Four of the Republican men who want to take Gov. Gavin Newsom’s job went head-to-head in the first debate of the recall campaign, Wednesday night at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda.
However, the three best-known people in the race were no-shows: Governor Newsom declined the invitation from Fox 11 in Los Angeles, along with Republican frontrunner Larry Elder and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner.
That left the debate stage to a handful of Republicans bunched in the lower middle of the polls: former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, retired Congressman and farmer Doug Ose and young Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, all of whom stated their case and attacked Newsom all multiple fronts.
Faulconer blasted Newsom’s record on crime, an area of vulnerability for the governor.
"As governor I’m going to put victims first and I’m going to put criminals in jail," he said.
Perennial candidate Cox made the case for electing a businessman who can fix what he called the "absolute failure" of the Newsom administration.
"Sacramento is all about politicians who talk, talk, talk and they don’t do anything," he said. "I’ve been a businessman for 30 years. I have to solve problems."
However, Ose made a blunt, no nonsense case for himself as the real problem solver.
"I am just done waiting for somebody’s solution on homelessness," the former representative of the state’s third district said.
His message to the beleaguered employment development department was simple: "Just answer the damn phone."
Finally, Kiley said he would end corruption and bring a common sense approach to the governor’s office.
"Our state government is fundamentally broken. That’s why our quality of life is declining in California. And what’s broken is that we have a political class that serves special interest, rather than California," he said.
All four opposed mandates, whether for masks or vaccines, though Faulconer was the only candidate to encourage the public to get vaccinated.
None of the men brought up former President Donald Trump, and Faulconer dodged when asked if he still supports him. They also resisted the opportunity to criticize Elder, the radio host who leads the field in the polls and may have won this faceoff by not being part of the fray.
Newsom’s fate may hinge on whether Democrats pay attention and turn out to vote in election scheduled for September 14.
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