City of Covina
Not in City of Covina? Find your guide.
Ballot Drop Boxes
Return your ballot by Tuesday, June 2
Welcome to the Courage California Progressive Voters Guide! We compile the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. Please share this guide with your friends and family!
Voting has changed in Los Angeles County this year. The Voter’s Choice Act was enacted in the county to make voting more convenient. Changes include an expanded period of in-person early voting, every registered voter in the county will receive a vote-by-mail ballot, and every registered voter in the county is able to vote in-person at any Vote Center in their county. Also, in-person voters in Los Angeles County will have the opportunity to use the new Ballot Marking Device, a touchscreen with audio features, to mark their ballots. Have questions about the changes to voting in Los Angeles County? Find out how to vote in Los Angeles County.
State Senator, 22nd District
We recommend that you hold the Democratic incumbent in this race accountable for her policy positions.
Sen. Susan Rubio has served in this seat since 2018, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a challenger by 17 points. Sen. Rubio scores a Lifetime 68 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sen. Rubio has voted against or failed to cast a vote on a significant number of progressive bills during her eight years in office. Notably, she failed to vote in favor of housing legislation despite representing a portion of Los Angeles County, which is home to the largest population of unhoused people in the state, and has consistently favored oil and gas companies over the constituents who are impacted by their corporate actions. Sen Rubio has previously received problematic endorsements from Azusa Police, Covina Police Department, and El Monte Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: Sen. Susan Rubio is running against a Republican and a No Party Preference candidate in the June 2 primary. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sen. Rubio’s campaign has raised $1.5 million as of March 2026, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. Her problematic donors include Edison International, CVS Health, California Real Estate PAC, and Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs PAC.
The Position
State senators represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district and statewide.The California State Senate has 40 districts. Each represents a population of about 988,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate’s 40 seats are subject to election. Members are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 30 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold ten seats.
We recommend that you hold the Democratic incumbent in this race accountable for her policy positions.
Sen. Susan Rubio has served in this seat since 2018, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a challenger by 17 points. Sen. Rubio scores a Lifetime 68 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sen. Rubio has voted against or failed to cast a vote on a significant number of progressive bills during her eight years in office. Notably, she failed to vote in favor of housing legislation despite representing a portion of Los Angeles County, which is home to the largest population of unhoused people in the state, and has consistently favored oil and gas companies over the constituents who are impacted by their corporate actions. Sen Rubio has previously received problematic endorsements from Azusa Police, Covina Police Department, and El Monte Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: Sen. Susan Rubio is running against a Republican and a No Party Preference candidate in the June 2 primary. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sen. Rubio’s campaign has raised $1.5 million as of March 2026, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. Her problematic donors include Edison International, CVS Health, California Real Estate PAC, and Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs PAC.
The Position
State senators represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district and statewide.The California State Senate has 40 districts. Each represents a population of about 988,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate’s 40 seats are subject to election. Members are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 30 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold ten seats.
State Assembly, 48th District
We recommend that you hold the only Democratic candidate in this race accountable for her policy positions.
Asm. Blanca Rubio has served in this seat since 2016, when she was elected with over 64% of the vote. In 2024, she won her re-election against a challenger by 24 points. This session, Asm. Rubio’s priorities for AD-48 have included 34 bills about the environment, development projects, hospitals and care facilities, and gambling. Of these, four have been successfully chaptered into law, seven have died, one has been vetoed, and most others remain in committee. Generally, she has had a problematic track record of holding legislative positions that favor the Big Money interests that have powered her campaigns, including oil and gas, and real estate stakeholders. She scored a 17 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated a member of the Hall of Shame. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Asm. Rubio supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote. Last year, she failed to cast a vote on bills to increase protections for the survivors of abuse, extend price -gouging protections to essential goods like rental housing, and improve health-care quality and affordability.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Asm. Blanca Rubio (D) and Dan Tran (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Asm. Blanca Rubio’s campaign has raised $928,000 as of April 2026 and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. Her problematic donors include National Peace Officers and Fire Fighters Benefit Association, Comcast Corporation, BP Corporation, and California Real Estate PAC.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Dan Tran’s campaign has not filed any campaign-fundraising receipts with the secretary of state as of April 2026.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 48th State Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.Voter registration: 46% Democrat, 23% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 56% Latino, 18% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California State Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-48 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 17 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 16 points.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district and statewide.The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 490,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 20 seats.
We recommend that you hold the only Democratic candidate in this race accountable for her policy positions.
Asm. Blanca Rubio has served in this seat since 2016, when she was elected with over 64% of the vote. In 2024, she won her re-election against a challenger by 24 points. This session, Asm. Rubio’s priorities for AD-48 have included 34 bills about the environment, development projects, hospitals and care facilities, and gambling. Of these, four have been successfully chaptered into law, seven have died, one has been vetoed, and most others remain in committee. Generally, she has had a problematic track record of holding legislative positions that favor the Big Money interests that have powered her campaigns, including oil and gas, and real estate stakeholders. She scored a 17 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated a member of the Hall of Shame. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Asm. Rubio supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote. Last year, she failed to cast a vote on bills to increase protections for the survivors of abuse, extend price -gouging protections to essential goods like rental housing, and improve health-care quality and affordability.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Asm. Blanca Rubio (D) and Dan Tran (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Asm. Blanca Rubio’s campaign has raised $928,000 as of April 2026 and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. Her problematic donors include National Peace Officers and Fire Fighters Benefit Association, Comcast Corporation, BP Corporation, and California Real Estate PAC.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Dan Tran’s campaign has not filed any campaign-fundraising receipts with the secretary of state as of April 2026.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 48th State Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.Voter registration: 46% Democrat, 23% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 56% Latino, 18% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California State Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-48 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 17 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 16 points.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district and statewide.The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 490,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 20 seats.
Statewide
Courage California endorses Tom Steyer for Governor to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Tom Steyer has the endorsement of many groups in the state, including Courage California, NRDC Action Fund, California Environmental Voters, California Teachers Association, United Domestic Workers, California Nurses Association, and several other labor groups. He is also supported by Rep. Ro Khanna and several state legislators, such as Legislative Progressive Caucus Chair Asm. Alex Lee, Asm. Isaac Bryan, Asm. Mia Bonta, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, and Sen. Caroline Menjivar.
Top issues: Affordability, single-payer health care, education, corporate accountability and taxation, housing development, climate protections, and revenue generation
Governance and community leadership experience: Steyer founded the hedge fund management firm Farallon Capital Management before leaving that role in 2012 to dedicate himself to full-time policy advocacy. As a philanthropist, he was an early adopter of the Giving Pledge, making a public commitment to donate most of his wealth during his lifetime. To that end, he has been a longtime investor in grassroots organizing, advocating for Donald Trump’s impeachment during his first term, founding NextGen to support youth voter registration across the country, advocating for the passage of several state propositions on criminal-justice reform and progressive taxation, founding a nonprofit bank to provide affordable loans and reinvestment to local communities, and helping to establish free, nutritious school lunches for public school students in California.
His campaign has advocated for shifting the property tax burden through the passage of a split-roll ballot measure, improving access to MediCal and single-payer health care, increasing the state’s education ranking, and building one million homes that are affordable for everyday Californians. He has been outspoken about the criminality of federal immigration action, the Abolish ICE movement, and the importance of ensuring that California does not cooperate with illegal enforcement. Steyer has also been active in climate justice, supporting emissions-reduction efforts and holding polluters accountable for the harm they cause to local communities. He has advocated for reducing the cost of electricity to make green energy affordable to the average resident through electric vehicles, residential heat pumps, and solar panels.
Other background: Steyer has lived in San Francisco for 40 years.
The Race
Primary election: Nine major candidates are running in the June 2 primary, including Tom Steyer (D), Xavier Becerra (D), Katie Porter (D), Matt Mahan (D), Tony Thurmond (D), Betty Yee (D), Antonio Villaraigosa (D), Steve Hilton (R), and Chad Bianco (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising is categorized into two buckets. The first bucket is direct donations made to the campaign, typically from individuals, companies, and PACs. There are limits on direct campaign contributions — the maximum per election (primary and general) in the gubernatorial race is $39,200 — but donors can freely coordinate on strategy and spending with the candidate’s campaign. The second bucket is independent expenditures (IEs), which are contributions from an entity to support or oppose a candidate through efforts independent of candidate campaigns. These IE contributions are not coordinated directly with the campaign and are often unsolicited by the candidates; they are not subject to campaign donation limits, and do not follow the same reporting rules as direct donations. The issuance of independent expenditures often strategically indicates alignment with particular values and seeks to boost candidates who will pursue related policy or defeat candidates who will oppose related policy.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tom Steyer’s campaign has raised $122 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is almost entirely self-funded. He has not received donations from real estate, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or police interests. Steyer has not been the beneficiary of independent expenditures in support of his candidacy as of April 2026. He is the target of a $13 million IE in opposition to his candidacy, funded by PG&E, California Association of Realtors, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Xavier Becerra’s campaign has raised $2.8 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests but is supported by Chevron. Becerra’s campaign has not benefited from significant independent expenditures as of April 2026.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Katie Porter’s campaign has raised $6.2 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Porter’s candidacy has been supported by an independent expenditure from Uber Technologies Inc., National Union of Healthcare Workers, California Teamsters Public Affairs Council PAC, and Singleton Schreiber, LLP.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Matt Mahan’s campaign has raised $12.7 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Mahan’s campaign has received donations from Google cofounder Sergey Brin and billionaire Michael Moritz, and is supported by Govern for California, an advocacy group popular with Big Tech executives. His candidacy is supported by a $15 million IE funded by tech and finance executives, and is opposed by an IE led by the California Nurses Association. Mahan’s campaign also devised an unusual fundraising strategy that aimed to raise $35 million by April 17, and guaranteed donors would receive their money back if the goal was not reached.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Chad Bianco’s campaign has raised $4.3 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by corporate PAC interests. Bianco’s campaign has not benefited from significant independent expenditures.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Steve Hilton’s campaign has raised $7 million in direct donations as of April 2026, with substantial self-funding. He has not received donations from fossil fuel or police interests but is supported by Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Google cofounder Sergey Brin. Hilton has not benefited from significant independent expenditures
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
Governors serve as the chief executive officer of their state and have the authority to sign and implement state laws. They are responsible for overseeing the operations of the state’s executive branch and advancing statewide initiatives and programs through executive orders, legislative proposals, or executive budgets. Governors have the exclusive authority to nominate or appoint officials, including agency heads, cabinet secretaries, and state court judges. Gubernatorial power varies across states, as each state government operates under the guidance of its own state constitution.Each governor is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. In California, governors are elected to serve a four-year term and are limited to two terms in office.
Courage California endorses Tom Steyer for Governor to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Tom Steyer has the endorsement of many groups in the state, including Courage California, NRDC Action Fund, California Environmental Voters, California Teachers Association, United Domestic Workers, California Nurses Association, and several other labor groups. He is also supported by Rep. Ro Khanna and several state legislators, such as Legislative Progressive Caucus Chair Asm. Alex Lee, Asm. Isaac Bryan, Asm. Mia Bonta, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, and Sen. Caroline Menjivar.
Top issues: Affordability, single-payer health care, education, corporate accountability and taxation, housing development, climate protections, and revenue generation
Governance and community leadership experience: Steyer founded the hedge fund management firm Farallon Capital Management before leaving that role in 2012 to dedicate himself to full-time policy advocacy. As a philanthropist, he was an early adopter of the Giving Pledge, making a public commitment to donate most of his wealth during his lifetime. To that end, he has been a longtime investor in grassroots organizing, advocating for Donald Trump’s impeachment during his first term, founding NextGen to support youth voter registration across the country, advocating for the passage of several state propositions on criminal-justice reform and progressive taxation, founding a nonprofit bank to provide affordable loans and reinvestment to local communities, and helping to establish free, nutritious school lunches for public school students in California.
His campaign has advocated for shifting the property tax burden through the passage of a split-roll ballot measure, improving access to MediCal and single-payer health care, increasing the state’s education ranking, and building one million homes that are affordable for everyday Californians. He has been outspoken about the criminality of federal immigration action, the Abolish ICE movement, and the importance of ensuring that California does not cooperate with illegal enforcement. Steyer has also been active in climate justice, supporting emissions-reduction efforts and holding polluters accountable for the harm they cause to local communities. He has advocated for reducing the cost of electricity to make green energy affordable to the average resident through electric vehicles, residential heat pumps, and solar panels.
