California gubernatorial debate makes no mention of "rural" California

That's as far as I can tell from the coverage of Sunday's debate.  The Los Angeles Times did, however, refer to Republican Brian Dahle's rural roots.  

Newsom is expected to win a second term in the November election against the Republican farmer from rural Northern California, who hammered the governor on Sunday for focusing more on his national ambitions than fixing the problems vexing the state. (emphasis added)

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“The governor is focused on his message to America,” Dahle said. “Californians are fleeing California for one reason — because they can’t afford to live here — and he’s out of touch with everyday, hardworking, middle-class Californians.”

The match-up, hosted by KQED on a sunny day in San Francisco, marked one of the few times Newsom has acknowledged his opponent’s existence since the contest began. In the sometimes intense debate, Newsom cast the state senator from Bieber as a Trump Republican, misaligned with California voters.

* * * 

Throughout the one-hour event, the two candidates appeared to be debating two different California realities.

Dahle blamed Newsom’s policies for the state’s highest-in-the-nation gasoline prices, struggling public schools, unreliable electrical grid and affordability problems.

Newsom touted California’s economic growth compared to the rest of the country, low unemployment rate and the clean energy jobs created under policies to reduce fossil fuels.

* * * 

While Newsom easily draws media attention as the governor of the most populous state in the country, it’s been more difficult for Dahle to break through and spread his message to Californians with limited campaign funds.

The Sacramento Bee also mentions Dahle's rural origins in Lassen County.   

One issue on which the candidates agreed, somewhat remarkably:  reparations.  Here's a quote from the Bee's coverage: 

Instead, he said, he has already has supported “common sense” reparation initiatives, including a 2021 bill that authorized the return of a property known as Bruce’s Beach to the heirs of a Black couple who had their land stripped of them by officials in Manhattan Beach a century ago. 

“It was with deep pride that we moved to right that wrong,” Newsom said during the debate. In a rare instance of agreement, Dahle echoed Newsom’s remarks, noting that he voted in support of creating the reparations task force and returning the Bruce Beach property to the Beach family. 

“Those people were wronged,” Dahle said, “and we made it right.”

Other posts about Dahle and rurality are here.