Governor

Dahle says he is “totally pro-life” and does not want taxpayer money used “to take life,” i.e. to pay for abortions. He supports state funding for sex education and contraception.

Newsom expressed unequivocal support for women’s access to abortion and reproductive health services. He supports use of state money to expand access to abortion for women in California and for those in states where the procedure is banned.

Dahle would seek to roll back provisions of Proposition 47, but would keep reduced penalties for drug possession. He wants to fully fund public safety agencies, including the courts and state prisons, and prioritize taking away guns from felons who should not have them. Dahle says we need more accountability for criminals and protection for the law-abiding.

Newsom supports efforts to reduce incarceration, including Proposition 47, which reduced drug and non-violent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Newsom has signed more than a dozen bills aimed at reducing gun violence and holding firearm manufacturers accountable for harm caused by their products. In 2019, he issued a moratorium on executions.

Dahle wants to reduce state mandates and bureaucracy that unnecessarily drive up the cost of housing and delay construction projects. He believes drug addiction is directly related to homelessness and wants to fund sober-living facilities while also going after drug dealers.

Newsom included billions of dollars in his state budgets to build more affordable housing. During the pandemic, he started the Roomkey and Homekey projects to turn existing buildings into housing for people living on the streets. Newsom enacted his CARE Court plan to mandate mental health treatment under certain circumstances.

Dahle is unvaccinated and says the decision should be between people and their doctor, but he says his children are vaccinated. He says Newsom has abused his power from the pandemic state of emergency — which is still in effect. Dahle has authored legislation to review such declarations every 45 days in order to renew or end them.

Newsom promoted vaccinations for children and adults and publicly received a vaccine and booster shot. He declared a state of emergency in the first weeks of the pandemic to expedite state contracts for testing and masks, and issued orders to shut down businesses and schools.