Before we dive into public safety and the recent Stockton shooting, is there anything else on your mind that you’d like to highlight about your campaign for California governor—especially the recent San Diego debate?
Ché Ahn:
Yes, I think it’s really important to highlight the recent California governor debate in San Diego because it was truly a game changer for our campaign.
One of Lou Engle’s spiritual daughters had a prophetic dream that I would receive a “key gift” in San Diego that would change the campaign. I believe that gift was winning that debate by a landslide. According to the post-debate survey, I received about 57% of the vote, and the remaining votes were spread among all the other candidates.
What surprised many people is that Steve Hilton, who is number one in a lot of polls, actually came in third in that debate. The survey was taken by viewers who watched online and those who attended in person. There were roughly 300–400 people in the room, and many of our supporters came down to be there.
The organizers sent out an email with a survey link, and people responded with who they believed won the debate. Our campaign is now sharing that victory on social media and through email because it shows real momentum. It’s a major confirmation—spiritually and practically—that this campaign is resonating with Californians.
Public safety is one of the nine pillars of your campaign for California governor. There was a recent shooting in Stockton at a two-year-old’s birthday party where three children and one adult were killed. How do you respond to this tragedy, and how does it shape your public safety agenda for California? (link to headline)
Ché Ahn:
First, I want to say this clearly: Satan is a murderer. Jesus says in John 8 that he is a murderer, a liar, and the father of lies. What we are seeing in California is a culture of death, especially against children, and that has opened the door to principalities and powers that manifest in violence like this shooting.
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, and the world forces of darkness. Yes, individuals pull the trigger, but they are being influenced by demonic power.
According to the police report, the Stockton shooting was gang-related, and they still haven’t found the shooter. But the fact that three children and one 21-year-old adult died in random carnage at a child’s birthday party is senseless murder—and I see it as part of a larger demonic stronghold over our state.
One of the clearest examples of this culture of death is Proposition 1, which went into effect January 1, 2023. Prop 1 codified abortion into the California state constitution. As soon as Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, Governor Newsom declared California a “sanctuary state” for abortion—using taxpayer dollars to promote it.
He even put up seven billboards in red states, at our expense, advertising that abortion is still legal in California, providing an 800 number and a QR code. What made it especially evil was that he quoted Scripture—“Love your neighbor as yourself”—as if funding someone’s abortion was an act of love. He promised to cover travel, hotel, and the abortion itself with California taxpayers’ money.
Most Californians do not want to pay for abortions, especially not for people coming from other states. Yet Newsom pushed Prop 1 and spent tens of millions—some estimate over $100 million—to get it passed. It passed with about 60% of the vote, and now abortion is written into our state constitution.
To reverse this, we would need a supermajority in the state assembly and state senate and a pro-life governor. It’s an uphill battle, but it’s necessary if we want to end this culture of death.
My platform is built on faith: God created us in His image and likeness, and every life is precious from the womb to the tomb. I’m against euthanasia and against any form of killing innocent human life. Proverbs 6 says there are things the Lord hates, and one of them is “hands that shed innocent blood.” You can’t get more innocent than a baby in the womb—especially with modern science showing viability at around three months with medical support like an incubator.
Prop 1 effectively allows abortion up to the last day of pregnancy—killing a fully developed, viable baby. That is evil, and it empowers Satan. It creates a culture of death that impacts everything else—crime, violence, and even how we view human dignity.
There’s also a demonic counterfeit at work. In communion, Jesus says, “This is My body,” and we receive His life. The enemy twists that, putting the words into the mouth of a woman saying, “This is my body, my choice,” to justify destroying a child. It’s a counterfeit Eucharist that empowers darkness, not life.
On top of that, laws like Proposition 47, passed 11 years ago, downgraded many felonies to misdemeanors, putting more criminals back on the streets. Since then, we’ve seen record homicides, drug trafficking, and gang violence. Policies like these are inspired by the enemy, and California is reaping the consequences.
We saw voters finally respond with Proposition 36 in 2024, which passed with about 70% support because people are tired of high crime and chaos. But we still have a long way to go.
Then there’s teen suicide. In California, suicide is now the number one cause of death for ages 10–18. It used to be accidents, often involving drunk driving, but now suicide has surpassed that. A big part of this is the confusion and despair created by our school system pushing gender ideology on children.