Other background: Steyer has lived in San Francisco for 40 years.
The Race
Primary election: Nine major candidates are running in the June 2 primary, including Tom Steyer (D), Xavier Becerra (D), Katie Porter (D), Matt Mahan (D), Tony Thurmond (D), Betty Yee (D), Antonio Villaraigosa (D), Steve Hilton (R), and Chad Bianco (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising is categorized into two buckets. The first bucket is direct donations made to the campaign, typically from individuals, companies, and PACs. There are limits on direct campaign contributions — the maximum per election (primary and general) in the gubernatorial race is $39,200 — but donors can freely coordinate on strategy and spending with the candidate’s campaign. The second bucket is independent expenditures (IEs), which are contributions from an entity to support or oppose a candidate through efforts independent of candidate campaigns. These IE contributions are not coordinated directly with the campaign and are often unsolicited by the candidates; they are not subject to campaign donation limits, and do not follow the same reporting rules as direct donations. The issuance of independent expenditures often strategically indicates alignment with particular values and seeks to boost candidates who will pursue related policy or defeat candidates who will oppose related policy.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tom Steyer’s campaign has raised $122 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is almost entirely self-funded. He has not received donations from real estate, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or police interests. Steyer has not been the beneficiary of independent expenditures in support of his candidacy as of April 2026. He is the target of a $13 million IE in opposition to his candidacy, funded by PG&E, California Association of Realtors, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Xavier Becerra’s campaign has raised $2.8 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests but is supported by Chevron. Becerra’s campaign has not benefited from significant independent expenditures as of April 2026.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Katie Porter’s campaign has raised $6.2 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Porter’s candidacy has been supported by an independent expenditure from Uber Technologies Inc., National Union of Healthcare Workers, California Teamsters Public Affairs Council PAC, and Singleton Schreiber, LLP.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Matt Mahan’s campaign has raised $12.7 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Mahan’s campaign has received donations from Google cofounder Sergey Brin and billionaire Michael Moritz, and is supported by Govern for California, an advocacy group popular with Big Tech executives. His candidacy is supported by a $15 million IE funded by tech and finance executives, and is opposed by an IE led by the California Nurses Association. Mahan’s campaign also devised an unusual fundraising strategy that aimed to raise $35 million by April 17, and guaranteed donors would receive their money back if the goal was not reached.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Chad Bianco’s campaign has raised $4.3 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by corporate PAC interests. Bianco’s campaign has not benefited from significant independent expenditures.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Steve Hilton’s campaign has raised $7 million in direct donations as of April 2026, with substantial self-funding. He has not received donations from fossil fuel or police interests but is supported by Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Google cofounder Sergey Brin. Hilton has not benefited from significant independent expenditures
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
Governors serve as the chief executive officer of their state and have the authority to sign and implement state laws. They are responsible for overseeing the operations of the state’s executive branch and advancing statewide initiatives and programs through executive orders, legislative proposals, or executive budgets. Governors have the exclusive authority to nominate or appoint officials, including agency heads, cabinet secretaries, and state court judges. Gubernatorial power varies across states, as each state government operates under the guidance of its own state constitution.Each governor is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. In California, governors are elected to serve a four-year term and are limited to two terms in office.
Courage California endorses Tom Steyer for Governor to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Tom Steyer has the endorsement of many groups in the state, including Courage California, NRDC Action Fund, California Environmental Voters, California Teachers Association, United Domestic Workers, California Nurses Association, and several other labor groups. He is also supported by Rep. Ro Khanna and several state legislators, such as Legislative Progressive Caucus Chair Asm. Alex Lee, Asm. Isaac Bryan, Asm. Mia Bonta, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, and Sen. Caroline Menjivar.
Top issues: Affordability, single-payer health care, education, corporate accountability and taxation, housing development, climate protections, and revenue generation
Governance and community leadership experience: Steyer founded the hedge fund management firm Farallon Capital Management before leaving that role in 2012 to dedicate himself to full-time policy advocacy. As a philanthropist, he was an early adopter of the Giving Pledge, making a public commitment to donate most of his wealth during his lifetime. To that end, he has been a longtime investor in grassroots organizing, advocating for Donald Trump’s impeachment during his first term, founding NextGen to support youth voter registration across the country, advocating for the passage of several state propositions on criminal-justice reform and progressive taxation, founding a nonprofit bank to provide affordable loans and reinvestment to local communities, and helping to establish free, nutritious school lunches for public school students in California.
His campaign has advocated for shifting the property tax burden through the passage of a split-roll ballot measure, improving access to MediCal and single-payer health care, increasing the state’s education ranking, and building one million homes that are affordable for everyday Californians. He has been outspoken about the criminality of federal immigration action, the Abolish ICE movement, and the importance of ensuring that California does not cooperate with illegal enforcement. Steyer has also been active in climate justice, supporting emissions-reduction efforts and holding polluters accountable for the harm they cause to local communities. He has advocated for reducing the cost of electricity to make green energy affordable to the average resident through electric vehicles, residential heat pumps, and solar panels.
Other background: Steyer has lived in San Francisco for 40 years.
The Race
Primary election: Nine major candidates are running in the June 2 primary, including Tom Steyer (D), Xavier Becerra (D), Katie Porter (D), Matt Mahan (D), Tony Thurmond (D), Betty Yee (D), Antonio Villaraigosa (D), Steve Hilton (R), and Chad Bianco (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising is categorized into two buckets. The first bucket is direct donations made to the campaign, typically from individuals, companies, and PACs. There are limits on direct campaign contributions — the maximum per election (primary and general) in the gubernatorial race is $39,200 — but donors can freely coordinate on strategy and spending with the candidate’s campaign. The second bucket is independent expenditures (IEs), which are contributions from an entity to support or oppose a candidate through efforts independent of candidate campaigns. These IE contributions are not coordinated directly with the campaign and are often unsolicited by the candidates; they are not subject to campaign donation limits, and do not follow the same reporting rules as direct donations. The issuance of independent expenditures often strategically indicates alignment with particular values and seeks to boost candidates who will pursue related policy or defeat candidates who will oppose related policy.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tom Steyer’s campaign has raised $122 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is almost entirely self-funded. He has not received donations from real estate, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or police interests. Steyer has not been the beneficiary of independent expenditures in support of his candidacy as of April 2026. He is the target of a $13 million IE in opposition to his candidacy, funded by PG&E, California Association of Realtors, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Xavier Becerra’s campaign has raised $2.8 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests but is supported by Chevron. Becerra’s campaign has not benefited from significant independent expenditures as of April 2026.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Katie Porter’s campaign has raised $6.2 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Porter’s candidacy has been supported by an independent expenditure from Uber Technologies Inc., National Union of Healthcare Workers, California Teamsters Public Affairs Council PAC, and Singleton Schreiber, LLP.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Matt Mahan’s campaign has raised $12.7 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Mahan’s campaign has received donations from Google cofounder Sergey Brin and billionaire Michael Moritz, and is supported by Govern for California, an advocacy group popular with Big Tech executives. His candidacy is supported by a $15 million IE funded by tech and finance executives, and is opposed by an IE led by the California Nurses Association. Mahan’s campaign also devised an unusual fundraising strategy that aimed to raise $35 million by April 17, and guaranteed donors would receive their money back if the goal was not reached.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Chad Bianco’s campaign has raised $4.3 million in direct donations as of April 2026 and is not funded by corporate PAC interests. Bianco’s campaign has not benefited from significant independent expenditures.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Steve Hilton’s campaign has raised $7 million in direct donations as of April 2026, with substantial self-funding. He has not received donations from fossil fuel or police interests but is supported by Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Google cofounder Sergey Brin. Hilton has not benefited from significant independent expenditures
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
Governors serve as the chief executive officer of their state and have the authority to sign and implement state laws. They are responsible for overseeing the operations of the state’s executive branch and advancing statewide initiatives and programs through executive orders, legislative proposals, or executive budgets. Governors have the exclusive authority to nominate or appoint officials, including agency heads, cabinet secretaries, and state court judges. Gubernatorial power varies across states, as each state government operates under the guidance of its own state constitution.Each governor is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. In California, governors are elected to serve a four-year term and are limited to two terms in office.
Courage California endorses Michael Tubbs for Lieutenant Governor to keep California on the right track for progress.
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.
The Race
Primary election: There are 16 candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Michael Tubbs, State Treasurer Fiona Ma (D), Janelle Kellman (D), and Oliver Ma (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tubbs’ campaign has raised $2,125,751 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors. He does have the support of some tech, finance, and other corporate executives.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: State Treasurer Fiona Ma’s campaign has raised $2,531,616 and is not funded by fossil fuel or real estate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Kellman’s campaign has raised $526,161 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Oliver Ma’s campaign has raised $458,642 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
State senators represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district and statewide.The California State Senate has 40 districts. Each represents a population of about 988,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate’s 40 seats are subject to election. Members are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 30 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold ten seats.
Courage California endorses Michael Tubbs for Lieutenant Governor to keep California on the right track for progress.
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.
The Race
Primary election: There are 16 candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Michael Tubbs, State Treasurer Fiona Ma (D), Janelle Kellman (D), and Oliver Ma (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tubbs’ campaign has raised $2,125,751 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors. He does have the support of some tech, finance, and other corporate executives.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: State Treasurer Fiona Ma’s campaign has raised $2,531,616 and is not funded by fossil fuel or real estate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Kellman’s campaign has raised $526,161 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Oliver Ma’s campaign has raised $458,642 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
State senators represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district and statewide.The California State Senate has 40 districts. Each represents a population of about 988,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate’s 40 seats are subject to election. Members are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 30 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold ten seats.
Courage California endorses Michael Tubbs for Lieutenant Governor to keep California on the right track for progress.
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.
The Race
Primary election: There are 16 candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Michael Tubbs, State Treasurer Fiona Ma (D), Janelle Kellman (D), and Oliver Ma (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tubbs’ campaign has raised $2,125,751 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors. He does have the support of some tech, finance, and other corporate executives.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: State Treasurer Fiona Ma’s campaign has raised $2,531,616 and is not funded by fossil fuel or real estate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Kellman’s campaign has raised $526,161 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Oliver Ma’s campaign has raised $458,642 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
State senators represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district and statewide.The California State Senate has 40 districts. Each represents a population of about 988,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate’s 40 seats are subject to election. Members are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 30 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold ten seats.
Re-elect Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Secretary Weber has the endorsement of many groups, including California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, San Diego Democrats for Equality, California Women’s List, and several other labor unions. She has also received the support of several local and state leaders, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Controller Malia Cohen, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe.
Top issues and priority policies: Restoring trust and transparency, encouraging Californians to vote, expanding access to the ballot, monitoring and upgrading cybersecurity policies to protect elections, and revamping voter-education outreach programs for the formerly incarcerated who are now eligible to vote.
Governance experience: Dr. Weber was appointed to serve as secretary of state by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020 after Alex Padilla was appointed to serve the rest of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Senate term. She was unanimously confirmed by the state legislature. Dr. Weber won her 2022 election with 59% of the vote. She is the first Black California Secretary of State. In this role, Dr. Weber has focused on expanding voter outreach in rural communities and on high school and college campuses. She has sued local governments for violating election laws, successfully defended against the Trump administration’s attempt to seize California’s voter data, and supported the Prop 50 redistricting effort to counter the Republican-led undemocratic gerrymandering campaigns. Community groups have advocated for Dr. Weber to continue to expand access to voters with disabilities and voters with limited English proficiency.
Dr. Weber previously served in the State Assembly from 2012–2021, and sponsored bills on a variety of issues, including school safety, full-day kindergarten, reducing the use of deadly force by police, strengthening the CalFresh program, and creating the state Reparations Task Force. Her successes also included environmental cleanup, increasing food access for food-insecure communities, establishing protections for residents of long-term nursing facilities, and lowering the cost of childcare. She scored a lifetime 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sec. Weber supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Prior to serving in public office, Secretary Weber founded the Department of Africana Studies at San Diego State University in 1972, and taught there for forty years. She also served as president of the National Council for Black Studies from 2002–2006, as president of the San Diego Board of Education from 1988–1996, and as chairperson of San Diego’s Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission.
