The Lieutenant Governor of California is the second-highest constitutional officer in state government, established in California’s original 1849 constitution and independently elected since 1862. The lieutenant governor is next in line to the governor in case of an absence or vacancy, but much of the job is ceremonial. They stand in when the governor leaves California, serve as president of the state Senate with the ability to break a tie vote and sit on California’s higher education boards. The office has a budget of nearly $3 million.
The Lieutenant Governor’s responsibilities include:
- Serving as Acting Governor whenever the Governor is absent from California, undergoes surgery, or the office becomes vacant — a more frequent occurrence than most voters realize, as governors regularly travel out of state.
- Serving as President of the California State Senate, with the authority to cast a tie-breaking vote in the event of a 20–20 deadlock — a rare but historically consequential power.
- Sitting on the Boards of Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University system, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges — giving the Lieutenant Governor a seat at the table of institutions serving over 2 million students.
- Serving as a member of the State Lands Commission, which oversees approximately 4 million acres of public lands and manages oil and gas leases on state tidelands — a position with significant environmental and fiscal implications.
- Serving on the Ocean Protection Council and the California Economic Development Commission, and chairing the Commission for Economic Development.
- Using the office as a platform for advocacy on statewide priorities — previous Lieutenant Governors have focused on issues including veterans’ affairs, trade, higher education access, climate, and economic development.
Race Synopsis
The 2026 race is an open-seat contest — incumbent Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited and running for Treasurer instead. Previous lieutenant governors have used the office as a stepping stone to the state’s top job, including Gov. Gavin Newsom who held the position for eight years before his election in 2018. With no incumbent running, the race features a wide-open Democratic field alongside a prominent Republican crossover candidate. Key themes center on higher education access and affordability, the role of the office in fighting federal overreach, and what candidates would do with a largely ceremonial position that nonetheless carries genuine influence over California’s three higher education systems.
- Democrat Josh Fryday, director of California Volunteers (Gov. Newsom’s service office) and former mayor of Novato, is a Navy veteran endorsed by the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, and California School Employees Association — giving him the most powerful institutional education endorsements in the race.
- Democrat Fiona Ma, the current State Treasurer and a former Assemblymember, Board of Equalization member, and San Francisco Supervisor, brings the deepest government résumé in the field, backed by the California Labor Federation, the State Building and Construction Trades Council, and AFSCME.
- Democrat Michael Tubbs, former Mayor of Stockton and founder of a statewide poverty-fighting nonprofit, drew national attention as the youngest and first Black mayor of Stockton at age 26 and piloted one of America’s first universal basic income programs.
- Democrat Janelle Kellman, a Stanford-educated environmental attorney and former Sausalito city councilmember, brings a climate-focused platform and grassroots backing, endorsed by the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
- Republican Gloria Romero, a former 12-year Democratic legislator and first female California Senate Majority Leader who registered as a Republican in 2024, is running on a platform of school choice, parental rights, and discontent with the Democratic Party’s direction — aligned with Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.
The June 2, 2026 primary is a top-two contest; the two highest vote-getters advance to the November 3, 2026 general election regardless of party. The race is wide open, defined by low name recognition for all candidates and a large share of undecided voters. Most analysts expect the top-two finishers to be drawn from the Democratic field, though Romero’s crossover profile and Republican Party endorsement give her a plausible path to November. — CalMatters, LAist
Major Candidates
Josh Fryday (D)
Janelle Kellman (D)
Fiona Ma (D)
Gloria Romero (R)
Michael Tubbs (D)