STATE: Lieutenant Governor – 2026 Primary Election

Note: This post is “IN PROCESS” and will be periodically updated! (05/19/26)

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Lieutenant Governor – Vote for (1)

There are a lot of GREAT CANDIDATES for this position! The big state political parties had trouble choosing and so do we. But we’ve been following Mr. Tubbs career since he hit the news for being the first city in CA to experiment with a Guaranteed basic income program which provided no-strings-attached payments to provide people with a financial floor.

What does the Lieutenant Governor do? (sacbee.com) “The lieutenant governor preside over the California State Senate, they are also a full voting member of the Board of Regents of the University of California, the Board of Trustees of California State University, the Board of Governors of the California Community College System and the Calbright College Board of Trustees. In addition to those educational roles, the lieutenant governor chairs the California Commission for Economic Development and is a member of the California State Lands Commission, both of which are influential statewide boards that govern massive projects.”

The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.

GROUPS THAT COULDN’T MAKE UP THEIR MINDS!

CADEM

Josh Fryday (D) – Governor’s Cabinet Member

RECOMMENDATION: No. But he’s a great candidate!

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(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQcTVR7QtU)

  • Josh Fryday
  • Age: 
  • City of residence: 
  • Occupation: Currently serving as California’s Chief Service Office, Navy JAG officer – veteran, former Mayor of Novato (2018), small business owner, and NextGen Climate (2013-2016): Served as Chief Operating Officer, Coastal Commission,
  • Education: Undergraduate and law degrees at UC Berkeley
  • Funding:
  • Instagram: instagram.com/@josh_fryday
  • Youtube: @josh_fryday
  • Website: www.joshfryday.com
VoteVets
Pete ButtigiegBarbara Boxer
GAVIN NEWSOM
CA Teachers association

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/editorials/article315590933.html		https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/election-endorsements/article315590933.html

(sacbee.com) “To be sure, electing a lieutenant governor is a chance for the public to elect a second-in-command — someone to step in for the governor when they’re out-of-state or otherwise incapacitated — but it’s also a chance for the public to elect a voice to these influential boards and commissions that are otherwise filled by appointment only.

Therefore, whoever occupies the role of lieutenant governor should have a history of service to the state, and be willing to service the same vision for state governance as the new governor. With these qualifications in mind, The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board has chosen to endorse Josh Fryday, the chief service officer of California. In our interview with Fryday and other candidates, he stood out by highlighting the state’s deep affordability inequalities, proposing plans for making higher education cheaper and easier to access, and expanding the state’s service corps programs, which he has personal and professional experience with. Fryday, the former mayor of Novato, also previously served as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In his current position as chief service officer, he leads the state’s extensive service, volunteer and civic engagement efforts with California Volunteers.

According to his campaign website, under his leadership, California Volunteers has grown to become the largest service corps in the nation — larger even than the Peace Corps. It annually provides more than 10,000 jobs for Californians who seek to give back by serving their communities.

The Biden Administration took direct influence from Fryday’s efforts when it created the American Climate Corps, a national service program that employed young people to fight global warming. It shut down following Trump’s election.

“We are in a unique moment where the lieutenant governor plays an incredibly important role, given the specific economic and social moment that we are in,” Fryday told us in an endorsement interview.

“I’m not running as a career politician. I’m running as a military veteran, as a former mayor of my hometown, as a member of the governor’s cabinet, as a husband to a second grade school teacher and father to three kids in California public schools, who understands how unaffordable California has become.”

Fryday’s notable endorsements include Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, as well as former Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg. He’s also amassed endorsements from numerous organizations including the California Teachers Association, the California School Employees Association and California Environmental Voters.”

Fiona Ma (D) – State Treasurer/CPA

RECOMMENDATION: NO. So is she!