The Race
Primary election: There are four candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Secretary Dr. Shirley Weber (D), Michael Feinstein (Grn), Gary Blenner (Grn), and Donald Wagner (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Secretary Weber’s campaign has raised $462,061 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate contributions.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Michael Feinstein’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Gary Blenner’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Donald Wagner’s campaign has raised $501,693 and is funded by law enforcement. Wagner is an Orange County supervisor and a founder of the county’s Federalist Society, a conservative legal group that has successfully gotten more right-wing judges appointed around the country, including to the U.S. Supreme Court. He supports the Republican-backed voter-ID ballot measure that will keep eligible Californians from voting and says he will end the practice of sending mail-in ballots to every voter in the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The secretary of state acts as the lead records officer for the state of California, and manages an office of 500 civil-service employees who are responsible for ensuring transparency and accessibility in elections, campaigning, business records, and legislative advocacy. The secretary of state’s office has a significant responsibility for election implementation and integrity, as it produces information pamphlets for voters in ten languages, provides statewide testing and approval for voting equipment, maintains the voter database, and certifies the official candidate lists and the official election results. The secretary of state’s office also oversees the filing and disclosure of campaign-finance information, the management of business records, the safeguarding of statewide address confidentiality, and the maintenance of registries for domestic partnerships and advanced health-care directives. The secretary of state is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.Re-elect Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Secretary Weber has the endorsement of many groups, including California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, San Diego Democrats for Equality, California Women’s List, and several other labor unions. She has also received the support of several local and state leaders, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Controller Malia Cohen, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe.
Top issues and priority policies: Restoring trust and transparency, encouraging Californians to vote, expanding access to the ballot, monitoring and upgrading cybersecurity policies to protect elections, and revamping voter-education outreach programs for the formerly incarcerated who are now eligible to vote.
Governance experience: Dr. Weber was appointed to serve as secretary of state by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020 after Alex Padilla was appointed to serve the rest of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Senate term. She was unanimously confirmed by the state legislature. Dr. Weber won her 2022 election with 59% of the vote. She is the first Black California Secretary of State. In this role, Dr. Weber has focused on expanding voter outreach in rural communities and on high school and college campuses. She has sued local governments for violating election laws, successfully defended against the Trump administration’s attempt to seize California’s voter data, and supported the Prop 50 redistricting effort to counter the Republican-led undemocratic gerrymandering campaigns. Community groups have advocated for Dr. Weber to continue to expand access to voters with disabilities and voters with limited English proficiency.
Dr. Weber previously served in the State Assembly from 2012–2021, and sponsored bills on a variety of issues, including school safety, full-day kindergarten, reducing the use of deadly force by police, strengthening the CalFresh program, and creating the state Reparations Task Force. Her successes also included environmental cleanup, increasing food access for food-insecure communities, establishing protections for residents of long-term nursing facilities, and lowering the cost of childcare. She scored a lifetime 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sec. Weber supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Prior to serving in public office, Secretary Weber founded the Department of Africana Studies at San Diego State University in 1972, and taught there for forty years. She also served as president of the National Council for Black Studies from 2002–2006, as president of the San Diego Board of Education from 1988–1996, and as chairperson of San Diego’s Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission.
The Race
Primary election: There are four candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Secretary Dr. Shirley Weber (D), Michael Feinstein (Grn), Gary Blenner (Grn), and Donald Wagner (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Secretary Weber’s campaign has raised $462,061 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate contributions.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Michael Feinstein’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Gary Blenner’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Donald Wagner’s campaign has raised $501,693 and is funded by law enforcement. Wagner is an Orange County supervisor and a founder of the county’s Federalist Society, a conservative legal group that has successfully gotten more right-wing judges appointed around the country, including to the U.S. Supreme Court. He supports the Republican-backed voter-ID ballot measure that will keep eligible Californians from voting and says he will end the practice of sending mail-in ballots to every voter in the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The secretary of state acts as the lead records officer for the state of California, and manages an office of 500 civil-service employees who are responsible for ensuring transparency and accessibility in elections, campaigning, business records, and legislative advocacy. The secretary of state’s office has a significant responsibility for election implementation and integrity, as it produces information pamphlets for voters in ten languages, provides statewide testing and approval for voting equipment, maintains the voter database, and certifies the official candidate lists and the official election results. The secretary of state’s office also oversees the filing and disclosure of campaign-finance information, the management of business records, the safeguarding of statewide address confidentiality, and the maintenance of registries for domestic partnerships and advanced health-care directives. The secretary of state is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.Re-elect Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Secretary Weber has the endorsement of many groups, including California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, San Diego Democrats for Equality, California Women’s List, and several other labor unions. She has also received the support of several local and state leaders, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Controller Malia Cohen, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe.
Top issues and priority policies: Restoring trust and transparency, encouraging Californians to vote, expanding access to the ballot, monitoring and upgrading cybersecurity policies to protect elections, and revamping voter-education outreach programs for the formerly incarcerated who are now eligible to vote.
Governance experience: Dr. Weber was appointed to serve as secretary of state by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020 after Alex Padilla was appointed to serve the rest of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Senate term. She was unanimously confirmed by the state legislature. Dr. Weber won her 2022 election with 59% of the vote. She is the first Black California Secretary of State. In this role, Dr. Weber has focused on expanding voter outreach in rural communities and on high school and college campuses. She has sued local governments for violating election laws, successfully defended against the Trump administration’s attempt to seize California’s voter data, and supported the Prop 50 redistricting effort to counter the Republican-led undemocratic gerrymandering campaigns. Community groups have advocated for Dr. Weber to continue to expand access to voters with disabilities and voters with limited English proficiency.
Dr. Weber previously served in the State Assembly from 2012–2021, and sponsored bills on a variety of issues, including school safety, full-day kindergarten, reducing the use of deadly force by police, strengthening the CalFresh program, and creating the state Reparations Task Force. Her successes also included environmental cleanup, increasing food access for food-insecure communities, establishing protections for residents of long-term nursing facilities, and lowering the cost of childcare. She scored a lifetime 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sec. Weber supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Prior to serving in public office, Secretary Weber founded the Department of Africana Studies at San Diego State University in 1972, and taught there for forty years. She also served as president of the National Council for Black Studies from 2002–2006, as president of the San Diego Board of Education from 1988–1996, and as chairperson of San Diego’s Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission.
The Race
Primary election: There are four candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Secretary Dr. Shirley Weber (D), Michael Feinstein (Grn), Gary Blenner (Grn), and Donald Wagner (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Secretary Weber’s campaign has raised $462,061 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate contributions.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Michael Feinstein’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Gary Blenner’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Donald Wagner’s campaign has raised $501,693 and is funded by law enforcement. Wagner is an Orange County supervisor and a founder of the county’s Federalist Society, a conservative legal group that has successfully gotten more right-wing judges appointed around the country, including to the U.S. Supreme Court. He supports the Republican-backed voter-ID ballot measure that will keep eligible Californians from voting and says he will end the practice of sending mail-in ballots to every voter in the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The secretary of state acts as the lead records officer for the state of California, and manages an office of 500 civil-service employees who are responsible for ensuring transparency and accessibility in elections, campaigning, business records, and legislative advocacy. The secretary of state’s office has a significant responsibility for election implementation and integrity, as it produces information pamphlets for voters in ten languages, provides statewide testing and approval for voting equipment, maintains the voter database, and certifies the official candidate lists and the official election results. The secretary of state’s office also oversees the filing and disclosure of campaign-finance information, the management of business records, the safeguarding of statewide address confidentiality, and the maintenance of registries for domestic partnerships and advanced health-care directives. The secretary of state is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.Courage California endorses Attorney General Rob Bonta for re-election to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Attorney General Rob Bonta has the endorsement of many groups in the state, including Courage California, Smart Justice California, California Environmental Voters, and many labor unions. He has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Adam Schiff, Sen. Alex Padilla, most members of the Democratic California House delegation, and many state legislators.
Top issues: Protecting California’s federal funding, fighting organized crime, access to reproductive health care, and maintaining safety and affordability for Californians.
Priority policies: This year, Attorney General Bonta’s priorities for California have focused on efforts to fight the Trump administration’s policies, including blocking an executive order to restrict mail voting, protecting access to gender-affirming care, opposing mandatory immigration detention without due process, and challenging HUD-funding restrictions. His office has also worked to improve the use of sexual assault evidence kits, increase accountability for Big Oil, and block corporate mergers. His office recently brought charges against a fraud ring responsible for $267 million in hospice fraud in Los Angeles, secured significant prison sentences for child sex abusers, and supported litigation that eventually led to the Trump administration dropping their appeals in cases related to rescinding funding from state energy and HUD programs.
Governance and community leadership experience: Attorney General Bonta was first elected to the State Assembly in 2012 and served as a consistent progressive champion for nine years. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him as state attorney general after the seat was vacated by Xavier Becerra upon his confirmation to serve in the Biden administration. Bonta won a full term in the general election in 2022 after defeating his Republican challenger by 18 points.
During his time in the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta was an effective legislator who worked on bills related to climate protections, criminal justice and prison reform, immigrant rights, and housing protections. Bonta scored a lifetime score of 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, he supported the most progressive bills that made it to a vote and earned the Courage Score All-Star designation three times.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta served as a deputy city attorney for both the City and County of San Francisco, as an elected member of the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors, as board president for the Social Service Human Relations board, as board president for Alternatives in Action, and as chair of the Economic Development Commission. He is a longtime activist in the ongoing fight for racial, economic, and social justice.
Other background: Attorney General Rob Bonta, a civil rights attorney, is from Alameda, CA. He is the son of farmworkers who provided leadership to the labor movement and is the first Filipino American to serve as California’s attorney general.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Attorney General Rob Bonta, Michael Gates (R), and Marjorie Mikels (G). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Attorney General Rob Bonta’s campaign has raised $7.6 million as of April 2026. He is not funded by fossil fuel or police interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Michael Gates’s campaign has raised $716,000 as of April 2026 and is not funded by fossil fuel or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Marjorie Mikels’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the secretary of state’s office as of April 2026.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.
Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state attorney general acts as the lead attorney and law-enforcement official for the state of California and has oversight of over 4,500 state-employed district attorneys, investigators, police officers, and administrators. The attorney general executes a variety of responsibilities in the state, including representing the people of California in criminal and civil matters in court, coordinating statewide law-enforcement efforts, providing legal counsel to state agencies, and managing special projects to protect the rights of Californians. California has 58 elected district attorneys who report to the attorney general, one for every county in the state. The attorney general is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.
Last updated: 4/26/26
References:
https://oag.ca.gov/media/news
https://ballotpedia.org/RobBonta
Courage California endorses Attorney General Rob Bonta for re-election to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Attorney General Rob Bonta has the endorsement of many groups in the state, including Courage California, Smart Justice California, California Environmental Voters, and many labor unions. He has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Adam Schiff, Sen. Alex Padilla, most members of the Democratic California House delegation, and many state legislators.
Top issues: Protecting California’s federal funding, fighting organized crime, access to reproductive health care, and maintaining safety and affordability for Californians.
Priority policies: This year, Attorney General Bonta’s priorities for California have focused on efforts to fight the Trump administration’s policies, including blocking an executive order to restrict mail voting, protecting access to gender-affirming care, opposing mandatory immigration detention without due process, and challenging HUD-funding restrictions. His office has also worked to improve the use of sexual assault evidence kits, increase accountability for Big Oil, and block corporate mergers. His office recently brought charges against a fraud ring responsible for $267 million in hospice fraud in Los Angeles, secured significant prison sentences for child sex abusers, and supported litigation that eventually led to the Trump administration dropping their appeals in cases related to rescinding funding from state energy and HUD programs.
Governance and community leadership experience: Attorney General Bonta was first elected to the State Assembly in 2012 and served as a consistent progressive champion for nine years. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him as state attorney general after the seat was vacated by Xavier Becerra upon his confirmation to serve in the Biden administration. Bonta won a full term in the general election in 2022 after defeating his Republican challenger by 18 points.
