Tom Steyer, the billionaire philanthropist and Democratic climate activist who unsuccessfully ran for presidency in 2020, has shaken up the California governor's race with a surprise entry.
Alongside Steyer, prominent Democratic candidates eyeing the governor's seat are former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former federal Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and former Rep. Katie Porter.
Despite the state's Democratic lean, the race is not without Republicans, including Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton.
In an announcement video posted to social media, Steyer directly attacked America's wealthiest crowd, who he said believe that "they earned everything themselves."
Framing himself as a successful businessman who focused his life's work toward taking on the "out-of-state corporations", and the "oil companies", the 68-year-old centred his pitch on affordability, following Zohran Mamdani's successful run in NYC.
Steyer has been a prominent figure in California Democratic politics for about a decade, ever since he retired from his hedge fund career and launched a progressive nonprofit that advocated for mitigating climate change and improving health care.
For the unversed, California holds nonpartisan primaries, in which every candidate runs on one ballot regardless of party, and the top two candidates move onto a general election.