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(https://youtu.be/XqFrlXMFQ0c?si=kceKpyHP-f7PZXFp)

  • Fiona Ma
  • Age: 
  • City of residence: 
  • Occupation:
  • Education: –
  • Funding:
  • Instagram: instagram.com/
  • Facebook: facebook.com/CA.FionaMa
  • Website: fionama.com
dem. party of san fernando
North valley dem
Santa Barbara Women's Political commNATIONAL WOMEN'S CAUCUS
equality CA
Leiu
Julia Brownley
Eleni Kounalakis
JACQUI IRWIN
NATIONAL UNION OF HEALTH WORKERS
Liana
AFSCME
UAW
IBEW NATIONAL

(cahighways.org) Fiona Ma is the current Treasurer, and is termed out. She’s set her eyes on Lt. Governor, presumably as a stepping stone to the Governor’s mansion. The plans started early: In March 2019, she announced she would run for the 2026 California gubernatorial election. In March 2023, she pivoted and announced that she would be running for the 2026 California lieutenant gubernatorial election instead.

Her official bio notes that she was the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position of Treasurer. Wikipedia notes that she previously was a member of the California Board of Equalization (2015–2019), the California State Assembly (2006–2012), and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2002–2006). She was the first Asian American woman to serve as California Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore. She was selected as Chairperson of the California Board of Equalization in 2016, and ordered three external audits of the agency. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Rochester Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in taxation from Golden Gate University, and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

Wikipedia notes that in 2021, Ma was accused of sexual harassment and racial discrimination in a lawsuit filed by a former employee. The suit was settled in 2024 by the state of California for $350,000.

In terms of issues, the following is buried in her “Why I’m Running” page: “I’ll continue to fight to grow our economy, attract investment, and create high-quality jobs. I’ll work to make college more affordable and ensure seniors can age with dignity. Having lived with a pre-existing condition and seen my mother struggle with depression, I will continue the fight for healthcare access for everyone. And as the spouse of a firefighter, I will champion our first responders and public safety personnel so we can feel safe in our homes, work and walking on our streets. And as a real estate tax accountant, I am committed to build more housing so everyone can afford to live in our great state.” The problem is that most of these goals are not in the wheelhouse of the LG, other than as part of the economic plan.

She has some interesting endorsements, notably Eleni Kounalakis the current LG, and Shirley Weber, the current Secretary of State. She also has a lot of union endorsements. and  tons of organizational endorsements. She had the endorsements of our two local congresscritters, Brad Sherman and George Whitesides.  She is definately the leader on endorsements.

ENDORSED Michael Tubbs (D) – Anti-Poverty Non-Profit Director

RECOMMENDATION: YES! Hard decision here!

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(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQoXaYPvpw4&t=132s)

San Fernando valley young dems
California Young Democrats
WORKING FAMILY PARTY

CHISPA-OC

CWCAction Fun
DOLORES HUERTA

(knock-LA) “Out of the candidates for the office of lieutenant governor — a position that sounds like it should carry much more authority than it does — Oliver Ma, a civil rights attorney, and Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, stand out as the best choices for the left. Both of them carry a mix of endorsements from unions and organizers: Ma has the Democratic Socialists of America and If Not Now, Tubbs has the Working Families Party and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. Both want to reduce college tuition, one of the few issues on which the lieutenant governor might be able to directly intervene.

We do not have consensus to choose one over the other, but we consider both to be acceptable choices.”

(progressivevoterguide) Progressive endorsements: Michael Tubbs has the endorsement of many groups, including Courage California, Community Water Center Action, Inland Empire United, Pilipino Action Center, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Project Super Bloom, ACCE Action, California Environmental Voters, California Working Families Party, SEIU California, and many Democratic clubs, including young and campus-based Democratic clubs. He is also supported by many community and elected leaders, like Dolores Huerta, Rep. Robert Garcia, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Asm. Mia Bonta, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Orange County Supervisor, Vicente Sarmiento, and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe. 

Top issues: Housing affordability, higher education affordability, economic mobility, and environmental protection, including clean air and water.