During his time in the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta was an effective legislator who worked on bills related to climate protections, criminal justice and prison reform, immigrant rights, and housing protections. Bonta scored a lifetime score of 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, he supported the most progressive bills that made it to a vote and earned the Courage Score All-Star designation three times.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta served as a deputy city attorney for both the City and County of San Francisco, as an elected member of the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors, as board president for the Social Service Human Relations board, as board president for Alternatives in Action, and as chair of the Economic Development Commission. He is a longtime activist in the ongoing fight for racial, economic, and social justice.
Other background: Attorney General Rob Bonta, a civil rights attorney, is from Alameda, CA. He is the son of farmworkers who provided leadership to the labor movement and is the first Filipino American to serve as California’s attorney general.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Attorney General Rob Bonta, Michael Gates (R), and Marjorie Mikels (G). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Attorney General Rob Bonta’s campaign has raised $7.6 million as of April 2026. He is not funded by fossil fuel or police interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Michael Gates’s campaign has raised $716,000 as of April 2026 and is not funded by fossil fuel or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Marjorie Mikels’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the secretary of state’s office as of April 2026.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.
Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state attorney general acts as the lead attorney and law-enforcement official for the state of California and has oversight of over 4,500 state-employed district attorneys, investigators, police officers, and administrators. The attorney general executes a variety of responsibilities in the state, including representing the people of California in criminal and civil matters in court, coordinating statewide law-enforcement efforts, providing legal counsel to state agencies, and managing special projects to protect the rights of Californians. California has 58 elected district attorneys who report to the attorney general, one for every county in the state. The attorney general is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.
Last updated: 4/26/26
References:
https://oag.ca.gov/media/news
https://ballotpedia.org/RobBonta
Courage California endorses Attorney General Rob Bonta for re-election to keep California on the right track for progress.
Progressive endorsements: Attorney General Rob Bonta has the endorsement of many groups in the state, including Courage California, Smart Justice California, California Environmental Voters, and many labor unions. He has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Adam Schiff, Sen. Alex Padilla, most members of the Democratic California House delegation, and many state legislators.
Top issues: Protecting California’s federal funding, fighting organized crime, access to reproductive health care, and maintaining safety and affordability for Californians.
Priority policies: This year, Attorney General Bonta’s priorities for California have focused on efforts to fight the Trump administration’s policies, including blocking an executive order to restrict mail voting, protecting access to gender-affirming care, opposing mandatory immigration detention without due process, and challenging HUD-funding restrictions. His office has also worked to improve the use of sexual assault evidence kits, increase accountability for Big Oil, and block corporate mergers. His office recently brought charges against a fraud ring responsible for $267 million in hospice fraud in Los Angeles, secured significant prison sentences for child sex abusers, and supported litigation that eventually led to the Trump administration dropping their appeals in cases related to rescinding funding from state energy and HUD programs.
Governance and community leadership experience: Attorney General Bonta was first elected to the State Assembly in 2012 and served as a consistent progressive champion for nine years. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him as state attorney general after the seat was vacated by Xavier Becerra upon his confirmation to serve in the Biden administration. Bonta won a full term in the general election in 2022 after defeating his Republican challenger by 18 points.
During his time in the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta was an effective legislator who worked on bills related to climate protections, criminal justice and prison reform, immigrant rights, and housing protections. Bonta scored a lifetime score of 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, he supported the most progressive bills that made it to a vote and earned the Courage Score All-Star designation three times.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta served as a deputy city attorney for both the City and County of San Francisco, as an elected member of the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors, as board president for the Social Service Human Relations board, as board president for Alternatives in Action, and as chair of the Economic Development Commission. He is a longtime activist in the ongoing fight for racial, economic, and social justice.
Other background: Attorney General Rob Bonta, a civil rights attorney, is from Alameda, CA. He is the son of farmworkers who provided leadership to the labor movement and is the first Filipino American to serve as California’s attorney general.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Attorney General Rob Bonta, Michael Gates (R), and Marjorie Mikels (G). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Attorney General Rob Bonta’s campaign has raised $7.6 million as of April 2026. He is not funded by fossil fuel or police interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Michael Gates’s campaign has raised $716,000 as of April 2026 and is not funded by fossil fuel or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Marjorie Mikels’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the secretary of state’s office as of April 2026.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.
Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state attorney general acts as the lead attorney and law-enforcement official for the state of California and has oversight of over 4,500 state-employed district attorneys, investigators, police officers, and administrators. The attorney general executes a variety of responsibilities in the state, including representing the people of California in criminal and civil matters in court, coordinating statewide law-enforcement efforts, providing legal counsel to state agencies, and managing special projects to protect the rights of Californians. California has 58 elected district attorneys who report to the attorney general, one for every county in the state. The attorney general is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.
Last updated: 4/26/26
References:
https://oag.ca.gov/media/news
https://ballotpedia.org/RobBonta
We recommend that you choose the Democratic candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Eleni Kounalakis currently serves as California’s lieutenant governor, and was elected to that seat in 2018 with over 56% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 18 points. During her time in state leadership, she has championed bills to improve environmental protections, international affairs, and equity across the state. She has supported efforts to decommission oil drilling, transition the state to renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions, promote California’s economy on the global stage, and establish the first Transgender Advisory Council in the country. She also serves as a member of the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees, and has advocated for more affordable tuition and creating more affordable student housing on campus. Before holding elected office, she served under Gov. Jerry Brown as chair of the California Advisory Council for International Trade and Investment, was a fellow at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and served as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Hungary under former President Barack Obama. Before her public service, Kounalakis was a businessperson who served as president of AKT Development, a housing- and land-development firm founded by her father. The firm is the largest in the Sacramento area, and primarily focuses on residential master-planned communities. She has the endorsement of a few groups, including East Area Progressive Democrats and Teamsters California.
Tony Vazquez currently serves as a member of the state’s Board of Equalization, and was elected to that seat in 2018 with over 69% of the vote. In 2022, he was re-elected after defeating an independent challenger by 40 points. As a member of the Board of Equalization, he worked to provide disaster relief to small businesses during the pandemic, and provided guidance to constituents after the passage of Proposition 19. Vazquez has focused his campaign on affordable housing and the importance of streamlining permits and tax benefits, investment in state educational systems and institutions, and championing equity for the Latino community. Prior to his current position, Vazquez was a community advocate and a longtime elected leader. He joined the Santa Monica City Council in 1990, and supported local efforts to revitalize the Third Street Promenade business district and created more transportation routes connecting the community to downtown Los Angeles. He was a district director for a Los Angeles City Council member, and also served as the Southern California regional director for California Futures Network and as a community planner for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. He later returned to the Santa Monica City Council and served as both mayor pro tempore and mayor, where he was a strong advocate for continued business development and affordable housing. Vazquez has the endorsement of a few groups, including Stonewall Democrats.
Anna Caballero currently serves as a member of the California State Senate, and was elected to that seat in 2018 with over 54% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a challenger by 13 points. This year, she has authored and passed bills to expand the membership of the California Water Plan advisory committee to include tribes and unions, create a commission to accelerate development and growth in fusion energy, and establish an education fund for a master’s-level nurse midwifery education program at CSU. Sen. Caballero scores a lifetime 52 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, she has not supported key bills on consumer protections, environmental protections, affordable health care, or public safety. She has the endorsement of some groups, including YIMBY California, California Latino Legislative Caucus, and the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
The Race
Primary election: There are seven candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Eleni Kounalakis (D), Tony Vazquez (D), Anna Caballero (D), David Serpa (R), Jennifer Hawks (R), and Glenn Turner (G). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Eleni Kounalakis’s campaign has raised $542,000 as of April 2026, and is not funded by fossil fuel interests. Her problematic donors include Google, California Statewide Law Enforcement Association PAC, and California Apartment Association PAC.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tony Vazquez’s campaign has raised $183,000 as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Anna Caballero’s campaign has raised $2 million as of April 2026 and is funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, and fossil fuel interests. Her problematic donors include Edison International, Comcast, California Apartment Association PAC, and Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs PAC.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
Treasurers serve as a state’s chief banker, overseeing revenue and finances for schools, roads, housing, levees, public-health facilities, and infrastructure projects. They can be responsible for pension administration, public employee payroll, and fraud oversight. Treasurers manage the state’s investments and the sale of state bonds, and serve as the trustee of the state’s debt portfolio. In California, the state treasurer manages the banking for the world’s fifth-largest economy and typically oversees around $2.5 trillion in banking transactions during each fiscal year.The California state treasurer is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. The state treasurer is elected to serve four-year terms, and is limited to two terms in office.
We recommend that you choose the Democratic candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Eleni Kounalakis currently serves as California’s lieutenant governor, and was elected to that seat in 2018 with over 56% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 18 points. During her time in state leadership, she has championed bills to improve environmental protections, international affairs, and equity across the state. She has supported efforts to decommission oil drilling, transition the state to renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions, promote California’s economy on the global stage, and establish the first Transgender Advisory Council in the country. She also serves as a member of the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees, and has advocated for more affordable tuition and creating more affordable student housing on campus. Before holding elected office, she served under Gov. Jerry Brown as chair of the California Advisory Council for International Trade and Investment, was a fellow at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and served as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Hungary under former President Barack Obama. Before her public service, Kounalakis was a businessperson who served as president of AKT Development, a housing- and land-development firm founded by her father. The firm is the largest in the Sacramento area, and primarily focuses on residential master-planned communities. She has the endorsement of a few groups, including East Area Progressive Democrats and Teamsters California.
Tony Vazquez currently serves as a member of the state’s Board of Equalization, and was elected to that seat in 2018 with over 69% of the vote. In 2022, he was re-elected after defeating an independent challenger by 40 points. As a member of the Board of Equalization, he worked to provide disaster relief to small businesses during the pandemic, and provided guidance to constituents after the passage of Proposition 19. Vazquez has focused his campaign on affordable housing and the importance of streamlining permits and tax benefits, investment in state educational systems and institutions, and championing equity for the Latino community. Prior to his current position, Vazquez was a community advocate and a longtime elected leader. He joined the Santa Monica City Council in 1990, and supported local efforts to revitalize the Third Street Promenade business district and created more transportation routes connecting the community to downtown Los Angeles. He was a district director for a Los Angeles City Council member, and also served as the Southern California regional director for California Futures Network and as a community planner for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. He later returned to the Santa Monica City Council and served as both mayor pro tempore and mayor, where he was a strong advocate for continued business development and affordable housing. Vazquez has the endorsement of a few groups, including Stonewall Democrats.
Anna Caballero currently serves as a member of the California State Senate, and was elected to that seat in 2018 with over 54% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a challenger by 13 points. This year, she has authored and passed bills to expand the membership of the California Water Plan advisory committee to include tribes and unions, create a commission to accelerate development and growth in fusion energy, and establish an education fund for a master’s-level nurse midwifery education program at CSU. Sen. Caballero scores a lifetime 52 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, she has not supported key bills on consumer protections, environmental protections, affordable health care, or public safety. She has the endorsement of some groups, including YIMBY California, California Latino Legislative Caucus, and the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
The Race
Primary election: There are seven candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Eleni Kounalakis (D), Tony Vazquez (D), Anna Caballero (D), David Serpa (R), Jennifer Hawks (R), and Glenn Turner (G). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Eleni Kounalakis’s campaign has raised $542,000 as of April 2026, and is not funded by fossil fuel interests. Her problematic donors include Google, California Statewide Law Enforcement Association PAC, and California Apartment Association PAC.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Tony Vazquez’s campaign has raised $183,000 as of April 2026 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Anna Caballero’s campaign has raised $2 million as of April 2026 and is funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, and fossil fuel interests. Her problematic donors include Edison International, Comcast, California Apartment Association PAC, and Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs PAC.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
Treasurers serve as a state’s chief banker, overseeing revenue and finances for schools, roads, housing, levees, public-health facilities, and infrastructure projects. They can be responsible for pension administration, public employee payroll, and fraud oversight. Treasurers manage the state’s investments and the sale of state bonds, and serve as the trustee of the state’s debt portfolio. In California, the state treasurer manages the banking for the world’s fifth-largest economy and typically oversees around $2.5 trillion in banking transactions during each fiscal year.The California state treasurer is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. The state treasurer is elected to serve four-year terms, and is limited to two terms in office.