Kids are being taught transgender ideology at younger and younger ages. Many are confused about their identity—boy or girl—and the culture around them is telling them, “Maybe you’re trans.” When I was raising my daughters, they loved sports. We played football, tackled each other for fun. Today, a girl like that might be told, “Maybe you’re really a boy in a girl’s body.”
Every child goes through seasons of development. They are not fully formed emotionally or psychologically. Yet we are pushing radical ideology on them in elementary, middle, and high school. That is evil.
As governor, I want to stop these insane policies. California has become a transgender “sanctuary state,” and I want to end that on day one. At the very least, I would say: you cannot teach this ideology in K-12. I don’t want it in college either, but if the state insists on being so far left, we must at least protect minors.
Even Governor Newsom has admitted, when pressed, that he doesn’t think high school girls should be learning transgender ideology and that he doesn’t support men playing in women’s sports. Well, I’ll hold him to that.
As governor, I will not allow biological men to compete in women’s sports or to be in women’s locker rooms and bathrooms. We have to return to common-sense policies that protect women and girls, restore safety, and push back against this culture of death and confusion. Public safety, protecting children, and defending truth will be foundational in my administration.
There was a recent story about a lesbian woman, Tish Hyman, who says she was assaulted by a transgender-identifying male in a women’s locker room at Gold’s Gym. How do incidents like this reflect the impact of California’s current gender-identity laws on women’s safety and public policy? (link to headline)
Ché Ahn:
It’s very ironic and very tragic. A lesbian woman being assaulted by a transgender man who believes he’s a woman in a women’s locker room shows just how broken and dangerous these policies have become.
She appealed to State Senator Scott Wiener, a gay activist from San Francisco who has authored some of the worst bills in California—bills that Governor Newsom has gladly signed.
In 2020, Wiener authored SB 145. Before that bill, if an 18-year-old senior had sex with a 14-year-old sophomore, the 18-year-old would be treated as an adult and could be charged with statutory rape, a felony, and placed on the sex offender registry.
SB 145 changed that. It gave judges the discretion to decide whether to charge, whether to treat it as a felony, and whether the offender should be placed on the sex offender registry—on the theory that “high school kids are hooking up anyway.”
But here’s the real problem: this law doesn’t just apply to an 18-year-old senior. It opens the door for a 45-year-old man—a pederast who targets teenagers—to have sex with a 14-year-old boy and potentially avoid being treated as a sex offender. That is an open invitation to exploitation and abuse. It’s another demonic attack on children.
Then you have the transgender “sanctuary” policies. If a 16-year-old in a red state can’t get puberty blockers or hormone treatments, California is saying, “Come here. At our taxpayers’ expense, we’ll give you the treatment.” The problem is that the long-term outcomes are often devastating. The suicide rate among those who undergo these treatments is extremely high, and many of the physical changes are irreversible. We’re talking about the mutilation of healthy bodies.
Add to that SB 357, which went into effect January 1, 2023. That bill prevents police from stopping or questioning people who appear to be loitering for the purpose of prostitution. So if a teenager is on the street in a bikini, high heels, clearly being exploited by a pimp, the police used to be able to walk up, ask her age, and if she couldn’t prove she was 18, they could take her into protective custody.
Now, because of SB 357, officers are told they can’t approach her—it’s considered harassment and “racist” profiling. The result? Sex trafficking has skyrocketed. One report I read said human trafficking has tripled in some areas because pimps and organized crime know the police have effectively been handcuffed.
So here’s my point: Satan is behind this assault on children and young people. He can’t attack God directly—there’s no comparison. Satan is a fallen archangel; the closest equivalent would be Michael or Gabriel, not Almighty God. God could simply speak and vaporize Satan. But instead, God chose to work through people—through Adam and Eve, and through us.
In Genesis 1:27–28, God creates us in His image, male and female, and commands us to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and take dominion. The word “subdue” (kavash in Hebrew) means to subdue the enemy. The enemy in the garden wasn’t Adam or Eve; it was Satan, who had been cast down to earth with one-third of the angels.
When Adam and Eve sinned, humanity lost its authority to rule over Satan. He became “the ruler of this world,” “the prince of the air,” “the god of this age”—all biblical titles. But when Jesus died and rose again, He disarmed principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15), took back the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18), and declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18).
He restored that delegated authority to us, His disciples. Ephesians says we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion. Luke 10:19 says we have authority to trample on serpents and scorpions—symbols of demonic power—and over all the power of the enemy.
