State: Lt. Governor

Note: this post will be periodically updated! (10/07/2026)

TOP * Fiona Ma (D) * Gloria Romero (R)

VOTER GUIDE – QUICK LINKS:

Lieutenant Governor – Vote for (1)

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.”

Fiona Ma (D) – State Treasurer/CPA

TOP * Fiona Ma (D) * Gloria Romero (R)

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

  • Age: 60
  • Residence: San Francisco
    • Education: B.A. in accounting from the Rochester Institute of Technology, M.S. in taxation from Golden Gate University, MBA from Pepperdine University
  • Employment & experience:
    • California State Treasurer (2019 to present)
    • California State Board of Equalization (2015-2019)
    • California State Assemblymember (2006-2012)
    • Member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2002-2006)
    • District Rep. for CA State Senate President pro Tempore John Burton (late 1990s–2002)
    • Member, San Francisco Assessment Appeals Board (1995-2002)
    • Tax Associate, Ernst & Whitney (now Ernst & Young) (1989-1993)
  • Priorities:
    • Housing Affordability – Use state financing tools and establish a revolving loan fund to build workforce and student housing on public land, expand protections for renters and homeowners.
    • Higher Education & Student Support – Reduce student debt, expand campus housing, and create non-tax revenue streams for public universities to help keep tuition costs low.
    • Economic Development & Fair Wages – Foster partnerships between labor, education, and business to expand high-paying jobs in emerging industries and support small business growth.
    • Government & Electoral Reform – Institute state constitutional amendments to streamline administration, including abolishing the Board of Equalization and creating a joint governor/lieutenant governor ticket.
    • Civil Rights & Public Safety – Safeguard civil rights for women and immigrants, secure funding for reproductive healthcare, and support public safety personnel.
  • Contributions (All PACs that support this candidate may not be identifiable.)
  • Notable endorsements:
    • Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor
    • Dr. Shirley N. Weber, Secretary of State
    • Malia Cohen, State Controller
    • State Senator Henry Stern
    • State Assemblymember Steve Bennett
    • State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin
    • Assemblymember Chris Rogers (author of AB 1984)
    • Congresswoman Julia Brownley
    • Port of Hueneme Commissioner Mary Anne Rooney
    • Port of Hueneme Commissioner Jess Ramirez
    • Dolores Huerta, labor and civil rights activist
    • Organizations – Planned Parenthood, Crime Victims United
    • Unions – Teamsters, laborers, university employees, AFL-CIO, nurses, firefighters, plumbers, electricians, government employees, carpenters, probation officers, UAW, transport workers, AFSCME, metal workers, teachers, electricians, peace officers, longshore and warehouse workers, food and commercial workers, highway patrolmen, LA deputy sheriffs
  • Links:
CADEM
GOOD club
dem. party of san fernando
North valley dem
California Young Democrats

STONEWALL DEMOCRATS Greater Sacramento


United Chinese American Action

Asian Americans for Good Government PAC



Friends of the Filipino American Community PAC

California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
Santa Barbara Women's Political commNATIONAL WOMEN'S CAUCUS


equality CA
• • Stonewall Democrats of Greater Sacramento


• • California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce
Leiu
Julia Brownley
Eleni Kounalakis
JACQUI IRWIN
DOLORES HUERTA
CA Teachers association
NATIONAL UNION OF HEALTH WORKERS
Liana
AFSCME
UAW
IBEW NATIONAL
Central Coast Labor Council

• • Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DLGA)		California Association of Psychiatric Technicians State Coatlition of Probation Organizations.

(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.

Gloria Romero (R) – Educator/Businesswoman

TOP * Fiona Ma (D) * Gloria Romero (R)

  • Age: 71
  • Residence: Los Angeles
  • Education: B.A. and M.A. from Cal State Long Beach, Ph.D. in psychology from UC Riverside
  • Employment & experience:
    • Note: She switched parties from Democrat to Republican in 2024.
    • Co-Founder & Education Leader, Scholarship Prep Charter School (2015–Present)
    • California State Director, Democrats for Education Reform (2010–2015)
    • Member, California State Senate (2001–2010)
    • Senate Majority Leader (2005–2008)
    • Member, California State Assembly (1998–2001)
    • Commissioner, Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission (1997–1999)
    • Trustee, Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees (1995–1998)
    • Professor of Psychology, Cal State Los Angeles 
  • Priorities:
    • Promote school choice and vouchers.
    • Enforce merit-based admissions at state colleges and universities, protect academic standards, and hold administrators accountable.
    • Institute strict accountability and oversight to curb application fraud in community colleges.
    • Make sure high school graduates possess basic reading and math skills necessary for college and career readiness.
    • Streamline state permitting processes and bureaucracy to help disaster-affected communities rebuild faster.
    • Focus on proactive fire prevention, sensible land management, and collaboration with federal partners to safely unlock energy resources.
  • Contributions  (All PACs that support this candidate may not be identifiable.)
  • Endorsed by:
    • Steve Hilton, gubernatorial candidate
    • Reform California (Carl DeMaio’s PAC and advocacy organization)
    • Various Republican groups
    • Israeli-American Civic Action Network
    • She is not formally endorsed by the Federalist Society, but her bio appears on their website because she spoke at a Federalist Society event at the Reagan Library in 2013 about “Are Vouchers and Charter Schools Viable Alternatives to Public Schools?”
  • Links:

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.”

Steve Hilton, gubernatorial candidateOrange County Board of Education member Mari Barke
Lawsuit for violating financial disclosure laws.
Sen. John M.W. Moorlach (Ret.)Israeli-American Civic Action Network
– She is not formally endorsed by the Federalist Society, but her bio appears on their website because she spoke at a Federalist Society event at the Reagan Library in 2013 about “Are Vouchers and Charter Schools Viable Alternatives to Public Schools?”

– Gloria got 3-stars from the hard-right Election Forum/Craig Huey folks! Probably the same questionnaire that Mr. Hilton filled out.

(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.