5 takeaways from Newsom’s only debate this election, from gas prices to the White House

For the first and only time before the 2022 California gubernatorial election, Gov. Gavin Newsom faced off against his Republican challenger, state Sen. Brian Dahle, in a debate on Sunday.

Dahle, a Republican farmer from rural Lassen County, is vying to unseat Newsom, who is running for a second, four-year term as governor. Newsom was first elected to the state’s highest public office in November 2018 and handily won a Republican-led recall effort in September 2021. Dahle has served as a state legislator since 2012.

If you weren’t able to tune in for Sunday’s debate, here are five major takeaways:

Newsom 2024? No way, governor says.

In recent months Newsom fueled speculation that he wants to run for president in 2024 by buying advertisements criticizing GOP governors in their home states and challenging Florida Republican Gov. Ron Desantis to a debate.

Newsom in front of Dahle said he’s commited to serving all four years of a second-term if he’s reelected. That would make him California governor through 2026 — putting him out of contention for the 2024 national election if he served the entire term.

Newsom was asked by the moderator, KQED correspondent Marisa Lagos: “You’re asking voters for four more years. Do you commit to serving all four?”

His response: “Yes.”

But Newsom kept his eye on national politics throughout his debate with Dahle, digging GOP policies across the country. For instance, eight of the states with the highest murder rates are led by Republicans.

“We need to own up to those realities,” Newsom said. “We’ve put out strategies and plans, but I’m not going to use the tried and true strategies of the far right to scapegoat a reform that cannot directly be connected to the trends.”

Republicans in California, including Dahle, have criticized the governor for caring more about his prospects on the national stage than issues in the Golden State.

In his opening remarks at the debate, Dahle thanked the governor for taking time away from “his dream of being president of the United States and actually coming to California.”

On the hot seat over gas prices

High gas prices are expected to shape midterm elections across the United States, including in California.

Dahle said he would push to suspend the state’s 54-cent gas tax and sign off on hundreds of permits for new oil wells to lower prices at the pump.

Dahle called the proposed gas tax holiday the “fastest way you can actually help drive down inflation.” But when asked how he would ensure that the savings from a gas tax suspension would end up in the pockets of consumers, he failed to provide a clear answer.

“We’ll force the companies to make sure that the money goes to actually lowering the price at the pump,” he said.

Newsom blasted Dahle for his response, calling it a “talking point from the right.”

“We’ve seen other states that have moved with gas tax reductions and we haven’t seen the commensurate reduction because there is no guarantee,” Newsom said. “Everything he said is literally stripped and ripped from the talking points that big oil provides him and his colleagues.”

Newsom touted his new proposal to levy a windfall tax on oil companies that would be used to fund rebates for consumers. He also trumpeted a significant drop in gas prices since his administration ordered the state producing a cheaper winter blend product.

Newsom has not yet unveiled a detailed plan for the windfall tax but said he’s working with legislative leaders to “make sure we get it right.”

“We mean business, and we will be introducing the legislation very very shortly,” he said.

Newsom comes with the details

Throughout the debate, Dahle repeated a similar message that the governor was a smooth talker who failed to deliver real solutions to the state’s most pressing issues.

“The governor talks really slick and smooth about all these processes he’s doing,” Dahle said. “... What he’s done is throw money at every single issue — more than there’s ever been — and what are the results for California? High gas prices, inflation, homelessness on our streets, our schools failing our children and people are fleeing California.”

But Dahle often failed to provide listeners with specifics about how he would address the issues differently and what policies he would put in place.

Newsom hit back with detailed responses about the budget, legislation and policies.

“I blame you for not having one imaginative idea except for those that were promoted by Betsy DeVos,” Newsom said during a conversation about the state of California’s educational system, referencing former President Donald Trump’s secretary of education. “You’ve identified problems. We’ve identified solutions and strategies.”

He went on to list specific education strategies such as funding the addition of targeted tutoring and reading specialists in high-poverty schools, boosting staff to student ratios, new investments in after-school and summer school programs and funding the expansion of free prekindergarten.

They’re far apart on abortion in California

While Newsom is one of the most vocal proponents in the state for Proposition 1 — a ballot initiative that would enshrine the right to abortion in the California constitution — Dahle is leading the fight against it.

Dahle, who is outspoken about his pro-life agenda, said during the debate that he supports funding reproductive services but would not endorse state spending on abortions.

“I am not going to fund out-of-state abortions,” Dahle said. When asked “what about in-state abortions?,” Dahle responded “no.”

In response, Newsom took a jab at Dahle.

“You’re not pro-life, you’re pro-government mandated birth,” he said.

As for Proposition 1, Newsom said he was proud to “enthusiastically” support it, calling it “foundational to the core values of the state of California.”

Common ground on reparations

While Newsom and Dahle provide voters with starkly opposing positions on issues like abortion and taxes, they found one point of agreement when it came to reparations.

Newsom in 2020 signed a bill to create a California Reparations Task Force to study the effects of the institution of slavery on Black Californians and investigate whether the state should provide reparations to them. When asked whether he would support monetary reparations if the task force recommends them, Newsom said that he would wait to provide an answer until he was able to analyze such a proposal.

Instead, he said, he has already has supported “common sense” reparation initiatives, including a 2021 bill that authorized the return of a property known as Bruce’s Beach to the heirs of a Black couple who had their land stripped of them by officials in Manhattan Beach a century ago.

“It was with deep pride that we moved to right that wrong,” Newsom said during the debate.

In a rare instance of agreement, Dahle echoed Newsom’s remarks, noting that he voted in support of creating the reparations task force and returning the Bruce Beach property to the Beach family.

“Those people were wronged,” Dahle said, “and we made it right.”

This story was originally published October 23, 2022 at 5:36 PM with the headline "5 takeaways from Newsom’s only debate this election, from gas prices to the White House."