• Democratic candidates for California governor Gavin Newsom, left, speaks next to Antonio Villaraigosa at a NARAL Pro-Choice California event in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press
Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press
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Democratic candidates for California governor Gavin Newsom, left, speaks next to Antonio Villaraigosa at a NARAL Pro-Choice California event in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.
Democratic candidates for California governor Gavin Newsom, left, speaks next to Antonio Villaraigosa at a NARAL Pro-Choice California event in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.
Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press
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Image 3 of 18 | Gavin Newsom, California Lieutenant Governor
Party: Democrat 
Age: 49 
Current city: Kentfield 
Past role(s): Mayor of San Francisco
Party: Democrat 
Age: 49 
Current city: Kentfield 
Past role(s): Mayor of San Francisco
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
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On the issues:

Taxes:

Newsom supports raising taxes, particularly in order to pay for a proposed single-payer health care system.
Health care: Newsom supports a single-payer health care system.
Education: Newsom wants to increase funding for K-12 schools and California colleges. Newsom, who was endorsed by the powerful California Teachers Association, believes that "The biggest crisis [in education] we have is the demoralization of our teachers."
Crime: Newsom supported the legalization of recreational marijuana and believes that the state needs criminal sentencing reform.
Gun control: Newsom is a strong advocate of gun control. He co-sponsored the approved and then blocked Proposition 63, which required background checks for ammunition purchases and forced gun owners to hand over large-capacity magazines.
Sanctuary state status: Newsom supports the recently-passed bill that made California a sanctuary state.

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On the issues:

Taxes:

Newsom supports raising taxes, particularly in order to pay for a proposed single-payer health care system.
Health care: Newsom supports a single-payer health care system.
Education: Newsom

... more
Photo: Michael Kitada, Associated Press
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Image 6 of 18 | John Cox, businessman and lawyer
Party: Republican
Age: 62
Current city: Los Angeles
Past role(s): Former host of "The Conservative Progressive," a twice-weekly radio show in Chicago. Cox ran for office in Illinois multiple times in the early 2000s.
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Party: Republican
Age: 62
Current city: Los Angeles
Past role(s): Former host of "The Conservative Progressive," a twice-weekly radio show in Chicago. Cox ran for office in Illinois multiple times in the early
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Photo: Kathleen Ronayne, AP
Image 7 of 18 | John Cox, businessman and lawyer
On the issues:

Taxes: Cox wants to lower both income taxes and sales taxes. He also wants to repeal the recently-passed gas tax.
Health care: Cox opposes a single-payer health care system. In a June 2017 op-ed in the Orange County Register, Cox calls a single-payer system a "way to destroy California."
Education: Cox supports school choice programs and charter schools. He believes the education system should "prioritize parents and students" as opposed to teachers' unions.
Crime: Unknown
Gun control: Cox supports the Second Amendment, and criticized Newsom for "pandering to the anti-gun crowd." He states in a video on his Facebook page that: "The Second Amendment was not a suggestion. It's a constitutional right."
Sanctuary state status: Cox opposes the recently-passed bill that made California a sanctuary state.
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On the issues:

Taxes: Cox wants to lower both income taxes and sales taxes. He also wants to repeal the recently-passed gas tax.
Health care: Cox opposes a single-payer health care system. In a June 2017 op-ed
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Photo: Patrick T. Fallon, Bloomberg
Image 8 of 18 | Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles
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Party: Democrat 
Age: 64
Current city: Los Angeles
Past role(s): Speaker of the California Assembly
Party: Democrat 
Age: 64
Current city: Los Angeles
Past role(s): Speaker of the California Assembly
Photo: Paul Kuroda, Special To The Chronicle
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Image 9 of 18 | Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles
On the issues:

Taxes: Villaraigosa supports raising taxes
Health care: Villaraigosa cast doubt on the prospects of a single-payer health care system, telling The Chronicle's John Diaz: "Pie in the sky doesn't put food on the table. We're going to have to make the tough choices and put a plan together."
Education: Villaraigosa believes that California needs more charter schools. He also supports efforts to make it more difficult for teachers to get tenure, which has drawn the ire of several teachers' unions.
Crime: As mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa expanded the LAPD to its largest force in city history. 
Gun control: Villaraigosa supports increased gun control, and was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition while serving as mayor of Los Angeles.
Sanctuary state status: Villaraigosa supports the recently-passed bill that made California a sanctuary state.
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On the issues:

Taxes: Villaraigosa supports raising taxes
Health care: Villaraigosa cast doubt on the prospects of a single-payer health care system, telling The Chronicle's John Diaz: "Pie in the sky doesn't
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
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Image 11 of 18 | Travis Allen, California State Assembly Member
Party: Republican
Age: 44
Current city: Huntington Beach
Past role(s): Leader of a financial and wealth management practice
Party: Republican
Age: 44
Current city: Huntington Beach
Past role(s): Leader of a financial and wealth management practice
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP
Image 12 of 18 | Travis Allen, California State Assembly Member
On the issues:

