LOS ANGELES, CA – California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters), UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE), The Climate Center Action Fund, and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund hosted California’s first climate-focused gubernatorial forum.
As Californians face an affordability crisis driven by the climate crisis—voters are hungry for leadership that will protect communities and make our economy sustainable for the long haul. This virtual forum assessed candidates on clean energy, energy affordability, corporate accountability, insurance affordability, public lands, water, resilience, and other voter priorities, giving them the stage on the impacts the climate crisis has on Californians’ homes, wallets, and health.
This event was hosted in Pasadena, just over a year after the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires devastated this and neighboring communities across Southern California, including Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and the San Fernando Valley. The Los Angeles wildfires forced almost 180,000 Southern Californians to evacuate their homes and has since been hailed as one of the costliest climate disasters in our nation’s history.
Moderated by Sammy Roth (Writer, Climate-Colored Goggles) and Louise Bedsworth (Executive Director, CLEE), the recorded forum is available HERE. Highlights include:
[KATIE PORTER QUOTE]
[TOM STEYER QUOTE]
[ERIC SWALWELL QUOTE]
[XAVIER BECERRA QUOTE]
The forum also referenced new statewide polling from California Environmental Voters Education Fund (EnviroVoters Ed Fund), in partnership with David Binder Research. The findings show voters are clear about what they want from their next governor: leadership that delivers affordable energy and insurance, safe and reliable water, and real accountability for corporate polluters.
“Californians are experiencing the affordability crisis every day and they know the climate crisis and corporate greed is making it worse,” said Mary Creasman, Chief Executive Officer, EnviroVoters. “Voters are clear on what they actually want from their next governor: leadership that protects our land and water, invests in clean, affordable energy, and stands up to oil companies and corporate polluters instead of letting families pay the price. This is a clear call for bold, solutions-driven leadership that delivers on the California promise.”
The top 6 polling candidates were invited based on publicly available polling and the poll conducted by EnviroVoters Ed Fund. Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton were invited, but their campaign teams did not respond to our invitation. Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Antonio Villaraigosa, Public Policy Advisor; and Betty Yee, Nonprofit Leader have been invited to submit videos answering questions to allow voters to hear their positions on key topics.
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CONTACT:
Erika Guzman Cornejo
(310) 755-1615
erika@envirovoters.org
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ABOUT CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS
California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. See more press releases.
