Ezra Klein

What would you do as governor to make Los Angeles an engine of housing progress again?

Let me ask you about the politics of Los Angeles, because I do take the legislators there, the mayors there as responding to local demands.

I remember speaking to Mayor Garcetti at one point.

And there was pressure after Los Angeles passed Measure HHH.

Well, they got the money to build, but a lot of places didn't want it built where they were.

And so there is a push here, even in a city where housing is very expensive.

So, you know, you know that city as well as anybody.

Like, how would you persuade both the mayor of Los Angeles and the people of it that the things you want to do are good for L.A.

You've not met my dogs.

Thank you, Mr. Villaraigosa.

Mr. Steyer, I've broadly been asking questions in this section about how to manage opposition coming from parts of the system.

And California is a very complex system.

The governor does not control.

Of all the candidates on stage, you have the least experience dealing with California's many, many layers of government, overlapping authorities, stakeholders.

You've never held public office before.

It's a very relationship-based system.

Many people I've talked to who like your ideas are worried that you'll get overwhelmed by the system.

It overwhelms even people who know it very well.

What's your answer to them?

So two things on that carrot.