With the clock quickly ticking towards the 2010 California Gubernatorial Election, third party candidates are feverishly campaigning to put across the message of change they intend to bring to the state and its constituents. In the 2010 race for the Governor, third party candidates are promoting themselves through various philosophies and mottos. Most of the candidates are zeroing in on the current financial woes being faced by the state and suggesting how they can offer solutions.

Stewart Alexander

Stewart Alexander represents the Socialist Party USA. He was a candidate for California Lieutenant Governor in the 2006 California elections and the U.S. Vice Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party USA in 2008.  He believes that he can rescue California from its current financial crisis. Alexander acknowledges that California is going through a critical budget deficit, but puts some of the burden on Federal policy. According to Alexander, “The occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and advancing U.S. imperialism is costing lives and creating financial hardships on millions of working people in all 50 states to include California.”  Alexander’s ideas to reshape California include rebuilding the manufacturing base by luring green manufacturing companies to the state, most notably electric car companies.  Alexander is also pushing for a government works package that will boost state spending on construction and transportation projects which in turn will offer good paying jobs in these industries.  He is also a proponent of free universal healthcare and free education at the university level.

Carlos Alvarez

Alvarez of Peace and Freedom Party is promoting a different message. He is a 23-year-old community activist, a socialist, and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. He advocates equal distribution of wealth among the working class who creates it. He pin points the faulty profit system and says the right time to talk about socialism is now. Carlos' campaign claims good jobs, food, decent housing, free healthcare, quality education, and a clean environment are the basic rights of the people of California. He believes in setting the California minimum to $15 per hour. He says he speaks for the working class and envisions a society that does not have any exploitation. He also backs the environment protection laws, equal rights for immigrants, same-sex marriage, and lowering the voting age to 16.  His overall campaign defends the workers rights while establishing a democracy and economy that satisfies the needs of people and shuns corporate abuse. 

Dale F. Ogden

Ogden is a Libertarian who envisions a minimalist government that provides for more individual freedom and low taxes. “I’ll put YOUR money back in YOUR pocket!”, claims Ogden.  Ogden’s plans to better the lives of Californians include rolling back government spending to inflation adjusted levels of 1998.  He is also championing pension reform, salary caps at the state executive level, campaign finance reform, and shortening the legislative calendar.  His economic proposals push less regulation while scaling back on state licensing.  However his most radical ideas involve abandoning California’s climate change laws and abolishing the state income tax.

Chelene Nightingale

Chelene Nightingale, a conservative, representing the American Independent Party of California, campaigns for constitutional principles such as absolute minimal government, abolishing most forms of federal taxation, and strict controls on immigration. Much of Nightingale experience has been with the Constitution Party.  She suggests that California can get out of the mess it is in by making several reforms.  She wants hard state spending limits, drastic reduction of corporate taxation, major cuts in workers comp, and returning the legislature to part-time status.  On the education front she wants to allow for more home schooling in order to alleviate overcrowding in public schools and provide a voucher system for parents to send their children to any school they choose and thus eliminating low performing schools.