mahan, to offer their best distillation of the whys and wherefore of their campaigns, in front of one of the most important and influential audiences they will face between now and the June 2 primary."
"The candidates vied to establish their relatability, that most valuable of campaign currencies, by describing their own hardscrabble experiences. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke of his upbringing in a home riven by alcoholism and domestic violence. State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond described his childhood subsistence on food stamps, free school lunches and surplus government cheese."
California's Democratic Party convention in San Francisco hosted a speed-dating format where nine gubernatorial candidates delivered brief pitches to thousands of party delegates. The race had been relatively quiet until this event, which generated campaign momentum through enthusiastic crowds and supporter engagement. Delegates attempted to officially endorse a party favorite, but the crowded field prevented any candidate from reaching the 60% support needed for endorsement. Candidates emphasized relatability by sharing personal hardship stories, including experiences with poverty, domestic violence, and food insecurity. Common campaign themes included criticism of Trump, California's severe affordability crisis, and personal struggles that connected them to voters' economic challenges.
#california-gubernatorial-race #democratic-party-convention #campaign-messaging #candidate-relatability #affordability-crisis
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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