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Villaraigosa Makes His Case to Valley Voters
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 7 years ago on
May 7, 2018

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Gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa likes to visit the Central Valley — again, again and again, as he says.
This past week, the former Los Angeles mayor made two stops to Fresno and the surrounding area. He even picked up the endorsement of California Citrus Mutual, the non-profit trade association that represents 75% of California’s 270,000 acre, $3.3 billion citrus industry.
But recent polls show that Villaraigosa has more work to do. A University of California/IGS survey has him in fourth place, behind front-runner Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, and two Republican candidates —John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen.

Where Villaraigosa Stands

Take 5 caught up with Villaraigosa recently in Clovis, where his answers to the same set of questions differed dramatically from his GOP opponents to the right.
Villaraigosa answered questions about:

— His support of the gas tax (SB 1).

— Why he’s not concerned about what the poll numbers say today.

—  How he differs from Newsom.

— The controversial tweets of Fresno State professor Randa Jarrar.

— What the state should do with its budget surplus.

The next big debate is Tuesday (May 8) in San Jose. Newsom, who has skipped the last month of debating, is scheduled to participate.

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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