Gavin Newsom pushes big-budget early childhood education agenda in closing days of campaign
After months of sparring with President Donald Trump and offering honey-tongued campaign promises to combat poverty, unaffordable housing costs and the state's other deep-rooted ills, Democrat Gavin Newsom is ending his campaign for governor with a heightened focus on the youngest Californians.
The two-term lieutenant governor has vowed to expand and improve early childhood education programs along with prenatal and child care - proposed investments with broad support among California voters and little political risk. Newsom is using the message as the closing argument of his front-running campaign for governor, a strong sign that it would be among his top priorities if he is victorious Tuesday.
Republican challenger John Cox, the son of a Chicago public school teacher, has criticized Newsom for proposing policies that he says rely too heavily on government funding. Instead, Cox says, the
