**A Billionaire’s Tax-The-Rich Pitch: Can Steyer Win California?**

Tom Steyer has built his campaign for governor of California around affordability. Now, he is testing the Democratic Party’s appetite for a populist message from a member of the 1%. Steyer is a hedge fund founder turned climate activist. He is also a liberal mega-donor with an estimated net worth of $2.4bn. But he is pitching himself as a different kind of billionaire: one who wants people like him to pay far more in taxes. His message may seem unusual for a candidate with such wealth. Yet Steyer is not the only Democrat exploring this strategy. The party is watching closely to see if a "tax-the-rich" platform can resonate with voters—even when the messenger is one of the richest men in the race.