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Live from the Resistance is a blog dedicated to cutting through the noise. We scour the country to highlight unique, inspiring Democratic candidates and causes that the mainstream media often overlooks. We don’t just tell their stories; we help them win. Through our blog, we connect grassroots donors like you directly to the campaigns that are fighting for our values on the front lines. Together, we are building a more just and vibrant democracy, one race at a time.
Today’s Candidate Highlight
The fight for California’s soul has a rising champion, who’s not a new face, but knows how to pull the levers of power to fight for freedom and actually accomplish something: Antonio Villaraigosa.
We are facing a terrifying reality in this race: the leading Republican isn’t just a conservative, he is Sheriff Chad Bianco, a MAGA extremist with literal ties to an anti-government militia.
The polls that dropped this week are a bit terrifying. Bianco is riding a wave of right-wing anger and is in the lead, and if we don’t wake up, we could hand the world’s 5th largest economy to a guy who thinks he knows the law better than the Constitution. We need a street fighter to stop him who came up during the civil rights era. Here’s why Antonio’s our pick:
1. From High School Dropout to Political Heavyweight
Antonio isn’t a polished Ivy League product; he’s a brawler from East LA.
Raised by a single mom in a home rocked by domestic violence, Antonio knows what it means to be counted out. He was kicked out of one high school and dropped out of another. He could have been a statistic. Instead, he clawed his way back, put himself through night school, and eventually graduated from UCLA.
He didn’t stop there. He spent years in the trenches as a union organizer and President of the ACLU of Southern California, fighting for workers and civil rights when it wasn’t popular. He took that fighter’s energy to Sacramento as Speaker of the Assembly and then to City Hall as the Mayor of Los Angeles.
He knows the struggle because he lived it. He knows how to fight because he’s been doing it his whole life.
DONATE $10.00 TO ANTONIO TODAY!
2. The Chad Bianco Problem: It’s Worse Than You Think
Let’s be precise about who we are dealing with. Chad Bianco isn’t a “moderate.” He is a card-carrying Oath Keeper.
You read that right. The Sheriff of Riverside County was a dues-paying member of the far-right militia group that helped storm the Capitol on January 6th. While Antonio Villaraigosa was fighting for civil rights, Bianco was paying dues to an organization dedicated to dismantling the government.
He’s a chaos agent with a badge:
- The “Assassination” Hoax: He recently claimed to stop an assassination attempt on Trump near a rally, a stunt so baseless it led to a $100 million defamation lawsuitagainst his own county.
- The Jail Crisis: Under his watch, Riverside jails saw their deadliest year in 15 years. He isn’t “tough on crime”; he’s incompetent on safety.
- The COVID Defiance: He refused to enforce state health mandates, calling our Governor a “dictator” while his own deputies died of the virus.
This is the guy leading the GOP field. He wants to turn California into MAGA with mountains.
CLICK TO STOP CHAD BIANCO FROM WINNING
3. He Knows How to Weaponize the State
While other candidates are writing sternly worded press releases, Antonio is looking for leverage. As the former leader of the CA assembly, he can actually make things happen, not just talk about them. With Newsom vacating the seat and gearing up to run for President, we need someone scrappy.
Take the recent Costco lawsuit against Trump. While others watched from the sidelines, Antonio praised the move and highlighted it as the blueprint for California’s defense. He understands that combating Trump isn’t about “values” speeches, it’s about economic warfare and legal grit.
He knows where the bodies are buried in Sacramento, and he knows how to mobilize California’s massive economy to bring the GOP to its knees.
Click Here to Donate $20.26 to Antonio Today!
4. The “Greatest Leader” Seal of Approval
You don’t have to take our word for it. Take it from the guy who knows a thing or two about leadership.
Barack Obama once called Antonio Villaraigosa “one of the greatest leaders in the country.”
Real recognizes real. Obama, years ago, saw in Antonio what we see: a relentless public servant who doesn’t crumble under pressure. The MAGA crowd is banking on a weak Democrat they can bully and weighed down by DC scandals. Antonio Villaraigosa is the one guy they are terrified to share a debate stage with.
DONATE $30.00 NOW TO HELP ANTONIO WIN
The Bottom Line
This race is closer than anyone wants to admit. The MAGA movement smells blood in the water in California. They think they can sneak a “Proud Boy” into the Governor’s mansion while we are distracted.
We can’t let that happen. We need the guy who has been in the ring, taken the hits, and knows how to throw a knockout punch.
Let’s make sure Newsom’s replacement is a real fighter.