Governance and community leadership experience: Tubbs is founder of the nonprofit End Poverty in California (EPIC) and Special Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom for Economic Mobility. He previously served as a city councilmember and mayor of Stockton, where he helped the city recover from bankruptcy, created a guaranteed basic income project that has now been adopted by other cities, worked with the police chief to reduce homicides (by 40%) and officer-involved shootings, supported small businesses in the city in partnership with groups like Main Street Launch, raised over $20 million to create the Stockton Scholars scholarship and mentorship program, led a Stockton Green New Deal with a diverse coalition, and worked with a local labor union to keep San Joaquin County from closing two local health clinics. Tubbs was Stockton’s first African American mayor and the youngest mayor of a major city in the United States. 

(cahighways.org) According to Wikipedia and his bio page, Tubbs attended Stanford University, graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and a Master of Arts in Policy, Leadership and Organization Studies. As an undergraduate, he received a Truman Scholarship, and was the joint winner of the university’s Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel award for “distinctive and exceptional contributions to . . . the quality of student life.” During his time at Stanford, he also served as President of the school’s NAACP chapter, and interned at the White House. He was elected to the Stockton City Council in 2013, and became Mayor of Stockton in 2017. In 2021, he was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom as a special adviser for economic mobility and opportunity. As Mayor, Stockton was named the second-most fiscally healthy city in California and one of the most fiscally healthy cities in the nation. Because of initiatives, investments, and work spearheaded by Michael, Stockton’s unemployment rate was near a record low at around 5.7% in 2019 – down from around 15% in 2012. However, he wasn’t elected to a second term. According to Wikipedia, during the campaign, a social media page known as The 209 Times published numerous stories — many unfounded — accusing Tubbs of corruption. (The 209 Times was run by Motec Patrick Sanchez, who came in fourth in the June primary election, with 10.5% of the vote.) Some attributed Tubbs’s loss to the influence of The 209 Times stories, however, Tubbs was also opposed by police and firefighters’ unions.

His about page also talks about his passion issues, and they are disconnected from the LG role. These are: Education accessible to all without crippling debt; jobs that have wages sufficient to pay for the basic necessities of life; safe water and air; sufficient affordable housing; and ending poverty and keeping  people from becoming homeless through a guaranteed basic income. As I said, well out of the LG’s wheelhouse, which is the public universities, public lands, and broad economic planning.

He has a slew of endorsements, including YIMBYs, Young Democrats, LGBTQ+ clubs, and black caucuses. The only unions are SIEU and AFSCME. Notable elected and name endorsements include Lindey Horvath and Holly Mitchell (both LA County Supervisors) and Dolores Huerta.

His issues page ties things closer to the LG role. For example, on housing, he notes: “The Lt. Governor sits on the governing bodies of both the UC and CSU systems and chairs the State Lands Commission. These are positions of real authority over some of the most valuable public land in America — land that can be leased and developed into affordable housing for teachers, students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and our unhoused neighbors.” I’d imagine there will be pushback on that, similar to what happened in Berkeley with the new Student Housing. He also wants to address affordability by not raising tuition; additionally, he notes “More than 70% of California community college students, more than 50% of Cal State students, and 42% of UC students report being food insecure. That is unacceptable. I’ll push to connect CalFresh enrollment directly to the financial aid system, and I’ll work to identify unused land across UC, CSU, and community college campuses to build housing for students, faculty, and staff.”

Oliver Ma – (D) Actually a Democratic Socialist – Civil Rights Lawyer

RECOMMENDATION: No. We really like this guy and hope he decides to run for a legislative office in the future.

