Electability Challenges for Republicans in 2026

Jon Slavet, a tech entrepreneur and Republican candidate for California governor, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss why he's entering one of the nation's most challenging political races. Slavet argues that while national politics dominates headlines, state and local governance has far more impact on people's daily lives—yet California's local politics receives inadequate attention despite intense interest from outsiders. He advocates for radical transparency in government, criticizing the use of NDAs in taxpayer-funded projects and calling out the influence of union spending. Addressing his controversial pursuit of Trump's endorsement despite never voting for him, Slavet positions himself as someone who sees Trump as an effective disrupter but not a builder, and he aligns with the administration on housing policy, particularly prioritizing temporary shelter over California's $1 million-per-unit permanent housing approach.

Running as a Republican in deep-blue California, Slavet believes the state's pleasant weather has masked serious problems affecting middle and lower-income residents while the wealthy thrive. He proposes declaring an "affordability emergency" on day one, scrapping the high-speed rail project, and using AI to root out the billions lost to waste and fraud in California's healthcare system. Slavet defends his decision to run as a Republican rather than an independent, arguing that party identification remains essential for effectiveness despite his moderate positions on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion. He contends that polls show half of Californians would support the "right kind" of Republican, and he's betting his business success and willingness to challenge both parties' orthodoxies will resonate with voters frustrated by the state's affordability crisis and regulatory burdens on small businesses.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Jon Slavet joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:45 Why enter politics and run for governor of California?

03:30 It’s fraught & dangerous to run for office in this political climate

04:15 National politics get attention, state & local more impactful

05:45 Serious lack of attention to local politics in California

07:00 There’s a ton of interest in California from people outside it

08:15 NDA’s should not be allowed in taxpayer funded projects

09:45 Major government discussions need more transparency in CA

10:15 Unions raise $1B in CA and spend $300 on political donations

11:00 Why seek Trump’s endorsement after not voting for him 3x?

12:15 Trump is good as a disrupter but not as a builder

13:00 Where do you agree with Trump on policy?

13:30 HUD’s new policy prioritizes temporary, not permanent housing

14:30 Permanent housing for homeless costs $1M per unit in CA

16:00 The priority should be getting homeless into temp housing ASAP

17:00 Could you have been as successful in a state other than CA?

18:15 California’s great weather masks many of its problems 

19:30 Tech doesn’t suffer from regulatory issues like other industries

20:15 Middle & lower income California’s are suffering, rich doing great

22:30 Half of California’s work for small businesses that are overtaxed

25:00 Where will you find the money to fund your proposals?

25:30 California should scrap the high speed rail to nowhere

26:30 Jon would declare an affordability emergency on day 1

28:00 California’s healthcare costs $160B, Medicare fraud is 10-15%

29:30 AI can be used to root out waste, fraud and abuse in state budget

31:00 Californians pay huge taxes on fuel & energy

32:30 Why run as a Republican and not an independent?

34:00 We should be way beyond the same-sex marriage debate

35:00 Abortion is settled law in California 

36:30 Why Jon was against Prop 50 in California

37:30 Gerrymandering is terrible for democracy

39:15 Running as independent isn’t effective, people identify w/parties

40:45 The race will be a Trump referendum, how does a Republican win?

42:30 Polls show half of CA will vote for the “right kind” of Republican

43:45 CA has had plenty of billionaires run & fail to win elections

46:00 Has Silicon Valley been regulated enough?

47:15 AI boom has been critical for San Francisco’s comeback

48:45 Would you ban social media for kids under 16?

50:30 Would you ban phones in schools?

51:15 How do you convince CA voters the wealth tax is a bad idea?

53:15 How would you work in a bipartisan manner with Dem state house?

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