Former president Bill Clinton endorsed several California Democratic congressional candidates Tuesday evening during a “California Voice” rally held at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center.
At the start of his remarks, President Clinton recognized Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang and mentioned that he visited California 29 times during his first term as president.
Kang, who is challenging Rep. John Campbell in California’s 48th District, did not receive an official onstage endorsement during the event.
Clinton also endorsed Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax proposal, Proposition 30, and he urged voters to reject Proposition 32, which constrains the political power of unions in the state.
Additionally, Clinton made a bold prediction, stating that “there will be a 50 cent drop in gas prices by the end of the year.”
Orange County was rarely discussed during the event. State Sen. Alan Lowenthal, however, said, “We are changing the face of Orange County. Orange County is no longer older white people.”
The crowd, which nearly filled the 5,000 seats, was mostly composed of college students, although several of congressional campaign supporters were also scattered throughout.
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that former President Bill Clinton mispronounced Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang’s last name. We regret the error.