Billionaire environmental advocate Tom Steyer launched his campaign for California governor without mentioning climate change, a notable shift for a Democrat who once made global warming the centerpiece of his political identity.
Steyer's kickoff video centered on pocketbook issues, leaning into economic populism and arguing that the state's race is being driven by daily costs.
"Everyone knows that this race is really about affordability," Steyer campaign strategist Rebecca Katz told Politico. "Tom wants to get back to basics."
The messaging represented a sharp contrast with Steyer's 2020 presidential bid, when he elevated climate as his top priority and pledged to declare a climate emergency on his first day in office.
It also underscored a broader Democrat recalibration before the 2026 midterm elections, as candidates confront voters who are more focused on rising electricity bills and home insurance costs than long-term climate risks.
Even in California, where climate policy has long shaped statewide politics, voter priorities looked different in recent polling.
An October survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found 2% of likely voters ranked the environment, pollution, and global warming as the most important issue facing the state, far behind cost of living, the economy and inflation.
Climate concern also dipped compared with prior cycles. In 2018, 57% of likely voters called climate change a very serious threat to California's future economy and quality of life. Now, that figure is 50%.
Former state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, who met Steyer at the 2015 United Nations climate conference in Paris, framed the approach as practical politics.
"If you're talking about climate when people are paying too much for rent, they're just going to roll their eyes and say, 'Whatever'," Rendon said.
Steyer entered a crowded contest with limited early support. With the primary election six months away, recent polling put him at 1%. He planned to self-fund, though wealthy candidates have stumbled in California before.
The retreat from climate-forward campaigning has extended beyond Steyer. Democrats in Sacramento pared back the California Environmental Quality Act this year, and Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged the political headwinds.
"There's not a poll or a pundit that suggests that Democrats should be talking about this," Newsom said.
Steyer's allies argued his record still mattered, even if it was not front and center.
"Tom's climate credentials are impeccable," adviser Doug Rubin said.
Josh Fryday, a former NextGen Climate executive now running for lieutenant governor, added, "I think he knows why he's running and he's always going to end up doing the right thing for the environment and for our economy."
On social media, Steyer has criticized President Donald Trump while keeping his main campaign focus on affordability.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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