Taxes: Allen wants to lower income and sales taxes as well as repeal the gas tax.
Health care: In an interview with the Orange County Register, Allen stated that he opposes a "universal, government-run health care system."
Education: Allen blames teachers's unions and school administrators for problems in California's education system. He supports charter schools and school choice programs.
Crime: Allen believes that California is currently too weak on crime.
Gun control: Allen is an opponent of gun control.
Sanctuary state status: Allen opposes the recently-passed bill that made California a sanctuary state.
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On the issues:

Taxes: Allen wants to lower income and sales taxes as well as repeal the gas tax.
Health care: In an interview with the Orange County Register, Allen stated that he opposes a "universal,
... more
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP
Image 13 of 18 | John Chiang, California State Treasurer
Party: Democrat 
Age: 55
Current city: Los Angeles
Past role(s): California State Controller
Party: Democrat 
Age: 55
Current city: Los Angeles
Past role(s): California State Controller
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
Image 14 of 18 | John Chiang, California State Treasurer
On the issues:

Taxes: Chiang has been quiet on whether or not he supports tax increases. He often touts his "fiscal responsibility," citing his experience finding $9.5 billion in fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars over the course of his tenure as state treasurer.
Health care: Chiang expressed his doubts regarding a single payer system, telling The Chronicle's John Diaz "I support single-payer, but we have to be truthful here. How many of you want to pay an additional 90 percent in taxes?”
Education: Unknown
Crime: Unknown
Gun control: Chiang has stated that he supports gun control, but drew criticism from Newsom and other gun control advocates when he said that he didn't want to "politicize" the aftermath of the Las Vegas shootings.
Sanctuary state status: Chiang supports the recently-passed bill that made California a sanctuary state.
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On the issues:

Taxes: Chiang has been quiet on whether or not he supports tax increases. He often touts his "fiscal responsibility," citing his experience finding $9.5 billion in fraud and abuse of taxpayer
... more
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
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Image 16 of 18 | Delaine Eastin, former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
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Party: Democrat
Age: 70
Current city: Davis
Past role(s): California State Assembly Member
Party: Democrat
Age: 70
Current city: Davis
Past role(s): California State Assembly Member
Photo: Paul Kuroda, Special To The Chronicle
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On the issues:

Taxes: Eastin supports raising taxes, particularly in order to fund a single-payer health care system.
Health care: Eastin supports a single-payer system.
Education: Eastin supports increased funding for K-12 schools and calls for free college tuition.
Crime: Unknown
Gun control: In the wake of the Las Vegas shootings, Eastin retweeted a number of pro gun control tweets.
Sanctuary state status: Eastin supports the recently-passed bill that made California a sanctuary state.
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On the issues:

Taxes: Eastin supports raising taxes, particularly in order to fund a single-payer health care system.
Health care: Eastin supports a single-payer system.
Education: Eastin supports increased
... more
Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle
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With six weeks to go until the June 5 primary, a new poll suggests that it's a three-man race to be the next governor of California.

A poll of 520 likely primary voters released by SurveyUSA and sponsored by KABC-TV Los Angeles, KFSN-TV Fresno, KGTV-TV San Diego, KPIX-TV San Francisco and the San Diego Union-Tribune found that Gavin Newsom, Antonio Villaraigosa and John Cox are all within 6 percentage points of one another.

Newsom led the field with 21 percent of the vote, but was followed closely by fellow Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa with 18 percent. Republican John Cox came in third with 15 percent, and was followed by fellow Republican Travis Allen at 10 percent and Democrat John Chiang at 9 percent.

RELATED: Gavin Newsom says alcohol isn't a problem anymore: 'A little wine' is fine

No other candidate received more than 5 percent support; 17 percent of the poll's participants were undecided.

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Six leading candidates for California governor agreed that it's too hard to build new homes in California and offered wide ranging solutions to rein in exploding housing costs and rising homelessness. The candidates spoke separately Thursday at a housing conference in Sacramento. For decades, California has failed to build enough homes to meet demand, particularly in popular coastal cities such as San Francisco.

Media: KCRA

The top two finishers in the June 5 primary will go on to face each other in the November general election, regardless of political party.

The poll also found that 66 percent of Californians support sending troops from the California National Guard to the Mexican border. 30 percent of participants said they support sending troops to "patrol for people attempting to cross the border illegally," and an additional 36 percent said they support sending troops to the border as long as they "only focus on gang and drug activity."

MORE: John Cox's interview with Laura Ingraham goes off the rails after guest insults Cox, Ingraham

Just 27 percent of the poll's participants said that National Guard troops shouldn't be sent to the border, while 7 percent were undecided.

In the Senate race, the poll found that Dianne Feinstein maintains a large lead over her many primary challengers.

Feinstein leads the way with 39 percent, and the next closest contender is Republican Patrick Little, with 18 percent. State Senate leader Kevin de León garnered just 8 percent support.