PolitiFact California Checks In On Ads In Governor's Race Wednesday, April 25, 2018 | Sacramento, CA Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin. California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (left) and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, both Democrats, are competing in the 2018 California governor’s race. AP File TV ads for the two top Democrats in the race for California governor hit the airwaves this week, with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa each releasing spots. PolitiFact California reporter Chric Nichols examined the accuracy of the claims in each one, and shares his findings with Insight.