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(https://youtu.be/nE2VHOs41sE?si=mHj963KOzSXrdb9Q)

  • –
  • Age: 
  • City of residence: 
  • Occupation: Civil rights lawyer
  • Education: UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School
  • Funding:
  • Instagram: instagram.com/
  • Facebook: facebook.com/
  • Website: https://oliverma2026.com
Randy Villegas
Visalia USD BOE Member		Neel Sannappa
Democratic Party
Progressive Caucus Chair		Bryan Osorio
Delano City
Council Member
Farrah Khan, Former Mayor of Irvine, CA
UAW

(knock-LA) “Out of the candidates for the office of lieutenant governor — a position that sounds like it should carry much more authority than it does — Oliver Ma, a civil rights attorney, and Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, stand out as the best choices for the left. Both of them carry a mix of endorsements from unions and organizers: Ma has the Democratic Socialists of America and If Not Now, Tubbs has the Working Families Party and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. Both want to reduce college tuition, one of the few issues on which the lieutenant governor might be able to directly intervene.

We do not have consensus to choose one over the other, but we consider both to be acceptable choices.”

Janelle Kellman (D) – Climate Risk Executive

RECOMMENDATION: NO. Not at the top of our list.

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  • –
  • Age: 
  • City of residence: 
  • Occupation: environmental lawyer, climate risk expert, local community leader – mayor, disaster preparedness non-profit executive and founder of the Center for Sea Rise Solutions
  • Education: –
  • Funding:
  • Instagram: instagram.com/janellekellmanforltg
  • Facebook: facebook.com/janellekellmanforltg
  • Website: https://www.janellekellman.com/
  • Endorsements: https://www.janellekellman.com/endorsements

(cahighways.org) Janelle has a B.A. History Yale (Varsity field hockey and lacrosse), an MSc, Environmental Management Oxford (Oxford basketball and rowing), and a J.D., Stanford. She is an environmental lawyer, small business owner, and former mayor (Sausalito). She has served as a planning commissioner and helped write climate policy. She runs a nonprofit focused on helping communities prepare for risks like fires, floods, and dealing with insurance companies. Her “about me” page talks the specific responsibilities of the Lt. Governor, and ties it into her policy goals to show why this is the right job for her.

In terms of policy, she has three major goals: (1) Cut Electricity Costs by 25%; (2) Reduce Wildfire Risk and Lower Home Insurance Costs; (3) Make Community College Free, These somewhat fit into the LG wheelhouse. Her main focus appears to be her climate credentials.

She has a small number of endorsements: East Area Dems, Legislative Jewish Caucus, the LGBTQ Stonewall Democratic Club. The only elected official endorsement I recognize is Jackie Goldberg.

Jeyson Lopez (D) – Customer Experience Consultant – not ready for prime time.

RECOMMENDATION: NO

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  • Jeyson Lopez
  • Age: 
  • City of residence: 
  • Occupation:
  • Education: CSU suste,
  • Funding:
  • Instagram: instagram.com/
  • Facebook: facebook.com/
  • Website: https://www.jeysonlopez4ca.com/about
NO ENDORSEMENTS

(cahighways.ca) First off: Who writes their website in ALL CAPS these days? Really?

According to his bio, he was born in Los Angeles and raised in East Side San Josef, he graduated from California State University, East Bay with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice. In 2016, he witnessed characters who brought out the worst in people and violently characterized the immigrant community. That elections turned Jeyson political, and he started volunteering for campaigns. He volunteered for the Hilary Clinton Campaign, the Kamala Harris Campaign, and against the Newsom recall. He strongly believes that your employer should be held accountable for your quality of life, and if a corporation is profitable, its workers should not rely on social services to survive.

His positions appear to be very progressive, and he has one particularly interesting one: He wants the Lt. Governor to have more congressional responsibility. He has three primary goals: (1) address immigration reform; (2) create a Department of Industrial Relations to attack corporate greed; and (3) reintroduce the 2 year Bachelors degree. In terms of other positions, he is across the board. He states he is a Democratic Capitalist, not Socialist. He is in favor of universal healthcare. He is against the VMT. He wants to stop funding Ukraine and Israel. He supports the Billionaire Tax and wants to fund the police. He is pro-women and pro-LGBTQ+ rights.