So our job now is to confront evil: to attack the gates of hell, to expose darkness, and to resist it both spiritually and practically. We do that in two main ways:
- Through prayer – binding and resisting principalities and powers.
- Through activism – registering to vote, voting for righteous leaders, and replacing unrighteous lawmakers and policies with righteous ones.
People like Scott Wiener and others are passing laws that harm children—through sex-offender leniency, transgender sanctuary policies, and sex-trafficking–enabling bills. These are not just bad policies; they are evil. Jesus said in Matthew 18 that it would be better for someone to tie a millstone around their neck and be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
If you’re involved in child pornography, buying sex from minors, or pushing policies that harm children, you are supporting that industry and that evil. There is forgiveness through repentance, but there must also be accountability.
We need to start voting biblically and remove unrighteous leaders from office. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation.” We need righteous leaders in Sacramento who will protect children and families, not exploit them. And we also need revival in the Church, because much of the Church in California has become lukewarm and compromised. Revival and righteous governance must go together.
I’d like to circle back to the abortion issue. Many people say they choose abortion because they feel they can’t afford to raise a child. You’ve talked about wanting to build safety nets and a “culture of life” in California. As governor, what specific policies would you pursue to support pregnant women, young mothers, and families so they can choose life? (Link to headline)
Ché Ahn:
That’s an excellent question, because overturning Proposition 1 is a long-term battle. I believe it can be done, possibly by a second term, but only if we elect righteous men and women to the state assembly and state senate and see genuine spiritual revival. A nation can be transformed quickly when God moves. But in the meantime, we must take practical steps to create a culture of life.
Here’s what I would do as governor:
1. Reallocate abortion funds to prenatal and postnatal care.
Right now, California taxpayers are funding abortions—even for people coming from other states. I want to take that money and use it to support life. For example, I want to tell a poor teenager: “If you keep your baby, we will cover all your expenses.” That includes prenatal care, delivery costs, and postnatal care.
2. Make adoption more accessible and affordable.
I want to streamline and lower the cost of adoption in California. We should provide significant tax breaks and even direct financial assistance to couples who are willing to adopt. No family should be priced out of adopting a child who needs a home. If a mother chooses not to parent, we should have a clear path: we’ll support her, deliver the baby safely, and then help place that child into a loving family.
3. Restore parental rights in education.
Part of creating a culture of life is restoring parental authority over their children, especially in schools. I want to reverse AB 1955 and similar laws that prevent teachers and administrators from notifying parents when their child is struggling with gender identity or requesting new pronouns.
Teachers and principals should not be hiding these issues from parents. It’s the parents’ right and responsibility to know what’s going on with their child. As governor, I will make it clear that schools must inform parents—not keep secrets from them.
4. Establish true school choice in California.
California’s public school system has collapsed from excellence into near the bottom nationally. One statistic I saw ranked us 48th out of 50 in many key areas. Why? Because the teachers’ unions have a monopoly. They’re more focused on pushing critical race theory, DEI ideology, and transgender curriculum than on reading, writing, math, and real education.
I want to create real competition by giving parents true school choice:
- Tax credits or scholarships for families who send their kids to private schools (religious or non-religious) that provide quality education.
- Financial assistance or tax benefits for parents who choose charter schools or homeschooling.
When we homeschooled our children, my wife—who is a certified elementary school teacher and trained to work with autistic kids—did an outstanding job. Our children all went on to college, excelled academically, and one of our daughters even went on to Pepperdine Graduate School. We were blessed to be able to do that, but many families cannot without help.
By giving parents financial relief and educational options, we empower them to choose what’s best for their children. That’s pro-family and pro-life, because strong families are the foundation of a culture of life.
5. Put power back in the hands of parents, not bureaucrats.
My commitment as governor is to give power back to parents—over their children’s education, health decisions, and moral formation. The state should not be acting as a surrogate parent, especially when its policies are harming children spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
So when I talk about a “culture of life,” I mean more than being anti-abortion. I mean building a California where:
- Women in crisis pregnancies are supported, not pushed toward abortion.
- Adoption is encouraged and affordable.
- Children are protected from harmful ideologies and exploitation.
- Parents are honored as the primary decision-makers for their children.
As a pastor, a father of four adult children, and a grandfather to ten grandchildren, this is deeply personal to me. My heart is to see California become a place where every child is welcomed, every mother is supported, and every family has the opportunity to thrive.