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California governor candidates race to claim pro-housing mantle

April 27, 2026

As California’s housing crisis continues to dominate state politics, candidates for governor are increasingly positioning themselves as pro-housing, a shift driven in part by the growing influence of the Yes In My Backyard movement.

Leading candidates to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom are leaning into the issue after a year when affordability dominated at the ballot box and lawmakers passed major legislation to speed up housing production.

Matthew Lewis, a spokesperson for housing advocacy group California YIMBY, said differences among the leading Democratic candidates largely come down to “degrees of nuance” in their housing plans. Some focus on streamlining permits, while others emphasize zoning changes, he said.

“But it all comes back to the core message, which is we really have to do as much as we can to unleash as much supply as possible,” Lewis said.

The last time California had an open governor’s race in 2018, the more than decade-old YIMBY movement was still in its early days. What began as efforts to pressure local city councils to approve new homes has since evolved into a network of regional and statewide organizations advocating for denser housing in urban areas.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat who has authored several YIMBY-backed bills in recent years, said the state’s housing crisis had metastasized to a level that required “real grassroots energy” to solve.

Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, left, talks with Democratic state Sen. John Laird at the Capitol, in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

“It’s sort of lent itself to like, OK, we have to organize, we have to push our elected officials, we have to provide the counterbalance to the inertia in order to break through and create the change we want to see,” she said. “And I think that is the underpinning of the YIMBY movement.”

Wicks said the type of housing YIMBYs advocate for has also evolved. When she first ran for her Assembly seat in 2018, it was “still very taboo” to support anything beyond affordable housing. Now, she said, state leaders recognize the need for an “all-of-the-above approach” that includes market-rate housing and so-called “missing middle” homes.

That shift is now reflected in the governor’s race, where most candidates are “pretty aggressive” in supporting an all-of-the-above strategy, she said.

While candidates broadly agree that the state needs more housing, they differ on how to get there.

Sarah Anzia, a professor of public policy and political science at UC Berkeley, said the issue remains politically “tricky,” as candidates “don’t want to upset folks who want to keep their city the way it is.”

“There is that to worry about, but I think now it’s bad enough that there has been success at the state level that I think gubernatorial candidates really do want to take and have to take this seriously,” she said.

Anzia said YIMBYs have also faced opposition from some environmental groups and labor organizations — particularly the building trades — meaning the next governor will still have to “figure out how to balance everybody’s needs and interests.”

Still, for YIMBY advocates, the prominence of housing in the governor’s race marks a significant shift.

“If things go the way they seem to be going, we’re going to have candidates competing for governor who really, really want to win the votes of the state’s YIMBYs and the pro-housing movement,” Lewis of California YMIBY said. “That’s a great position for us to be in, and I think it speaks very well of the progress we’ve made and honestly, the progress that the legislature has made.”

So where do the candidates stand on housing?

Steve Hilton

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, wants to cut red tape and cap fees, including limiting the number of public hearings required for development projects. His plan focuses heavily on expanding suburbs and criticizes “planning biases” that favor dense housing in urban areas over single-family homes — a key tenet of YIMBYism.

“We have to end the war on single-family homes so that we can build the housing we need for young families,” Hilton said during a debate last week. “We need more starter homes in California.”

He also said he wants to reduce environmental regulations and curb what he described as “exploitative union lawsuits” that block housing projects and drive up costs.

His plan calls for eliminating zoning rules that incentivize density as a condition for streamlined permitting, as well as removing urban growth boundaries that limit suburban expansion.

Chad Bianco

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, said at a debate last week that “California state government created the housing problem.”

“It’s not that we can’t afford a house,” he said. “It’s that builders can’t afford to build a house because of the over-excessive regulations on our building industry, along with every other business and industry in California.”

Bianco said he would remove many of those regulations on his first day in office.

