Five things Californians need to know about Joe Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden is running on a more pragmatic set of policy views. He wants to preserve the Affordable Care Act and is leaning in heavily on voters’ desire to elect someone they believe can beat President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election.

Here are five things Californians need to know about Biden ahead of the state’s March 3, 2020 primary:

1. He’s held few public events in California

At the time of the Dec. 19 debate, Biden has only held two truly public events in California, holding a rally in Los Angeles and joining a protest of McDonald’s workers seeking an hourly minimum wage of $15 shortly before the Democratic presidential debate.

A Sacramento Bee analysis of presidential candidate visits show he’s held 26 fundraisers and participated in 11 events in the Golden State, as of Dec. 19.

2. He’s leaning into his electability argument

Public opinion polls consistently show Biden beating Trump in a hypothetical general election matchup. Biden has used this to appeal to the majority of likely California voters who say they’d prefer a candidate who can defeat Trump than someone whose policy views align closest with theirs.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll had Biden leading Trump by 9 percentage points nationally — the best performance of the 2020 Democratic field. A November poll from New York Times/Siena College of registered voters showed Biden faring best against Trump in hypothetical general election matchups in key swing states. Biden captured Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and Arizona while breaking even with Trump in Michigan and falling 2 points shy in North Carolina.

“What we have to do now is focus on Donald Trump,” Biden said during the Oct. 15 debate hosted by CNN. “He doesn’t want me to be the candidate. He’s going after me because he knows, if I get the nomination, I will beat him like a drum.”

3. Biden wants to preserve Obamacare

Biden is calling for improvements to the Affordable Care Act to make health care more affordable and accessible through a public option.

Stef Feldman, policy director for Biden, said the former vice president’s plan would expand subsidies to certain Americans who qualify based on their income. He would also lower drug costs by repealing an exception that presently allows drug companies to not negotiate with Medicare and expand access to contraception by doubling the funding for community health centers.

At the October debate, Biden criticized Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren for coming up with a costly $30 trillion proposal that would abolish private health insurance. He argued that millions of Americans “should have a right to keep it.”

4. Biden has the backing of a key firefighter union

In a December campaign ad targeting Trump for his views on climate change, longtime firefighter Brian Rice makes an appearance.

Rice, who is president of the state’s largest firefighters union, California Professional Firefighters, endorsed Biden. The International Association of Fire Fighters announced its support for Biden in April.

“For firefighters, the most important thing is the number of staff we bring,” Rice said. “Joe Biden is at the ground floor doing everything he can to make sure we have proper staffing across this nation.”

Rice cited the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program Biden helped create in the early 2000s as a senator to ensure laid off firefighters could get back on the job as a major reason for his support.

5. He’s passionate about gun control

Biden has been a vocal critic of the National Rifle Association and is pushing for policy changes to address gun violence. On the day Biden was scheduled to hold his first California rally, a nearby high school saw three people die due to a school shooting.

An emotional Biden offered his condolences to Santa Clarita residents affected by the Saugus High School shooting on Nov. 14 and demanded the federal government do more to prevent future incidents.

“Six, seven, eight, nine, 10 years old, and the first thing they learn is how to duck and cover,” Biden said. “We’re now working on making sure that we provide children the ability to avoid being shot in school. ... I’m so tired of people talking about your prayers. Dammit, we have to protect these kids.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Five things Californians need to know about Joe Biden."