Re-elect Controller Malia Cohen to keep California on the right track for progress.
Malia Cohen has been state controller since 2023, when she was elected with 55% of the vote. In her tenure as controller, she has prioritized fairness and equity, supporting gender equity, workforce training and development, affordable housing, affordable and quality health care, climate change, and corporate accountability in her duties. Controller Cohen previously served on the California State Board of Equalization and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. As chair of the San Francisco Employee Retirement System, she led the effort to divest from fossil fuels. Controller Malia Cohen has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, California Nurses Association, SEIU California, California Labor Federation, and several other labor unions. She is also supported by elected leaders, including Senator Adam Schiff, Governor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Controller Malia Cohen (D), Herb Morgan (R), and Meghann Adams (PAF). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Controller Malia Cohen’s campaign has raised $1,214,831.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Herb Morgan’s campaign has raised $373,351 and is partially self-funded. He does not have any contributions from fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Meghann Adams’s campaign has raised $15,697 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state controller acts as the lead fiscal authority for the state of California, which is the fifth-largest economy in the world. The state controller manages an office of 1,400 public servants responsible for the disbursement of financial resources across the state. The state controller’s office oversees audits of funds distributed to state agencies and programs, acts as a steward for unclaimed property that falls to state possession, provides accounting and reporting services for government entities, and manages payroll accounting and data for state employees. The state controller also serves as a policy liaison to a variety of finance organizations, including the state’s two pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, and the California Franchise Tax Board. The state controller is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.Re-elect Controller Malia Cohen to keep California on the right track for progress.
Malia Cohen has been state controller since 2023, when she was elected with 55% of the vote. In her tenure as controller, she has prioritized fairness and equity, supporting gender equity, workforce training and development, affordable housing, affordable and quality health care, climate change, and corporate accountability in her duties. Controller Cohen previously served on the California State Board of Equalization and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. As chair of the San Francisco Employee Retirement System, she led the effort to divest from fossil fuels. Controller Malia Cohen has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, California Nurses Association, SEIU California, California Labor Federation, and several other labor unions. She is also supported by elected leaders, including Senator Adam Schiff, Governor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Controller Malia Cohen (D), Herb Morgan (R), and Meghann Adams (PAF). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Controller Malia Cohen’s campaign has raised $1,214,831.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Herb Morgan’s campaign has raised $373,351 and is partially self-funded. He does not have any contributions from fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Meghann Adams’s campaign has raised $15,697 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state controller acts as the lead fiscal authority for the state of California, which is the fifth-largest economy in the world. The state controller manages an office of 1,400 public servants responsible for the disbursement of financial resources across the state. The state controller’s office oversees audits of funds distributed to state agencies and programs, acts as a steward for unclaimed property that falls to state possession, provides accounting and reporting services for government entities, and manages payroll accounting and data for state employees. The state controller also serves as a policy liaison to a variety of finance organizations, including the state’s two pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, and the California Franchise Tax Board. The state controller is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.Re-elect Controller Malia Cohen to keep California on the right track for progress.
Malia Cohen has been state controller since 2023, when she was elected with 55% of the vote. In her tenure as controller, she has prioritized fairness and equity, supporting gender equity, workforce training and development, affordable housing, affordable and quality health care, climate change, and corporate accountability in her duties. Controller Cohen previously served on the California State Board of Equalization and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. As chair of the San Francisco Employee Retirement System, she led the effort to divest from fossil fuels. Controller Malia Cohen has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, California Nurses Association, SEIU California, California Labor Federation, and several other labor unions. She is also supported by elected leaders, including Senator Adam Schiff, Governor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the June 2 primary: incumbent Controller Malia Cohen (D), Herb Morgan (R), and Meghann Adams (PAF). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Controller Malia Cohen’s campaign has raised $1,214,831.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Herb Morgan’s campaign has raised $373,351 and is partially self-funded. He does not have any contributions from fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Meghann Adams’s campaign has raised $15,697 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state controller acts as the lead fiscal authority for the state of California, which is the fifth-largest economy in the world. The state controller manages an office of 1,400 public servants responsible for the disbursement of financial resources across the state. The state controller’s office oversees audits of funds distributed to state agencies and programs, acts as a steward for unclaimed property that falls to state possession, provides accounting and reporting services for government entities, and manages payroll accounting and data for state employees. The state controller also serves as a policy liaison to a variety of finance organizations, including the state’s two pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, and the California Franchise Tax Board. The state controller is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats.We recommend that you choose the Democratic candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Ben Allen has been a state Senator since 2014, and won his 2022 re-election with 67% of the vote. This session, Sen. Allen’s priorities for SD-24 include 38 bills about wildfire recovery, environmental protection, green energy, affordable housing, public safety, and campaign-finance reform. Of these, sixteen were successfully chaptered into law, four died, and the others remain in committee. He sponsored and passed legislation to expedite insurance payments and provide tax relief for wildfire survivors, supports electric vehicle chargers for HOA residents, and — if California voters approve the ballot measure on the November 2026 election — will allow public financing of election campaigns to fight against money in politics. He scores a lifetime 91 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sen. Allen supported most progressive bills that made it to a vote, and earned the designation of Honorable Mention this year. Sen. Allen’s priorities for this position are stabilizing the insurance market, ensuring that Californians receive fair treatment from insurers after disasters, making the Department of Insurance more transparent and accountable, and getting people off the state-run FAIR Plan insurer of last resort. He is endorsed by many groups, including California Environmental Voters, California Federation of Teachers, California Professional Firefighters, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, California Democratic Renters Council, East Area Progressive Democrats, United Auto Workers, and several other labor unions and democratic clubs. Sen. Allen is also supported by many community and elected leaders, such as U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Judy Chu, Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, Legislative Progressive Caucus Chair Asm. Alex Lee, Los Angeles City Council Member Hugo Soto-Martinez, and several city councilmembers, mayors, school board trustees, and Democratic party chairs.
Jane Kim served as the California Director for the Working Families Party from 2022-2026, helping to elect more progressive candidates at every level of office in the state and supporting co-governance between elected leaders and communities. She was previously California Political Director for Bernie 2020, San Francisco Supervisor from 2011–2019, and member of the San Francisco Unified Board of Education from 2007–2011. As supervisor, Kim championed policies to make San Francisco the only city in the nation to provide tuition-free community college for all residents, raise the minimum wage, establish a medical respite shelter, invest in childcare through a commercial real estate tax, and tenant protections to prevent unjust evictions. Her priorities for this position are lowering insurance costs; ending price discrimination; guaranteeing coverage, including Medicare for Kids; ensuring fast and fair insurance claims; and holding bad actors accountable. Kim is endorsed by several groups, including California Working Families Party, Our Revolution, California Young Democrats, SEIU California, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, United Domestic Workers, and other labor unions. She is also supported by many community and elected leaders, such as Dolores Huerta, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, State Controller Malia Cohen, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lena Gonzalez, Asm. Sade Elhawary, San Diego Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, and several county supervisors, city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees.
The Race
Primary election: There are 11 candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Ben Allen (D), Jane Kim (D), Patrick Wolff (D), Steven Bradford (D), as well as one Peace and Freedom and four Republican candidates. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Allen’s campaign has raised $644,831 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement contributions. His problematic donors include Fanduel, Comcast, and Disney.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Kim’s campaign has raised $521,298 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate contributions.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Wolff’s campaign has raised $969,508 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate contributions. His campaign is partially self-funded, and is supported by some tech and finance executives, including donors behind GrowSF.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Bradford’s campaign has raised $143,297 and is funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, and corporate contributions. His problematic donors include California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Chevron, and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. He served in the state legislature from 2009–2024, and scored a lifetime 83 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state insurance commissioner acts as head of the Department of Insurance, a consumer-protection agency that regulates the state’s insurance marketplace. The commissioner directs the Department of Insurance to ensure that Californians receive fair and indiscriminate insurance rates, timely claim payments, regulated brokerage, and effective complaint and fraud investigations. The insurance commissioner leads a department of 1,400 employees and provides oversight to over 450,000 insurance industry professionals. The Department of Insurance routinely recovers over $84 million for consumers annually.We recommend that you choose the Democratic candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Ben Allen has been a state Senator since 2014, and won his 2022 re-election with 67% of the vote. This session, Sen. Allen’s priorities for SD-24 include 38 bills about wildfire recovery, environmental protection, green energy, affordable housing, public safety, and campaign-finance reform. Of these, sixteen were successfully chaptered into law, four died, and the others remain in committee. He sponsored and passed legislation to expedite insurance payments and provide tax relief for wildfire survivors, supports electric vehicle chargers for HOA residents, and — if California voters approve the ballot measure on the November 2026 election — will allow public financing of election campaigns to fight against money in politics. He scores a lifetime 91 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sen. Allen supported most progressive bills that made it to a vote, and earned the designation of Honorable Mention this year. Sen. Allen’s priorities for this position are stabilizing the insurance market, ensuring that Californians receive fair treatment from insurers after disasters, making the Department of Insurance more transparent and accountable, and getting people off the state-run FAIR Plan insurer of last resort. He is endorsed by many groups, including California Environmental Voters, California Federation of Teachers, California Professional Firefighters, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, California Democratic Renters Council, East Area Progressive Democrats, United Auto Workers, and several other labor unions and democratic clubs. Sen. Allen is also supported by many community and elected leaders, such as U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Judy Chu, Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, Legislative Progressive Caucus Chair Asm. Alex Lee, Los Angeles City Council Member Hugo Soto-Martinez, and several city councilmembers, mayors, school board trustees, and Democratic party chairs.
Jane Kim served as the California Director for the Working Families Party from 2022-2026, helping to elect more progressive candidates at every level of office in the state and supporting co-governance between elected leaders and communities. She was previously California Political Director for Bernie 2020, San Francisco Supervisor from 2011–2019, and member of the San Francisco Unified Board of Education from 2007–2011. As supervisor, Kim championed policies to make San Francisco the only city in the nation to provide tuition-free community college for all residents, raise the minimum wage, establish a medical respite shelter, invest in childcare through a commercial real estate tax, and tenant protections to prevent unjust evictions. Her priorities for this position are lowering insurance costs; ending price discrimination; guaranteeing coverage, including Medicare for Kids; ensuring fast and fair insurance claims; and holding bad actors accountable. Kim is endorsed by several groups, including California Working Families Party, Our Revolution, California Young Democrats, SEIU California, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, United Domestic Workers, and other labor unions. She is also supported by many community and elected leaders, such as Dolores Huerta, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, State Controller Malia Cohen, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lena Gonzalez, Asm. Sade Elhawary, San Diego Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, and several county supervisors, city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees.
The Race
Primary election: There are 11 candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Ben Allen (D), Jane Kim (D), Patrick Wolff (D), Steven Bradford (D), as well as one Peace and Freedom and four Republican candidates. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Allen’s campaign has raised $644,831 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement contributions. His problematic donors include Fanduel, Comcast, and Disney.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Kim’s campaign has raised $521,298 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate contributions.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Wolff’s campaign has raised $969,508 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate contributions. His campaign is partially self-funded, and is supported by some tech and finance executives, including donors behind GrowSF.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Bradford’s campaign has raised $143,297 and is funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, and corporate contributions. His problematic donors include California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Chevron, and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. He served in the state legislature from 2009–2024, and scored a lifetime 83 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state insurance commissioner acts as head of the Department of Insurance, a consumer-protection agency that regulates the state’s insurance marketplace. The commissioner directs the Department of Insurance to ensure that Californians receive fair and indiscriminate insurance rates, timely claim payments, regulated brokerage, and effective complaint and fraud investigations. The insurance commissioner leads a department of 1,400 employees and provides oversight to over 450,000 insurance industry professionals. The Department of Insurance routinely recovers over $84 million for consumers annually.Elect Nichelle Henderson or Richard Barrera for State Superintendent to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nichelle Henderson has been a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College Board since 2020, and won her 2024 re-election with 69% of the vote in a three-candidate race. She is also a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor at a teacher-preparation program in the California State University system and a union leader in the California Faculty Association. Henderson was a parent volunteer, a teaching assistant in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a public school teacher in Compton Unified School District, chair of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and a delegate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Her priorities for this position are fully funded, fully staffed public schools; learning over testing; student mental health; special education and whole-child supports; early-childhood education and school readiness; college, career, and workforce pathways; academic freedom; and charter school accountability. Henderson is endorsed by many groups, including California Women’s List, Black Los Angeles Young Democrats, Next Gen Politics Action, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, California Legislative Black Caucus, Black Women Organizing for Political Action, and California Young Democrats. She is also supported by many elected leaders and educators, including Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Asm. Mia Bonta, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, Los Angeles County Commission for Women President Dr. Regina Smith, and many city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees and members.
