Governor Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa visits Central Coast

With the primary election just ten days away, candidates are making their last attempts to get votes.

On Saturday, former Mayor of Los Angeles and State Assembly speaker Antonio Villaraigosa took his campaign to the Central Coast.

He started his day out in Santa Cruz visiting the Cruzio Internet building with Mayor David Terrazas. He then made his way down to Salinas.

Villaraigosa tells KION what sets him apart from the other candidates, his track record. “I was the author of the assault weapons ban, the most far reaching responsible gun laws in our state at that period, the author of the largest school bond in US history that would build schools in urban areas that deteriorated, I authored the class size initiative to reduce our classes from k-3 so more of our kids could be successful. I was mayor of a city as I said that is larger than the next four cities combined. Nearly cut violent crime by half, 49 percent cut in violent crime,” says Villaraigosa.

He says he’s wants others to have the same experience in California that he did, “I believe that to whom much is given much is expected. I’ve benefited greatly from the California Dream and I think it’s incumbent on this generation to restore the luster to that dream.”

Several elected officials on the Central Coast announced their endorsement for him today, including Supervisor Luis Alejo. “When I was a state assembly member, we worked closely on economic development projects that help disadvantaged communities just like Salinas and other cities in the central valley,” says Alejo.

Alejo also says California needs a governor to bridge the gap between political parties to focus on problem solving, “he’s really a problem solver, a bridge builder and I think that’s what we need in these politics that we see today we need someone to bring republicans and democrats together to solve problems that are so critically need to be addressed in the state of California.”

While in Salinas Villaraigosa toured the new farm workers housing project Casa Boranda which will be providing 600 farm workers with housing. Villaraigosa says those are the type of projects our state needs.

Villaraigosa says he will be making the dream of buying a house a priority, “”my generation ya know, bought a home in their 20’s. Young people in their 20’s cant afford and apartment without multiple roommates. And the next governor is going to have to address that we need to grown an economy with more middle class jobs that means we need to educate and train more of our workforce, starting with early childhood education all the way to college affordability.”

Villaraigosa will be campaigning around California until the primary election on Tuesday June 5th.