The California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), the American Civil Liberties Union California Action (ACLU), and the California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation (CLLC) hosted a gubernatorial forum, Nuestra Voz 2026, on Tuesday evening to highlight the candidates running for governor and their policies that directly affect Latino and immigrant populations in California.
The forum was moderated by Lupita Baltazar from Telemundo 33 and Jean Guerrero, an opinion writer for The New York Times. Together, they welcomed seven candidates: Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Betty Yee.
The moderators opened with a question asking candidates what specific commitments they would make on day one to ensure that their appointments, judicial nominations, and agencies represent the individuals who sustain the state.
The question highlighted the importance of representation for the Latino and immigrant community, which has been historically marginalized with limited means of representation. Antonio Villaraigosa responded by acknowledging his previous experience as the former mayor of Los Angeles and his record of diverse appointments.
“Before me as mayor of Los Angeles, I had about 25 percent Latinos. That’s the height. By the time I left, it was 50 percent of my appointments, and every commission, 50 percent of my staff was Latino. Seventy percent were people of color. Look at the current administration. There’s no representation like that. I’m absolutely clear,” said Villaraigosa.
Much of the forum focused more directly on the economic challenges facing Latino and immigrant families. The rising cost of living, particularly housing and healthcare, was repeatedly highlighted as a pressing concern.
Xavier Becerra connected these issues by emphasizing the role of state programs like Medi-Cal in supporting vulnerable communities and preventing long-term financial strain.
“If I’m going to be the Healthcare Governor of California, I’m going to commit to you right here and now that I will guarantee that our communities will not lose access to Medi-Cal… It is foolish to deny people early access when they will ultimately access it through the emergency room, when it is the most expensive… I will make sure there is down payment assistance for all those families already paying a mortgage — it’s just called rent, and the reason they can’t own that home is because they didn’t have the down payment,” said Becerra.
Similarly, the other six candidates shared the same views, noting that they will implement universal childcare policies, reduce barriers to public services, and create an economy that ensures fewer residents are in need of safety net programs.
“But part of the goal, and we hire promotoras, we have a lot of great strategies. But we also have to remember, the goal isn’t just to expand the safety net programs. It’s to ensure fewer people need them, because, to Betty’s point, we’re creating more upward mobility and economic opportunity,” said Candidate Matt Mahan.
Housing affordability was further addressed when moderators asked candidates what actions they would take within their first 100 days to tackle California’s housing crisis. Katie Porter framed the issue as a long-term structural problem, emphasizing the need to remove barriers to housing development.
“California builds housing too slowly. It takes about two years longer to build housing in California than it does in comparable states like Colorado… In the first 100 days, we need to identify, working in partnership with the legislature, all of the policies that are slowing down our building. We need to listen to housing advocates in our community, to local officials, and make an inventory of what we need to change… It took us decades to get into this problem; it will take decades to get out. But I’m honest about that,” said Porter.
Immigration enforcement also remained a central topic, reflecting ongoing concerns within immigrant communities about the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Candidates offered differing approaches to addressing those concerns.
Tom Steyer called for sweeping changes, including abolishing ICE and increasing accountability for enforcement practices, while Mahan emphasized building trust between local governments and immigrant communities as a pathway to public safety.
“We have, over the last few years, made San Jose the safest big city in America. And the way we did that was through building trust with our community… We didn’t get any help from the Trump administration in achieving that incredible milestone of being the safest big city. In fact, what this administration is doing is racist and it’s undermining trust. It’s making us all less safe… We’ve funded legal services for our immigrant families, who are under threat, we’ve passed mask bans and ICE bans,” said Mahan.
Healthcare access for undocumented Californians was another key issue raised during the forum, in response to a question about maintaining services despite federal policy changes. Candidates Antonio Villaraigosa and Betty Yee both emphasized the importance of ensuring access to care, framing it as a moral obligation and a public health necessity for all Californians.
The Nuestra Voz forum gave candidates the opportunity to voice their policies. Each candidate presented distinct approaches to addressing some of the state’s most pressing challenges and allowed California residents to learn who the people on the ballot are and what they stand for.