Richard Barrera has been a member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education since 2008, and serves as its president. He has led efforts to pass four major school bonds and a first-in-the-nation affordable housing initiative for educators. Barrera’s priorities for this position are building a strong, sustainable teacher pipeline; expanding early-childhood education; secure, sustainable funding for stronger schools; empowering communities to fund their schools; making housing affordable for educators; building schools where every student belongs; prioritizing mental health in every school; and delivering equity. He is endorsed by several groups, including California Teachers Association, United Administrators Southern California, Latino Democrats of San Francisco, San Diego Democrats for Equality, East Area Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and United Domestic Workers. Barrera is also supported by many elected leaders, such as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Rep. Juan Vargas, San Diego County Treasurer Larry Cohen, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and several city councilmembers, and school board members and trustees. He has the problematic endorsement of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Nichelle Henderson, Richard Barrera, Al Muratsuchi, Anthony Rendon, and Josh Newman. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3. This is a nonpartisan race.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Henderson’s campaign has raised $80,138 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Barrera’s campaign has raised $225,938 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $382,162 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors. His problematic donors are the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Muratsuchi has served in the State Assembly since 2012, chairs the Assembly Education Committee, and previously chaired the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education. He was the lead author of a statewide school bond measure passed in 2024. Muratsuchi scores a lifetime 67 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. As a legislator, he has received significant contributions from law enforcement, and has not supported many public safety bills. Muratsuchi was the President of the Torrance School Board, and taught at El Camino Community College and UCLA.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rendon’s campaign has raised $536,935 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors. Rendon served in the State Assembly from 2012–2024, and led as speaker from 2016–2023. In the legislature, he led on increasing K–12 investments and establishing Universal Pre-K. Rendon scored a lifetime 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. He led preschool and early childhood education programs across the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state superintendent of public instruction serves as the head of the California Department of Education (CDE) and oversees its 1,500 employees. The superintendent works to implement the policies of the California Board of Education, which serves as the governing body of public education within the state and the education-related laws enacted by the state legislature. The superintendent can work to bring attention to significant issues affecting the education landscape, and can use their influence to urge legislative or policy action within the state. The superintendent is also responsible for administrative leadership of education operations, including teacher licensure and facilities maintenance. Superintendents hold a constitutionally elected position and are limited to two terms or eight years in office.Elect Nichelle Henderson or Richard Barrera for State Superintendent to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nichelle Henderson has been a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College Board since 2020, and won her 2024 re-election with 69% of the vote in a three-candidate race. She is also a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor at a teacher-preparation program in the California State University system and a union leader in the California Faculty Association. Henderson was a parent volunteer, a teaching assistant in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a public school teacher in Compton Unified School District, chair of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and a delegate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Her priorities for this position are fully funded, fully staffed public schools; learning over testing; student mental health; special education and whole-child supports; early-childhood education and school readiness; college, career, and workforce pathways; academic freedom; and charter school accountability. Henderson is endorsed by many groups, including California Women’s List, Black Los Angeles Young Democrats, Next Gen Politics Action, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, California Legislative Black Caucus, Black Women Organizing for Political Action, and California Young Democrats. She is also supported by many elected leaders and educators, including Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Asm. Mia Bonta, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, Los Angeles County Commission for Women President Dr. Regina Smith, and many city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees and members.
Richard Barrera has been a member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education since 2008, and serves as its president. He has led efforts to pass four major school bonds and a first-in-the-nation affordable housing initiative for educators. Barrera’s priorities for this position are building a strong, sustainable teacher pipeline; expanding early-childhood education; secure, sustainable funding for stronger schools; empowering communities to fund their schools; making housing affordable for educators; building schools where every student belongs; prioritizing mental health in every school; and delivering equity. He is endorsed by several groups, including California Teachers Association, United Administrators Southern California, Latino Democrats of San Francisco, San Diego Democrats for Equality, East Area Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and United Domestic Workers. Barrera is also supported by many elected leaders, such as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Rep. Juan Vargas, San Diego County Treasurer Larry Cohen, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and several city councilmembers, and school board members and trustees. He has the problematic endorsement of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Nichelle Henderson, Richard Barrera, Al Muratsuchi, Anthony Rendon, and Josh Newman. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3. This is a nonpartisan race.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Henderson’s campaign has raised $80,138 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Barrera’s campaign has raised $225,938 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $382,162 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors. His problematic donors are the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Muratsuchi has served in the State Assembly since 2012, chairs the Assembly Education Committee, and previously chaired the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education. He was the lead author of a statewide school bond measure passed in 2024. Muratsuchi scores a lifetime 67 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. As a legislator, he has received significant contributions from law enforcement, and has not supported many public safety bills. Muratsuchi was the President of the Torrance School Board, and taught at El Camino Community College and UCLA.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rendon’s campaign has raised $536,935 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors. Rendon served in the State Assembly from 2012–2024, and led as speaker from 2016–2023. In the legislature, he led on increasing K–12 investments and establishing Universal Pre-K. Rendon scored a lifetime 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. He led preschool and early childhood education programs across the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state superintendent of public instruction serves as the head of the California Department of Education (CDE) and oversees its 1,500 employees. The superintendent works to implement the policies of the California Board of Education, which serves as the governing body of public education within the state and the education-related laws enacted by the state legislature. The superintendent can work to bring attention to significant issues affecting the education landscape, and can use their influence to urge legislative or policy action within the state. The superintendent is also responsible for administrative leadership of education operations, including teacher licensure and facilities maintenance. Superintendents hold a constitutionally elected position and are limited to two terms or eight years in office.Elect Nichelle Henderson or Richard Barrera for State Superintendent to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nichelle Henderson has been a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College Board since 2020, and won her 2024 re-election with 69% of the vote in a three-candidate race. She is also a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor at a teacher-preparation program in the California State University system and a union leader in the California Faculty Association. Henderson was a parent volunteer, a teaching assistant in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a public school teacher in Compton Unified School District, chair of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and a delegate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Her priorities for this position are fully funded, fully staffed public schools; learning over testing; student mental health; special education and whole-child supports; early-childhood education and school readiness; college, career, and workforce pathways; academic freedom; and charter school accountability. Henderson is endorsed by many groups, including California Women’s List, Black Los Angeles Young Democrats, Next Gen Politics Action, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, California Legislative Black Caucus, Black Women Organizing for Political Action, and California Young Democrats. She is also supported by many elected leaders and educators, including Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Asm. Mia Bonta, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, Los Angeles County Commission for Women President Dr. Regina Smith, and many city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees and members.
Richard Barrera has been a member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education since 2008, and serves as its president. He has led efforts to pass four major school bonds and a first-in-the-nation affordable housing initiative for educators. Barrera’s priorities for this position are building a strong, sustainable teacher pipeline; expanding early-childhood education; secure, sustainable funding for stronger schools; empowering communities to fund their schools; making housing affordable for educators; building schools where every student belongs; prioritizing mental health in every school; and delivering equity. He is endorsed by several groups, including California Teachers Association, United Administrators Southern California, Latino Democrats of San Francisco, San Diego Democrats for Equality, East Area Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and United Domestic Workers. Barrera is also supported by many elected leaders, such as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Rep. Juan Vargas, San Diego County Treasurer Larry Cohen, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and several city councilmembers, and school board members and trustees. He has the problematic endorsement of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Nichelle Henderson, Richard Barrera, Al Muratsuchi, Anthony Rendon, and Josh Newman. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3. This is a nonpartisan race.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Henderson’s campaign has raised $80,138 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Barrera’s campaign has raised $225,938 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $382,162 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors. His problematic donors are the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Muratsuchi has served in the State Assembly since 2012, chairs the Assembly Education Committee, and previously chaired the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education. He was the lead author of a statewide school bond measure passed in 2024. Muratsuchi scores a lifetime 67 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. As a legislator, he has received significant contributions from law enforcement, and has not supported many public safety bills. Muratsuchi was the President of the Torrance School Board, and taught at El Camino Community College and UCLA.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rendon’s campaign has raised $536,935 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors. Rendon served in the State Assembly from 2012–2024, and led as speaker from 2016–2023. In the legislature, he led on increasing K–12 investments and establishing Universal Pre-K. Rendon scored a lifetime 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. He led preschool and early childhood education programs across the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state superintendent of public instruction serves as the head of the California Department of Education (CDE) and oversees its 1,500 employees. The superintendent works to implement the policies of the California Board of Education, which serves as the governing body of public education within the state and the education-related laws enacted by the state legislature. The superintendent can work to bring attention to significant issues affecting the education landscape, and can use their influence to urge legislative or policy action within the state. The superintendent is also responsible for administrative leadership of education operations, including teacher licensure and facilities maintenance. Superintendents hold a constitutionally elected position and are limited to two terms or eight years in office.Elect Nichelle Henderson or Richard Barrera for State Superintendent to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nichelle Henderson has been a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College Board since 2020, and won her 2024 re-election with 69% of the vote in a three-candidate race. She is also a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor at a teacher-preparation program in the California State University system and a union leader in the California Faculty Association. Henderson was a parent volunteer, a teaching assistant in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a public school teacher in Compton Unified School District, chair of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and a delegate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Her priorities for this position are fully funded, fully staffed public schools; learning over testing; student mental health; special education and whole-child supports; early-childhood education and school readiness; college, career, and workforce pathways; academic freedom; and charter school accountability. Henderson is endorsed by many groups, including California Women’s List, Black Los Angeles Young Democrats, Next Gen Politics Action, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, California Legislative Black Caucus, Black Women Organizing for Political Action, and California Young Democrats. She is also supported by many elected leaders and educators, including Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Asm. Mia Bonta, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, Los Angeles County Commission for Women President Dr. Regina Smith, and many city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees and members.
Richard Barrera has been a member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education since 2008, and serves as its president. He has led efforts to pass four major school bonds and a first-in-the-nation affordable housing initiative for educators. Barrera’s priorities for this position are building a strong, sustainable teacher pipeline; expanding early-childhood education; secure, sustainable funding for stronger schools; empowering communities to fund their schools; making housing affordable for educators; building schools where every student belongs; prioritizing mental health in every school; and delivering equity. He is endorsed by several groups, including California Teachers Association, United Administrators Southern California, Latino Democrats of San Francisco, San Diego Democrats for Equality, East Area Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and United Domestic Workers. Barrera is also supported by many elected leaders, such as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Rep. Juan Vargas, San Diego County Treasurer Larry Cohen, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and several city councilmembers, and school board members and trustees. He has the problematic endorsement of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Nichelle Henderson, Richard Barrera, Al Muratsuchi, Anthony Rendon, and Josh Newman. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3. This is a nonpartisan race.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Henderson’s campaign has raised $80,138 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Barrera’s campaign has raised $225,938 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $382,162 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors. His problematic donors are the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Muratsuchi has served in the State Assembly since 2012, chairs the Assembly Education Committee, and previously chaired the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education. He was the lead author of a statewide school bond measure passed in 2024. Muratsuchi scores a lifetime 67 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. As a legislator, he has received significant contributions from law enforcement, and has not supported many public safety bills. Muratsuchi was the President of the Torrance School Board, and taught at El Camino Community College and UCLA.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rendon’s campaign has raised $536,935 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors. Rendon served in the State Assembly from 2012–2024, and led as speaker from 2016–2023. In the legislature, he led on increasing K–12 investments and establishing Universal Pre-K. Rendon scored a lifetime 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. He led preschool and early childhood education programs across the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state superintendent of public instruction serves as the head of the California Department of Education (CDE) and oversees its 1,500 employees. The superintendent works to implement the policies of the California Board of Education, which serves as the governing body of public education within the state and the education-related laws enacted by the state legislature. The superintendent can work to bring attention to significant issues affecting the education landscape, and can use their influence to urge legislative or policy action within the state. The superintendent is also responsible for administrative leadership of education operations, including teacher licensure and facilities maintenance. Superintendents hold a constitutionally elected position and are limited to two terms or eight years in office.Elect Nichelle Henderson or Richard Barrera for State Superintendent to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nichelle Henderson has been a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College Board since 2020, and won her 2024 re-election with 69% of the vote in a three-candidate race. She is also a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor at a teacher-preparation program in the California State University system and a union leader in the California Faculty Association. Henderson was a parent volunteer, a teaching assistant in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a public school teacher in Compton Unified School District, chair of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and a delegate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Her priorities for this position are fully funded, fully staffed public schools; learning over testing; student mental health; special education and whole-child supports; early-childhood education and school readiness; college, career, and workforce pathways; academic freedom; and charter school accountability. Henderson is endorsed by many groups, including California Women’s List, Black Los Angeles Young Democrats, Next Gen Politics Action, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, California Legislative Black Caucus, Black Women Organizing for Political Action, and California Young Democrats. She is also supported by many elected leaders and educators, including Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Asm. Mia Bonta, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, Los Angeles County Commission for Women President Dr. Regina Smith, and many city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees and members.
