Here’s Why
| Robert Reich May 19, 2026 |
Friends,
Recently, people have been asking me who I’m voting for in the California gubernatorial primary. Normally, I prefer to stay out of the primaries (I myself was involved in a contested primary way back when, but that’s another story).
Like most voters I know in California, I’ve been holding onto my ballot. It’s been an especially bruising campaign season, and folks are tired of the attack ads.
But it’s now time to commit. California voters must support a candidate for governor who will do the job the way it should be done.
I’m voting for Tom Steyer.
You may be thinking: a billionaire? Hear me out. Steyer is the only candidate with a plan to tax the wealthy and corporations to invest in public services.
Yes, the billionaire is the only candidate with a plan to tax billionaires.
Steyer is the only candidate who has said he’d vote for the billionaire wealth tax, and he’s also said we need to go even further. Under his revenue plan, he’d raise taxes on corporations and other billionaires to fund schools and healthcare.
Steyer understands that economic growth depends on a strong middle class, not trickle down nonsense.
On the issue of artificial intelligence, Steyer is the only candidate with a plan to tax Big Tech and share the gains with working people. Under Steyer’s plan, he will guarantee every worker impacted by AI has a good-paying job.
When it comes to single-payer healthcare, Steyer is also committed to making California a model for the rest of the nation.
But don’t take my word for it. Steyer’s progressive policies have won him the support of nurses, teachers, and other labor unions across the state. At the same time, PG&E, Chevron, and MAGA billionaires are spending millions against him.
We’ve had wealthy Democratic politicians before. FDR and JFK had tremendous fortunes, yet they enacted some of the most progressive policies in American history.
Meanwhile, the other candidates in the race for governor haven’t taken a stand on the billionaire wealth tax. Why? I fear it’s because they don’t want to upset the wealthy donors and corporations backing their campaigns. It’s that simple.
I love California. It’s been my home for nearly 30 years. We need progressive change, not more of the same.
Tom Steyer is the only viable candidate to deliver that change in Sacramento.
