VIDEO RELEASE: Tom Steyer at LA GOTV Rally — “A California for corporations, or a California for Californians”

LONG BEACH —At a fired up Get Out The Vote rally in Los Angeles today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and climate advocate Tom Steyer delivered a closing argument centered on protecting entertainment industry jobs, lowering costs for working Californians, and taking on corporate interests keeping prices high – and backing Xavier Becerra.

Steyer framed the race as “a California for corporations, or a California for Californians,” accusing Big Oil, Big Tech, and corporate special interests of spending over $50 million to stop his campaign because “they know I’ll lower costs for working Californians at the expense of their profits.”

Throughout the speech, Steyer contrasted his record taking on Big Oil, Big Tobacco, and Donald Trump with what he called Becerra’s “corporate-backed status quo.” He laid out a vision for California focused on single-payer healthcare, affordable housing, taxing billionaires, lowering utility and energy costs, and defending workers in California’s entertainment industry from studio layoffs and mega-mergers.

“Your vote is not for me,” Steyer said. “Your vote is for that California.”

WATCH:

Clip 1: For too long, we’ve had a system where corporations buy off politicians to protect their profits.

We’ve seen it in this race.

Chevron cuts you a check, and you look the other way when they hike prices at the pump. Meta gives you money, and your AI plan starts sounding like ChatGPT.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the story of Xavier Becerra’s campaign.

He suddenly dropped his support for single-payer, and then the most powerful anti-single-payer lobby maxed out to his campaign.

He supported more drilling in California, and the next week Big Oil said thanks with half a million dollars.

I’m running because I believe Californians deserve better than that.

They deserve a governor who won’t sell them out to the highest bidder.

Clip 2: To quote FDR: “Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me — and I welcome their hatred.”

Look: If the people ripping you off are against me, I must be doing something right.

They know that in a world where politicians serve special interests, I can't be bought.

It’s very simple: If we win, corporations lose.

Clip 3: Here’s the truth: for every bill that’s too high, there’s a special interest profiting off of keeping it there.

They want you to believe that’s inevitable. That it’s just how the market works.

But that’s BULLSHIT. We don’t have to accept this.

I’m running for governor because I know that a better California is possible.

I know what it looks like.

And I know we can win it together.

Clip 4: Don’t be fooled by fears of a lockout. All recent polling shows that risk is near zero.

This is a three-way race for two spots on the ballot in November: a MAGA Republican, a corporate Democrat, and you guys and me.

But you’re not voting for who’s on the ballot. You’re voting for the California that comes after it.

The California that Steve Hilton is running on sounds exactly like what Trump wants: higher prices, lower wages, less freedom.

And the California that Xavier Becerra is promising sounds like a whole lot more of the same.

All his policy failures are choices. It’s a choice not to have a plan for education, or for the environment. Those are choices his corporate backers are paying him to make.

And they’re unconscionable. We cannot afford to have a governor bought off by Big Oil.

But if you’re happy with how things are going in California, and how much things cost, by all means: vote for Xavier Becerra.

He’s not going to change things. The corporations funding him are banking on that.

But California deserves better. California needs change. That’s what I’m running to deliver.

Steyer’s full remarks can be found here.

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