The post, currently held by Eleni Kounalakis, is California’s second-highest elected office. Its most visible constitutional duty is to serve as acting governor when the governor is out of state, but it also carries seats on key state boards, including those overseeing public higher education and public lands.

That influence, combined with the office’s political visibility, has drawn a competitive field. The leading Democratic contenders include state Treasurer Fiona Ma, Newsom administration official Josh Fryday and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, advance to the November general election.

Fryday, who leads California’s service and volunteer programs, has raised nearly $4 million, the largest campaign fund in the race. He has the backing of Gov. Gavin Newsom and teachers unions.

Ma, a longtime San Francisco-based elected official, has raised about $2.8 million and has support from major labor organizations. Her campaign, however, has faced renewed attention over sexual harassment allegations made in 2021 by a former employee. Ma has described the claim as “frivolous,” though the state later paid $350,000 to settle the lawsuit.

Tubbs entered the race early, announcing his campaign in 2024. He became nationally known a decade ago as Stockton’s young mayor and for launching a guaranteed income pilot program. After losing reelection to a Republican challenger, he went on to lead Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, an advocacy group. His lieutenant governor campaign marks his first bid for public office since leaving City Hall, and he has drawn support from progressive Democrats and SEIU California.

The leading Republican in the race is Gloria Romero, a former state lawmaker who represented East Los Angeles for 12 years as a Democrat before changing parties in 2024.

Much of the campaign has centered on higher education, one of the few areas where the lieutenant governor has a direct role. The officeholder sits on the University of California Board of Regents, the California State University Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors for the California Community Colleges.

The major Democratic candidates have all argued that the state must address student housing shortages and the rising cost of college, though their proposals differ.

Fryday has emphasized the use of undeveloped public land for student housing, arguing that expanding housing supply could help ease financial pressure on students. He has also made clean energy a major theme of his campaign, drawing on his previous work with a clean energy organization founded by billionaire and former gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer.

Ma has said California State University campuses, which depend heavily on state funding, should look for additional revenue through partnerships with private businesses. She has also presented herself as someone who would use the office to push back against the Trump administration.

Tubbs has focused on affordability and reducing tuition burdens for low-income families. At an April debate in Los Angeles, he said he supports freezing tuition, though he did not lay out how campuses would replace the lost revenue.

Romero has called for more transparency around faculty pay, salaries and housing allowances, and has said students should have greater representation on the UC Board of Regents.

The race underscores the unusual nature of the lieutenant governor’s office: modest in day-to-day power, but politically significant. Both Newsom and former Gov. Gray Davis held the job before becoming governor, making the position a frequent stop for politicians with their eyes on higher office.

Original source: CalMatters

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