His campaign website offers few other details, but says he would expedite approvals, eliminate the California environmental law that requires development reviews and incentivize developers to build in the state. He also opposes efforts to weaken Proposition 13.

Tom Steyer

Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, a Democrat, said in written responses that he has supported several bills aligned with YIMBY priorities and that the governor “should work with any group that is serious about building housing.”

He pointed to Senate Bill 79, which makes it easier to build multifamily housing near transit, along with recent changes to environmental law, as examples of where state intervention is needed.

“If we’ve learned anything in the past few years from successes in housing policy, it is the power of a governor willing to hold local cities unwilling to build more homes accountable,” he said.

Steyer’s plan focuses on underlying challenges such as high financing costs, slow construction and limited land. He proposes creating a state revolving loan fund to provide low-interest financing and investing in factory-built housing to speed construction.

Xavier Becerra

Former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, has offered limited details publicly about his housing plan but said at a recent debate that he wants to streamline regulations and reduce fees that make projects financially infeasible.

He said the state should “build smart” by increasing housing near transit and expanding down payment assistance programs.

Becerra, who previously served as California’s attorney general and sued cities over housing law violations, said he would prioritize “shovel-ready” projects in his first 100 days.

“They just need a little kick over the finish line,” he said.

Katie Porter

Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat, who has met with several YIMBY groups, said the state needs to speed up housing production while addressing project costs.

“We have to recognize that we do have things that are getting permitted or could be pursued, but are not because the projects don’t pencil out,” she said about costs at a meeting with South Bay YIMBYs.

Porter has also emphasized innovation in construction, including off-site manufacturing, 3D printing and climate-resilient materials. She said the state may need to use public land, such as excess school or Caltrans properties, to support deeply affordable housing.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter meets with a group of local YIMBY advocates to discuss housing issues at San Pedro Square Market in downtown San Jose, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

Matt Mahan

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a Democrat, focuses on cutting taxes, streamlining approvals and reducing what he calls “junk lawsuits” that increase housing costs in his housing plan.

At a recent YIMBY Action event, he said the state continues to add layers of regulation that slow development.

“Our legislature’s done a lot of great work, but I still run into assembly members who will come back to their districts with their newsletter like, ‘I got 19 bills signed by the governor this year,’” he told the crowd of YIMBYs. “Well, hold on, did that actually yield better outcomes or did it actually add more process?”

Mahan has proposed requiring local governments to process permits within 30 days and making factory-built housing a central part of the state’s strategy. He also plans to cut taxes and fees statewide by setting a cap for all urban housing.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, said he considers himself “part of the YIMBY movement” and credited the group with pushing state leaders to focus on housing production.

His plan includes expanding laws that streamline affordable housing, strengthening tenant protections and investing in Community Land Trusts to keep housing affordable long term.

“My plan is about results, not rhetoric,” Villaraigosa said. “While others keep adding layers of policy that slow things down, I’m focused on cutting red tape through programs like a California Housing Acceleration Act, forcing accountability and building housing at the scale California actually needs.”

Villaraigosa also wants to launch a building trades workforce initiative, expanding construction apprenticeships and creating a “Hard Hat to Homeowner” pathway that would offer graduates enhanced down payment assistance.

Tony Thurmond

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a Democrat, has centered his housing plan on using surplus school land for development, an effort he has already begun in his current role through legislation and state initiatives.

Thurmond said there are roughly 75,000 acres of school land that could be developed, potentially yielding 2.3 million housing units.

“It’s painfully obvious that California must build more housing and fast,” he said in a video posted to social media last year. “We need creative solutions to be able to meet our urgent housing needs.”

He has also called for expanding down payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers.

California governor candidates race to claim pro-housing mantle Orange County Register

News Details

California governor candidates race to claim pro-housing mantle

Steve Hilton

Chad Bianco

Tom Steyer

Xavier Becerra

Katie Porter

Matt Mahan

Antonio Villaraigosa

Tony Thurmond

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