Richard Barrera has been a member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education since 2008, and serves as its president. He has led efforts to pass four major school bonds and a first-in-the-nation affordable housing initiative for educators. Barrera’s priorities for this position are building a strong, sustainable teacher pipeline; expanding early-childhood education; secure, sustainable funding for stronger schools; empowering communities to fund their schools; making housing affordable for educators; building schools where every student belongs; prioritizing mental health in every school; and delivering equity. He is endorsed by several groups, including California Teachers Association, United Administrators Southern California, Latino Democrats of San Francisco, San Diego Democrats for Equality, East Area Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and United Domestic Workers. Barrera is also supported by many elected leaders, such as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Rep. Juan Vargas, San Diego County Treasurer Larry Cohen, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and several city councilmembers, and school board members and trustees. He has the problematic endorsement of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Nichelle Henderson, Richard Barrera, Al Muratsuchi, Anthony Rendon, and Josh Newman. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3. This is a nonpartisan race.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Henderson’s campaign has raised $80,138 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Barrera’s campaign has raised $225,938 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $382,162 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors. His problematic donors are the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Muratsuchi has served in the State Assembly since 2012, chairs the Assembly Education Committee, and previously chaired the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education. He was the lead author of a statewide school bond measure passed in 2024. Muratsuchi scores a lifetime 67 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. As a legislator, he has received significant contributions from law enforcement, and has not supported many public safety bills. Muratsuchi was the President of the Torrance School Board, and taught at El Camino Community College and UCLA.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rendon’s campaign has raised $536,935 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors. Rendon served in the State Assembly from 2012–2024, and led as speaker from 2016–2023. In the legislature, he led on increasing K–12 investments and establishing Universal Pre-K. Rendon scored a lifetime 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. He led preschool and early childhood education programs across the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state superintendent of public instruction serves as the head of the California Department of Education (CDE) and oversees its 1,500 employees. The superintendent works to implement the policies of the California Board of Education, which serves as the governing body of public education within the state and the education-related laws enacted by the state legislature. The superintendent can work to bring attention to significant issues affecting the education landscape, and can use their influence to urge legislative or policy action within the state. The superintendent is also responsible for administrative leadership of education operations, including teacher licensure and facilities maintenance. Superintendents hold a constitutionally elected position and are limited to two terms or eight years in office.Elect Nichelle Henderson or Richard Barrera for State Superintendent to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nichelle Henderson has been a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College Board since 2020, and won her 2024 re-election with 69% of the vote in a three-candidate race. She is also a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor at a teacher-preparation program in the California State University system and a union leader in the California Faculty Association. Henderson was a parent volunteer, a teaching assistant in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a public school teacher in Compton Unified School District, chair of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and a delegate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Her priorities for this position are fully funded, fully staffed public schools; learning over testing; student mental health; special education and whole-child supports; early-childhood education and school readiness; college, career, and workforce pathways; academic freedom; and charter school accountability. Henderson is endorsed by many groups, including California Women’s List, Black Los Angeles Young Democrats, Next Gen Politics Action, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, California Legislative Black Caucus, Black Women Organizing for Political Action, and California Young Democrats. She is also supported by many elected leaders and educators, including Rep. Lateefah Simon, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Asm. Mia Bonta, Asm. LaShae Sharp-Collins, Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, Los Angeles County Commission for Women President Dr. Regina Smith, and many city councilmembers, mayors, and school board trustees and members.
Richard Barrera has been a member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education since 2008, and serves as its president. He has led efforts to pass four major school bonds and a first-in-the-nation affordable housing initiative for educators. Barrera’s priorities for this position are building a strong, sustainable teacher pipeline; expanding early-childhood education; secure, sustainable funding for stronger schools; empowering communities to fund their schools; making housing affordable for educators; building schools where every student belongs; prioritizing mental health in every school; and delivering equity. He is endorsed by several groups, including California Teachers Association, United Administrators Southern California, Latino Democrats of San Francisco, San Diego Democrats for Equality, East Area Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and United Domestic Workers. Barrera is also supported by many elected leaders, such as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Rep. Juan Vargas, San Diego County Treasurer Larry Cohen, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and several city councilmembers, and school board members and trustees. He has the problematic endorsement of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Nichelle Henderson, Richard Barrera, Al Muratsuchi, Anthony Rendon, and Josh Newman. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3. This is a nonpartisan race.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Henderson’s campaign has raised $80,138 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Barrera’s campaign has raised $225,938 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $382,162 and is not funded by fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors. His problematic donors are the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Muratsuchi has served in the State Assembly since 2012, chairs the Assembly Education Committee, and previously chaired the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education. He was the lead author of a statewide school bond measure passed in 2024. Muratsuchi scores a lifetime 67 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. As a legislator, he has received significant contributions from law enforcement, and has not supported many public safety bills. Muratsuchi was the President of the Torrance School Board, and taught at El Camino Community College and UCLA.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rendon’s campaign has raised $536,935 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors. Rendon served in the State Assembly from 2012–2024, and led as speaker from 2016–2023. In the legislature, he led on increasing K–12 investments and establishing Universal Pre-K. Rendon scored a lifetime 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. He led preschool and early childhood education programs across the state.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 40 million residents.Voter registration: Of the 23 million registered voters in the state, 45% are Democrat, 25% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the governor’s seat since 2011.
District demographics: 41% Latino, 17% Asian, and 6% Black.
Recent election results: California voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 20 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points.
The Position
The state superintendent of public instruction serves as the head of the California Department of Education (CDE) and oversees its 1,500 employees. The superintendent works to implement the policies of the California Board of Education, which serves as the governing body of public education within the state and the education-related laws enacted by the state legislature. The superintendent can work to bring attention to significant issues affecting the education landscape, and can use their influence to urge legislative or policy action within the state. The superintendent is also responsible for administrative leadership of education operations, including teacher licensure and facilities maintenance. Superintendents hold a constitutionally elected position and are limited to two terms or eight years in office.Elect Nelson Esparza to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nelson Esparza is an educator and has served on the Fresno City Council since 2019, and won his 2022 re-election by 43 points. In this role, he has prioritized increasing public safety, bringing affordable housing to the inner city, supporting working families and ensuring equitable infrastructure investments across Fresno. Esparza is a member of the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation Board; is PAC chair of the State Center Federation of Teachers, Local 1533; and serves the Democratic Party. He previously served as a trustee on the Fresno County Board of Education. Esparza has the endorsement of several groups, including Fresno County Young Democrats, San Bernardino County Young Democrats, California Teachers Association, SEIU California, and California Democratic Party. He is also supported by elected leaders, such as California State Controller Malia Cohen, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Adam Gray, BOE Member Sally Lieber, and Asm. Esmeralda Soria.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the June 2 primary: Nelson Esparza (D), Donald Williamson (D), Dusty Beach (R), Shannon Grove (R), and Nader Shahatit (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Nelson Esparza’s campaign has raised $203,143 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Donald Williamson’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Dusty Beach’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Shannon Grove’s campaign has raised $863,704. Her problematic donors include AT&T, Phillips 66, Amazon, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Nader Shahatit’s campaign has raised $2,100 and is self-funded.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 1 includes 33 inland counties spanning from Modoc and Shasta Counties to the north to San Bernardino County in the south.Voter registration: 37% Democrat, 33% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Republicans typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 1 voted for Donald Trump for president in 2024 by three points and Brian Dahle for governor in 2022 by eight points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Nelson Esparza to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nelson Esparza is an educator and has served on the Fresno City Council since 2019, and won his 2022 re-election by 43 points. In this role, he has prioritized increasing public safety, bringing affordable housing to the inner city, supporting working families and ensuring equitable infrastructure investments across Fresno. Esparza is a member of the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation Board; is PAC chair of the State Center Federation of Teachers, Local 1533; and serves the Democratic Party. He previously served as a trustee on the Fresno County Board of Education. Esparza has the endorsement of several groups, including Fresno County Young Democrats, San Bernardino County Young Democrats, California Teachers Association, SEIU California, and California Democratic Party. He is also supported by elected leaders, such as California State Controller Malia Cohen, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Adam Gray, BOE Member Sally Lieber, and Asm. Esmeralda Soria.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the June 2 primary: Nelson Esparza (D), Donald Williamson (D), Dusty Beach (R), Shannon Grove (R), and Nader Shahatit (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Nelson Esparza’s campaign has raised $203,143 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Donald Williamson’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Dusty Beach’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Shannon Grove’s campaign has raised $863,704. Her problematic donors include AT&T, Phillips 66, Amazon, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Nader Shahatit’s campaign has raised $2,100 and is self-funded.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 1 includes 33 inland counties spanning from Modoc and Shasta Counties to the north to San Bernardino County in the south.Voter registration: 37% Democrat, 33% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Republicans typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 1 voted for Donald Trump for president in 2024 by three points and Brian Dahle for governor in 2022 by eight points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Nelson Esparza to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Nelson Esparza is an educator and has served on the Fresno City Council since 2019, and won his 2022 re-election by 43 points. In this role, he has prioritized increasing public safety, bringing affordable housing to the inner city, supporting working families and ensuring equitable infrastructure investments across Fresno. Esparza is a member of the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation Board; is PAC chair of the State Center Federation of Teachers, Local 1533; and serves the Democratic Party. He previously served as a trustee on the Fresno County Board of Education. Esparza has the endorsement of several groups, including Fresno County Young Democrats, San Bernardino County Young Democrats, California Teachers Association, SEIU California, and California Democratic Party. He is also supported by elected leaders, such as California State Controller Malia Cohen, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Adam Gray, BOE Member Sally Lieber, and Asm. Esmeralda Soria.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the June 2 primary: Nelson Esparza (D), Donald Williamson (D), Dusty Beach (R), Shannon Grove (R), and Nader Shahatit (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Nelson Esparza’s campaign has raised $203,143 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Donald Williamson’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Dusty Beach’s campaign has not filed any campaign-finance information as of April 2026.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Shannon Grove’s campaign has raised $863,704. Her problematic donors include AT&T, Phillips 66, Amazon, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Nader Shahatit’s campaign has raised $2,100 and is self-funded.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 1 includes 33 inland counties spanning from Modoc and Shasta Counties to the north to San Bernardino County in the south.Voter registration: 37% Democrat, 33% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Republicans typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 1 voted for Donald Trump for president in 2024 by three points and Brian Dahle for governor in 2022 by eight points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Re-elect Sally Lieber to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Sally Lieber has served on the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) since 2023, when she was elected with 70% of the vote. As a member of the board, she has prioritized transparency and accountability, affordable housing, environmental protection, and veterans’ and homeowners’ services. In 2024, Lieber ran an unsuccessful campaign for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors but was able to retain her BOE seat. She previously served in the California State Assembly, where she championed educational and economic opportunities, environmental protections, and protecting victims and survivors of crime. Lieber has the endorsement of several groups, including Sierra Club, Equality California, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, California Working Families Party, California Teachers Association, and other labor unions and Democratic Clubs. She also has the support of many elected leaders, such as State Controller Malia Cohen, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Rep. Ro Khanna, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, and Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong.
