July 30, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Delaine Eastin: Sleeper Candidate Could Emerge

By Tom Elias

This article is one in an ongoing series of interviews with candidates for governor of California.

Delaine Eastin has never run a losing campaign for any office, in 14 tries. But if the 70-year-old former state school superintendent emerges to win this year’s race for governor, it will be the biggest upset in the long history of California politics.

But don’t rule her out, even though she drew only 3 percent support in the latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California and as of early December had raised a mere $500,000 for her campaign, with just $100,000 on hand, compared with many millions for the likes of Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang. The two Republicans in the race, San Diego County businessman John Cox and Orange County Assemblyman Travis Allen, both also outpoll Eastin and have more money available.

But Eastin has some advantages, despite her relatively late entry into this race. She’s a woman in an era when the sexual peccadilloes of male politicians have destroyed several careers and turned off female voters. She also takes firmer stands on some issues than her rivals.

Where candidates like Newsom and Villaraigosa made general statements opposing corruption in government, but offered no specifics on how to combat the widespread phenomenon, Eastin in an interview the other day did. She recalled how she rooted out wasteful, corrupt contracting in the state’s Education Department when she became the state’s school chief, then railed against the Legislature’s use of taxpayer funds to buy silence from victims of sexual harassment there.

“It’s outrageous to use public money to pay off victims of legislators and their staff,” said the former four-term legislator. “The governor can’t order this stopped, but can apply a lot of pressure to make people play by the rules.” She said she would take much the same approach to the scandal-ridden state Public Utilities Commission, another very independent agency.

There’s also the fact that voters have not yet engaged with the run for governor. The same PPIC poll showing Eastin with just 3 percent support also found about one-third of voters were undecided and that the support levels for early frontrunner Newsom, Villaraigosa, Chiang and the two Republicans had not changed much over several months.

This opens the possibility of Eastin making inroads when debates begin and the public starts paying attention.

While she didn’t outright say so, she did indicate one way she might try to move up could be by exploiting the admitted past sexual indiscretions of Newsom and Villaraigosa, both of whom said in interviews they have done plenty of introspection about their problems and will not repeat them.

“I’ve met women who say they won’t vote for either of them, no matter what,” Eastin said. “Both of them have terrible histories…I don’t think people grow out of a lack of self-control.”

Newsom campaign consultant Dan Singer responded to this by saying “Every candidate will choose how to run their own campaign; ours will stay focused on accomplishments and ideas.” Villaraigosa did not respond for the record.

Eastin also laid out four top priorities for the state if she becomes governor, while expressing the same worries Newsom and Villaraigosa do over California’s growing economic inequalities. Her list starts with education, which she says needs more funding and emphasis “from cradle to career.” She would also push for solutions to the state’s housing shortage, try to reenergize the longstanding push for clean air and try to set up a single-payer health care system that would amount to “Medicare for all.”

“California in the hands of a nimble leader can accomplish huge things,” she said. “Under Govs. Earl Warren and Pat Brown, we built the models for a public university system, pre-school system, junior colleges and the world’s best freeway system.”

Eastin clearly is a longshot today, about six months out from primary Election Day. But debates, social media and other outlets will give her ample opportunity to make her case, and the large mass of undecided voters may well be listening to what she says in the coming springtime debates.

Related Posts

New Beginnings in Brentwood: Dr. Marian Oppenheimer Opens Private Psychology Practice at wellpeople

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

For more than 30 years, Dr. Marian Oppenheimer has dedicated herself to one clear purpose: helping people heal, grow, and...

Westchester Del Rey Stuns Tucson With 11-Run Inning to Reach World Series

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Westside Team Heads to Greenville, North Carolina to Compete for Glory  Westchester Del Rey Little League is headed to the...

UCLA Agrees to $6.1 Million Settlement Over Alleged Discrimination During Campus Protests

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Faculty Group Argued Protest Wasn’t Antisemitic; Judge Approval Still Pending UCLA will pay more than $6 million to settle a...

Tsunami Advisory Issued for Los Angeles Coast After 8.7 Quake Near Russia

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Strong Currents, Surges Expected; Residents Urged to Avoid Beaches and Harbors Update from NWS Los Angeles at 6:50 a.m. “Latest...

Brazen Wheel Thieves Hit Beverly Grove, Hollywood Neighborhoods

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Early-Morning Thefts Leave Cars on Blocks; Residents Coordinate  Los Angeles police are investigating a growing number of wheel thefts reported...

Brentwood Weekly Crime Report:  July 7, 2025 – July 27, 2025

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

LAPD Confirms Fatal Stabbing Among 12 Reported Incidents Senior Lead Officer Matthew Kirk has resumed crime reporting duties following a...

Second Grenade Still Missing After Blast That Killed Three LA Sheriff’s Detectives

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Only One Grenade Exploded; The Second Device Has Vanished Authorities said Friday that one of two grenades recovered last week...

Kathleen Kaufman Brings Gothic Séance Tale to Brentwood Bookstore

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

The Author of Nora Grey Will Appear in Conversation With Jo Kaplan  Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood, will host author...

Felony Charges Dropped for Man in UCLA Encampment Attack After Diversion Deal

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Malachi Marlan-Librett Must Complete Therapy, Anti-bias Training in Hate Crime Case The only person charged with a felony in connection...

Homecare Company Celebrates 14 years of Compassion While Planting New Roots After January Fire

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Luxe Homecare, a leading provider of compassionate and reliable in-home care services for seniors has recently announced the opening of...

Wallis Annenberg, Visionary Philanthropist and Civic Leader, Dies at 86

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Philanthropist Expanded Foundation’s Reach From Arts to Conservation Wallis Annenberg, a prominent philanthropist and longtime leader of the Annenberg Foundation,...

Brentwood Beat: Let’s Get Practical

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Do you ever spend time on NextDoor?   It’s a local online bulletin board.  I check it out maybe twice a...

Los Angeles Fire Department Airlifts Two From Brentwood Trails in Same-Day Rescues

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Two Were Hoisted in Back-To-Back Emergencies From Rugged Terrain Two individuals were airlifted to safety Saturday afternoon in separate incidents...

More Than $50 Billion in Damage: What January’s Wildfire Cost the City of Los Angeles

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Nearly 11,000 Properties, Many in Pacific Palisades, Affected; True Losses Likely Higher Nearly $52 billion in residential real estate across...

Award-Winning Beverly Hills Villa Lists for $39.9 Million in Celebrity-Filled Enclave

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Limestone Showpiece Hits Market in the Flats, From Acclaimed Architect Tucked in the heart of Beverly Hills Flats, a limestone-clad...