In California, two of the country’s most closely watched political races are unfolding before voters — the Los Angeles mayoral contest and the Democratic primary to replace Governor Gavin Newsom. Both races feature progressive candidates vying for support from the radical left.
The campaigns highlight proposals for increased government spending, higher taxes, and expanded social programs. During a recent gubernatorial debate, candidates advocated for measures such as rehousing homeless individuals at taxpayer expense and universal health care for illegal immigrants.
Tom Steyer, a billionaire candidate whose opponents have noted his investments in domestic fossil fuels, defended proposed tax increases, including a “Billionaire Tax” targeting the assets of high-net-worth individuals. A recent Hoover Institute report estimates that nearly one-third of the Billionaire Tax’s eligible base has already left California. This exodus of wealthy individuals could lead to long-term declines in public revenue.
Moreover, the constitutional amendment required to implement the tax opens the door for unlimited tax hikes on both the wealthy and working-class residents.
Former U.S. Representative Katie Porter has proposed expanding illegal immigration as a solution to California’s population growth. She stated, “They are one of the only ways that our state has been growing in recent years.” According to the Public Policy Institute of California, nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants entered the state between 2021 and 2023. However, the state’s population grew by less than 20,000 during the same period.
In Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass — who referred to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro as “Comandante en Jefe” — faces a crowded field of left-leaning challengers. Her administration spent $300 million on hotel rooms for the homeless, with 40% returning to the streets within a short time.
California’s $2.9 billion deficit remains absent from these campaigns, which focus instead on tax increases as the primary solution. The cycle described by these policies taxes hardworking families and redistributes resources to social programs. Without a sustainable revenue base, this approach risks leaving no one left to tax.
California’s political landscape reflects a broader national trend toward radical socialist policies. The state serves as a testing ground for an agenda targeting middle America.
The question now is whether voters will recognize the threat posed by this socialist tax-and-spend agenda and take action to stop it.
