GOP recall candidate says he wants Californians to get vaccinated - but won’t require it

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and his family are vaccinated against the coronavirus — but he wouldn’t mandate it for anyone if he were governor of California, he said in an interview with McClatchy’s California editorial boards on Friday.

Faulconer, a Republican running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, has worked to paint himself as the pragmatic, “solutions-oriented” candidate that voters across the political spectrum can support on Sept. 14.

When it comes to addressing the state’s rising COVID-19 cases, Faulconer said he is a “strong proponent of educating, not mandating.”

“There’s been so much politics on both sides of this, we’ve really got to cut that out,” he said in the interview with the editorial boards of The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee and the Tribune of San Luis Obispo. “This is about health.”

Faulconer said he does want to see all Californians get vaccinated.

“I haven’t been in favor of mandates. What I have been in favor of is everyone getting a vaccine,” he said. “We want to do everything we can to increase people’s trust.”

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced all state employees, as well as health care employees, would be required to get the vaccine if they didn’t want to be subject to regular testing. Faulconer also opposes requiring students to wear masks upon returning to school this year, as Newsom has done.

During the hour-long interview, Faulconer also shared his thoughts on taxes and homelessness, which he said would be a priority if he is elected governor.

Part of the reason Californians want new leadership, Faulconer said, is that the California dream is becoming more and more unattainable.

His solution would be a massive tax cut for the middle class, cutting the marginal tax rate to zero for the first $50,000 earned by individuals and the first $100,000 earned by families, for those making less than $1 million per year.

“If we do not make our state more affordable, people are going to continue to vote with their feet,” he said, noting that California is losing a congressional seat after failing to grow as quickly as other parts of the U.S. in the last 10 years.

As mayor of San Diego, Faulconer said he did not allow homeless encampments on sidewalks, and worked to get individuals access to addiction and mental health resources. If put in charge of the state response, he said he would reexamine how California is spending its money on homeless programs.

Newsom devoted his entire State of the State address last year to the issue of homelessness, and put $12 billion in California’s budget for the coming year to get homeless people off the streets.

“You can throw all the money in the world at this,” Faulconer said. “If you don’t have the political will to make a difference on the street, it’s not going to change.”

Faulconer has been criticized by Newsom allies for his support of former President Donald Trump. In 2016, Faulconer said he could never vote for Trump. He has since acknowledged that he voted for him last year, saying he thought the president was the best choice to handle the economy.

Deputy California Opinion Editor Jack Ohman asked Faulconer three times during his interview Friday whether Trump is a liar, a question Faulconer declined to answer. Instead, the former mayor said he’s focused on California solutions, not divisive national rhetoric.

Upon further pressing, Faulconer did say that he was not a fan of Trump’s political approach.

“I have a different approach. I have a different style. I think my approach and my style is one that Californians want right now,” he said. “Yes, I’m a Republican, who understands that, to be successful, you better be able to work with Democrats, you better be able to work with Independents.”

“At the end of the day, you could spend all your time... arguing with folks and trying to score political points,” he said.

Recent polling suggests the recall race is tightening. According to a Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll, 47% of likely voters would vote to remove the governor, compared to 50% who would keep him.

Among the 46 potential replacements, conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder has the most support from voters, with 18% backing him as a first choice.

Faulconer, meanwhile, is tied with businessman and 2018 candidate John Cox for 10% of the votes. Forty percent of likely voters are undecided, the poll said.