The Race
Primary election: There are six candidates running in the June 2 primary, including incumbent Sally Lieber (D), John Pimentel (D), and four Republicans. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sally Lieber’s campaign has raised $338,427 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: John Pimentel’s campaign has raised $266,000 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 2 includes 19 coastal counties spanning from Del Norte County in the north to Ventura County in the south.Voter registration: 52% Democrat, 18% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 2 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 41 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 41 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Re-elect Sally Lieber to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Sally Lieber has served on the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) since 2023, when she was elected with 70% of the vote. As a member of the board, she has prioritized transparency and accountability, affordable housing, environmental protection, and veterans’ and homeowners’ services. In 2024, Lieber ran an unsuccessful campaign for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors but was able to retain her BOE seat. She previously served in the California State Assembly, where she championed educational and economic opportunities, environmental protections, and protecting victims and survivors of crime. Lieber has the endorsement of several groups, including Sierra Club, Equality California, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, California Working Families Party, California Teachers Association, and other labor unions and Democratic Clubs. She also has the support of many elected leaders, such as State Controller Malia Cohen, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Rep. Ro Khanna, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, and Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong.
The Race
Primary election: There are six candidates running in the June 2 primary, including incumbent Sally Lieber (D), John Pimentel (D), and four Republicans. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sally Lieber’s campaign has raised $338,427 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: John Pimentel’s campaign has raised $266,000 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 2 includes 19 coastal counties spanning from Del Norte County in the north to Ventura County in the south.Voter registration: 52% Democrat, 18% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 2 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 41 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 41 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Re-elect Sally Lieber to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Sally Lieber has served on the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) since 2023, when she was elected with 70% of the vote. As a member of the board, she has prioritized transparency and accountability, affordable housing, environmental protection, and veterans’ and homeowners’ services. In 2024, Lieber ran an unsuccessful campaign for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors but was able to retain her BOE seat. She previously served in the California State Assembly, where she championed educational and economic opportunities, environmental protections, and protecting victims and survivors of crime. Lieber has the endorsement of several groups, including Sierra Club, Equality California, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, California Working Families Party, California Teachers Association, and other labor unions and Democratic Clubs. She also has the support of many elected leaders, such as State Controller Malia Cohen, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Rep. Ro Khanna, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, and Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong.
The Race
Primary election: There are six candidates running in the June 2 primary, including incumbent Sally Lieber (D), John Pimentel (D), and four Republicans. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sally Lieber’s campaign has raised $338,427 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: John Pimentel’s campaign has raised $266,000 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 2 includes 19 coastal counties spanning from Del Norte County in the north to Ventura County in the south.Voter registration: 52% Democrat, 18% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 2 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 41 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 41 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Sam Sukaton to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Sam Sukaton is lead organizer for AFT Local 1521, the LA Community College Faculty Guild, organizing students and faculty in the largest community college in the district. He previously led climate budget investment and redistricting campaigns with California Environmental Voters, directed Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2020 campaign in the inland southern region of the state, and worked with the California Public Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, Air Resources Board, and Natural Resources Agency. Sukaton’s top priorities are ensuring tax fairness and uniform assessments; modernizing the system for efficiency and accountability; protecting local schools, cities, and counties; and fairness for working families and small businesses. He has the endorsement of the California Working Families Party.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Sam Sukaton (D), Mike Gipson (D), and Yvonne Yiu (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sam Sukaton’s campaign has raised $29,858 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mike Gipson’s campaign has raised $838,255 and is funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, and corporate contributions. His problematic donors include AT&T, Sempra Energy, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, Los Angeles Police Protective League, and Walmart. Gipson has served in the California State Assembly since 2014. He scores a lifetime 76 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Asm. Gipson was in the Courage Score Hall of Shame three times for not supporting key legislation, and has been a recipient of significant contributions from real estate, oil and gas, and law enforcement.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Yvonee Yiu’s campaign has raised $1,047,316 and is significantly self-funded. She is a former Monterey Park City Councilmember, and has previously run unsuccessfully for California State controller and the state Senate.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 3 includes all of Los Angeles County.Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 3 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 33 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 36 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Sam Sukaton to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Sam Sukaton is lead organizer for AFT Local 1521, the LA Community College Faculty Guild, organizing students and faculty in the largest community college in the district. He previously led climate budget investment and redistricting campaigns with California Environmental Voters, directed Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2020 campaign in the inland southern region of the state, and worked with the California Public Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, Air Resources Board, and Natural Resources Agency. Sukaton’s top priorities are ensuring tax fairness and uniform assessments; modernizing the system for efficiency and accountability; protecting local schools, cities, and counties; and fairness for working families and small businesses. He has the endorsement of the California Working Families Party.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Sam Sukaton (D), Mike Gipson (D), and Yvonne Yiu (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sam Sukaton’s campaign has raised $29,858 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mike Gipson’s campaign has raised $838,255 and is funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, and corporate contributions. His problematic donors include AT&T, Sempra Energy, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, Los Angeles Police Protective League, and Walmart. Gipson has served in the California State Assembly since 2014. He scores a lifetime 76 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Asm. Gipson was in the Courage Score Hall of Shame three times for not supporting key legislation, and has been a recipient of significant contributions from real estate, oil and gas, and law enforcement.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Yvonee Yiu’s campaign has raised $1,047,316 and is significantly self-funded. She is a former Monterey Park City Councilmember, and has previously run unsuccessfully for California State controller and the state Senate.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 3 includes all of Los Angeles County.Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 3 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 33 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 36 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Sam Sukaton to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Sam Sukaton is lead organizer for AFT Local 1521, the LA Community College Faculty Guild, organizing students and faculty in the largest community college in the district. He previously led climate budget investment and redistricting campaigns with California Environmental Voters, directed Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2020 campaign in the inland southern region of the state, and worked with the California Public Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, Air Resources Board, and Natural Resources Agency. Sukaton’s top priorities are ensuring tax fairness and uniform assessments; modernizing the system for efficiency and accountability; protecting local schools, cities, and counties; and fairness for working families and small businesses. He has the endorsement of the California Working Families Party.
The Race
Primary election: There are ten candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Sam Sukaton (D), Mike Gipson (D), and Yvonne Yiu (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sam Sukaton’s campaign has raised $29,858 and is not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mike Gipson’s campaign has raised $838,255 and is funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate, and corporate contributions. His problematic donors include AT&T, Sempra Energy, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, Los Angeles Police Protective League, and Walmart. Gipson has served in the California State Assembly since 2014. He scores a lifetime 76 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Asm. Gipson was in the Courage Score Hall of Shame three times for not supporting key legislation, and has been a recipient of significant contributions from real estate, oil and gas, and law enforcement.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Yvonee Yiu’s campaign has raised $1,047,316 and is significantly self-funded. She is a former Monterey Park City Councilmember, and has previously run unsuccessfully for California State controller and the state Senate.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 3 includes all of Los Angeles County.Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 3 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by 33 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 36 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Cody Petterson to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Cody Petterson is the chief deputy of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) for this district. His top priorities include leading on housing affordability; improving property tax assessment and appeals; increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the BOE; and fairness, transparency, and accountability. Petterson is also president of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education — the second-largest district in the state — which he was elected to in 2022 with over 56% of the vote. Under his leadership, the Board of Education adopted an education workforce housing agenda with student wellness as its number one goal. Petterson chairs the San Diego Regional Housing Finance Authority and has served on several civic organizations. He is endorsed by several groups, including Democratic Woman’s Club of San Diego County, California Federation of Teachers, San Diego County Young Democrats, and other Democratic clubs. Petterson is also supported by many elected officials, such as Rep. Juan Vargas; Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson; outgoing BOE Member Mike Schaefer; San Diego County Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe, Paloma Aguirre, and Terra Lawson-Remer; San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera; and other mayors, city councilmembers, and school leaders.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Cody Petterson (D), Tom Umberg (D), and Martin Arias (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Cody Petterson’s campaign has raised $28,410 and is not funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Tom Umberg’s campaign has raised $317,759 and is funded by law enforcement and corporate donors. His problematic donors include California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. He has served in the California State Senate since 2018, and previously in the State Assembly from 1990–1994 and 2004–2006. Sen. Umberg scores a lifetime 65 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, he has not supported key bills on youth justice, affordable health care, support for homeless outreach workers, or public safety. Umberg was deputy drug czar for President Bill Clinton and an assistant United States attorney in Orange County.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Martin Arias’s campaign has raised $265,106 and is not funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 4 includes Imperial, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.Voter registration: 39% Democrat, 31% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 4 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by seven points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by two points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Cody Petterson to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Cody Petterson is the chief deputy of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) for this district. His top priorities include leading on housing affordability; improving property tax assessment and appeals; increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the BOE; and fairness, transparency, and accountability. Petterson is also president of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education — the second-largest district in the state — which he was elected to in 2022 with over 56% of the vote. Under his leadership, the Board of Education adopted an education workforce housing agenda with student wellness as its number one goal. Petterson chairs the San Diego Regional Housing Finance Authority and has served on several civic organizations. He is endorsed by several groups, including Democratic Woman’s Club of San Diego County, California Federation of Teachers, San Diego County Young Democrats, and other Democratic clubs. Petterson is also supported by many elected officials, such as Rep. Juan Vargas; Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson; outgoing BOE Member Mike Schaefer; San Diego County Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe, Paloma Aguirre, and Terra Lawson-Remer; San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera; and other mayors, city councilmembers, and school leaders.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Cody Petterson (D), Tom Umberg (D), and Martin Arias (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Cody Petterson’s campaign has raised $28,410 and is not funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Tom Umberg’s campaign has raised $317,759 and is funded by law enforcement and corporate donors. His problematic donors include California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. He has served in the California State Senate since 2018, and previously in the State Assembly from 1990–1994 and 2004–2006. Sen. Umberg scores a lifetime 65 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, he has not supported key bills on youth justice, affordable health care, support for homeless outreach workers, or public safety. Umberg was deputy drug czar for President Bill Clinton and an assistant United States attorney in Orange County.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Martin Arias’s campaign has raised $265,106 and is not funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 4 includes Imperial, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.Voter registration: 39% Democrat, 31% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 4 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by seven points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by two points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.
Elect Cody Petterson to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress.
Cody Petterson is the chief deputy of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) for this district. His top priorities include leading on housing affordability; improving property tax assessment and appeals; increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the BOE; and fairness, transparency, and accountability. Petterson is also president of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education — the second-largest district in the state — which he was elected to in 2022 with over 56% of the vote. Under his leadership, the Board of Education adopted an education workforce housing agenda with student wellness as its number one goal. Petterson chairs the San Diego Regional Housing Finance Authority and has served on several civic organizations. He is endorsed by several groups, including Democratic Woman’s Club of San Diego County, California Federation of Teachers, San Diego County Young Democrats, and other Democratic clubs. Petterson is also supported by many elected officials, such as Rep. Juan Vargas; Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson; outgoing BOE Member Mike Schaefer; San Diego County Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe, Paloma Aguirre, and Terra Lawson-Remer; San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera; and other mayors, city councilmembers, and school leaders.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the June 2 primary, including Cody Petterson (D), Tom Umberg (D), and Martin Arias (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 3.Candidate fundraising and pledges: Cody Petterson’s campaign has raised $28,410 and is not funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Tom Umberg’s campaign has raised $317,759 and is funded by law enforcement and corporate donors. His problematic donors include California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. He has served in the California State Senate since 2018, and previously in the State Assembly from 1990–1994 and 2004–2006. Sen. Umberg scores a lifetime 65 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, he has not supported key bills on youth justice, affordable health care, support for homeless outreach workers, or public safety. Umberg was deputy drug czar for President Bill Clinton and an assistant United States attorney in Orange County.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Martin Arias’s campaign has raised $265,106 and is not funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s Board of Equalization District 4 includes Imperial, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.Voter registration: 39% Democrat, 31% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
Recent election results: BOE District 4 voted for Kamala Harris for president in 2024 by seven points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by two points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The Board of Equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and Board of Equalization staff.Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms.