Neel Kashkari poses as a homeless man in campaign video filmed in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari documented the plight of the homeless by spending a week on the streets of Downtown Fresno.

Some call it smart, some call it crazy, but no matter what you're about to call it, everyone is talking about how the candidate took to the streets.

By day, Neel Kashkari is running against Governor Jerry Brown, trying to steal the incumbent seat. By night Kashkari was stumping as a homeless man. He took $40, got on a bus in Los Angeles and spent a week on the streets of Downtown Fresno.

Kashkari told a team of reporters, "The reason I did it because we're not talking about these issues. Governor Brown is not talking about poverty unemployment or our failing schools."

Kashkari wore a hidden camera, slept on benches, got kicked out of parks and found himself at the Poverello House. The staff never knew. Not until the candidate himself called, fessing up -- giving $500 to reimburse the nonprofit.

Cruz Avila, the executive director at the Poverello House said, "We're very neutral we don't side with any candidates and obviously that gets into the political side of it and you know for us it's about helping our clients not what people do our don't do."

Avila says he was impressed by the gesture of reimbursement. Michael Evans, the Fresno County Democratic Party Chair was not impressed by any of it. "He had the advantage of knowing that next week he'd be back in his mansion with three meals a day and air conditioning where as a person who is homeless is looking at the same thing this week that they're facing this week."

Kashkari said that he was impressed with what he saw -- impressed with the people who call Fresno home and he says, he left inspired by the challenges they're overcoming.

When asked about Kashkari's efforts, Governor Brown's campaign said they're bemused and puzzled by such a bizarre campaign stunt.