Tony Thurmond says “Polls elect no one” as he presses on in the governor’s race

Gubernatorial candidate Tony Thurmond on the campaign trail ....Photo courtesy https://www.tonythurmond.com/

There are eight candidates running to be governor of California this year. California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is one of them. Currently, Thurmond’s poll numbers show him at the bottom of the list with 1.1% of the vote, with the leading candidate Xavier Becerra at the top of the list with 19% of the vote. 

But Thurmond’s ranking in the polls doesn’t seem to be deterring his fervor for the position. In a 30 minute presentation to ethnic media journalists in late April, Thurmond stressed his interest in abolishing ICE, his support for a single-payer healthcare system, a statewide tax on billionaires, rent control expansion and the construction of 2 million housing units by 2030. 

In his two minute introductory statement, Thurmond said, “I believe that a better California is possible and that we have to build it together.” Thurmond explained that his “plan is to help our state build 2 million housing units, to provide housing for those who are homeless, including the 10,000 homeless teenagers in our state and to make sure that Californians have access to good paying jobs.

In setting the background for some of his ideas, Thurmond shared that he was a California native, born at the Ford Ord army base to a mom who was an immigrant from Panama. He said that his dad was a soldier who came from Detroit by way of Mississippi. While his dad was in Vietnam,his mother had to raise four kids by herself. She got really sick when he was six years old and lost her battle to cancer. He and his siblings were split up, and he and his five year old brother ended up in Philadelphia with an older cousin whom they had not met.

He said that they didn’t have any food in the house and relied upon free lunches, food stamps, government cheese and other forms of public assistance to manage. But getting an education changed his life. 

Along the way, Thurmond volunteered for President Bill Clinton’s campaign, then Gavin Newsom’s campaigns for County Supervisor and Mayor. He later served 18 years as a city council member, a school board member and state legislator, serving Contra Costa County. He was twice elected as  the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Calls to Abolish ICE

With a mother who was an immigrant, it was understandable that Thurmond had strong feelings concerning ICE.

Asked whether he supported abolishing ICE, Thurmond responded: “I was the candidate to call for abolishing ICE.”

He argued that the agency has failed in its stated mission and instead has harmed immigrant communities. He said he would work with Congress to dismantle ICE and replace it with what he described as a more humane immigration enforcement system that includes a pathway to citizenship.

“I think ICE is showing it is a failed entity,” Thurmond said later in the discussion. “It’s okay to get rid of ICE, abolish it, scrap it, and start all over again.”

He also said that, as governor, he would direct California law enforcement authorities to arrest federal immigration agents who violate California laws. Thurmond pointed to legislation he supported to keep ICE agents out of schools and hospitals and referenced a proposal that would impose a 50% tax on companies operating ICE detention centers in California.

Thurmond sharply criticized private prison operators, including GEO Group and CoreCivic, accusing them of profiting from immigration detention policies.

Healthcare and Single-Payer System

On healthcare, Thurmond reaffirmed his support for a single-payer healthcare system, saying California should remove profit motives from healthcare delivery.

Under the health care system he proposed, every one would be covered equally under a single, comprehensive health insurance plan.

Thurmond  described how his brother died after losing health insurance when he lost his job.

“No person should lose their life simply because they don’t have health insurance,” he said.

He criticized recent federal healthcare cuts and said California should work toward restoring healthcare access for vulnerable residents.

Thurmond said that as governor, “I will restore healthcare to undocumented immigrants because it's the right thing to do. I passed that policy as a legislator. It will save money as people are not going to emergency rooms for care that could be done in a more preventative way. And I will work with Congress to abolish ice and create a pathway to citizenship.”

Billionaire Tax and Housing Crisis

Thurmond proposed a tax on billionaires as a key funding mechanism for state programs.

“If we tax people who have more than, say, $150 million in assets, we could provide more resources for schools, for jobs, for healthcare,” he said.

He argued that California cannot continue increasing taxes on working-class residents and small businesses while wealth concentration continues to grow.

Thurmond also outlined plans to address California’s housing shortage, calling for 2 million new housing units by 2030, including affordable housing built on surplus school district land. He said the state should provide financial and technical assistance to districts to partner with developers in creating housing for teachers, nurses, public safety workers and other essential employees.

In addition, Thurmond endorsed expanded rent control protections statewide while also acknowledging the financial realities faced by smaller property owners.

“We have to have rent control,” he said, adding that policies should balance renter protections with reasonable rent increases tied to maintenance costs.

Education and Undocumented Students

It should come as no surprise that Thurmond strongly defends access to public education for undocumented children.

Responding to questions about efforts in other states to restrict K-12 education access for such students, Thurmond said California would continue protecting all students regardless of immigration status.

“My read of the Constitution is that it guarantees the right to an education for all children, including undocumented children,” he said.

He also proposed expanding educational access for students living near the California-Mexico border through dual-enrollment opportunities with California community colleges.

Campaign Outlook

Toward the end of the briefing, Thurmond addressed questions about low polling numbers and his exclusion from several of the  gubernatorial debates.

“I just don’t think that polls elect anyone. People do,” Thurmond said.

He noted that he has previously won statewide office despite being outspent and underestimated politically, and said he intends to remain in the race through Election Day.

“This is the last office I’m ever going to run for,” Thurmond said. “I’m running to be governor because the governor has the most influence over what happens in our state.”

So regardless of what the polls show, Thurmond appears to be  in the race until the end.

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