He does not have any endorsements.

Tim Meyers (D) – Businessman/Musician/Producer (Quixotic campaign – not serious)

RECOMMENDATION: NO

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  • Tim Meyers
  • Age: 
  • City of residence: 
  • Occupation: President of Californians for Climate Change, co-founder and former member of the band OneRepublic
  • Education: –
  • Funding:
  • Instagram: instagram.com/timmyersofficial
  • Facebook: facebook.com/
NO ENDORSEMENTS

(cahighways.org)Timothy Myers is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as a founding member of OneRepublic; he is also the founder of Palladium Records. He has had sixteen gold and platinum records that he has written or produced.

In April 2025, Myers announced his candidacy for the 2026 41st congressional district as a Democrat, challenging incumbent Republican Ken Calvert. Myers withdrew from the race on July 7, 2025, announcing that he would instead be running for Lieutenant Governor of California in the 2026 election. His campaign website gives a privacy error due to an invalid certificate. According to Wikipedia, he opposes the Trump administration’s tax, health, and fiscal policies and administrative actions, in particular criticizing Elon Musk and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But according to Round Hill Music Royalty Partners, “Music is my passion. I eat, breath, sleep these songs. Every hour in my day is dedicated to it, not for fame but love. I just love to write and create and make music.” I think one could rightly question whether, given the lack of a campaign website, whether the campaign and public service is an equal passion. His campaign FB page shows no posts since he moved his campaign to Lt. Governor in 2025. His declaration for Lt. Governor does not show any understanding of what that position involves.

According to the LA Times, he has spent a fair amount of money on the campaign: $73K. This is about 10 times more than he has raised. Perhaps that’s due to the fact his fundraising website is broken.

Abir Rahman Sikder (D) – Professor

RECOMMENDATION: NO

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  • Abir Rahman Sikder
  • Age: 
  • City of residence: 
  • Occupation:
  • Education: –
  • Funding:
  • Instagram: instagram.com/
  • Facebook: facebook.com/
NO ENDORSEMENTS

Something is wrong with this guy’s website. Don’t go there.

Gloria Romero (R) – Educator/Businesswoman

RECOMMENDATION: NO

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Why do right-wing extremists like Gloria? (Robyn Nordell) “While she is not a solid conservative on every issue, she voted for Trump in 2024. She is strong on parental rights, education issues, and is excellent on protecting girls sports. She opposes Democrat authoritarianism, including on the COVID lockdowns, gender identity, crime, and the Democrats war on gas appliances.”

Sen. John M.W. Moorlach (Ret.)Orange County Board of Education member Mari Barke

(cahighways.org) Gloria J. Romero is a former California state senator from 2001 until 2010 and was the Democratic majority leader of the California State Senate from 2005 until 2008. She was the first woman to hold that leadership position. In 2024, she joined the Republican Party. Her name recognition from Democratic days may lead Democrats to vote for her, even though she is the leading Republican candidate. Oddly, her website lists no endorsements. It really is unclear where the Republican endorsements have gone in this race, as the only other Republican with any real endorsements is Ebie Lynch.

Reading through her issues page, there’s little to none of the Conservative agenda one would expect from a Republican candidate. Nothing about “parent choice” or “girls’ sports” or being anti-DEI. I suspect that her recent conversion to Republican is a political move: As the only Republican candidate with name recognition, she is likely hoping to collect the Republican votes who are voting based on party without digging deeper. That’s good for California if she holds onto Democratic values, but it is unclear if that’s her plan. According to the LA Times, “She registered as a Republican in 2024 after splitting with Democrats over the push to oust President Biden as the party’s presidential nominee. She then endorsed President Trump.” I can’t vote for anyone that endorsed Trump, even if she had Dem values.

David Fennel (R) – Businessman

RECOMMENDATION: NO!

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Mr. Fennell only got 3 stars from Election Forum, so they must have been seriously disappointed with their choices.

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