"It was speed dating: Eight suitors with less than four minutes each, pitching the woo to thousands of Democratic Party faithful. 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."
"There was, unsurprisingly, a great deal of Trump-bashing and much talk of affordability, or rather, the excruciating lack of it in this priciest of states. 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 - the first speaker, as drawn by lot - spoke of his upbringing in a home riven by alcoholism and domestic violence."
Delegates at the California Democratic Party convention in San Francisco heard nine major Democratic gubernatorial contenders deliver brief, under-four-minute pitches. No candidate reached the 60% threshold required for an official party endorsement, leaving the vote inconclusive. Campaign rhetoric centered on opposition to Trump and acute concerns about affordability in an expensive state. Candidates emphasized relatability by recounting personal hardships: Antonio Villaraigosa described an upbringing marked by alcoholism and domestic violence; Tony Thurmond recounted reliance on food stamps and free school lunches; Betty Yee recalled sharing a bedroom with four siblings. San José Mayor Matt Mahan entered too late for consideration.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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