California voters will choose a new lieutenant governor in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The lieutenant governor takes over if the governor leaves office, breaks tie votes in the state Senate, and sits on the boards that govern the University of California, the California State University system and the state’s community colleges, as well as the State Lands Commission. Eleni Kounalakis has served two terms and can’t run again, so the seat is open.
Two candidates are on the ballot, listed here alphabetically by last name.
Fiona Ma (Democratic) has served as California’s state treasurer since 2019 and is a certified public accountant and former member of the state Assembly. She says she would work to grow the economy, encourage investment and create good-paying jobs. She campaigns on making college more affordable and building more housing.
Gloria Romero (Republican) is a former state senator who served as Senate majority leader and is a professor emeritus at Cal State Los Angeles. She says she would use the office’s seats on the university governing boards to restore merit in admissions and push for tighter oversight of community college applications. She campaigns on wildfire prevention, faster rebuilding after disasters and reducing the cost of living.
One thing isn’t settled by party lines: California elects the lieutenant governor separately from the governor, so the two offices can end up held by different parties.
For voters: California’s deadline to register online is October nineteenth, you can still register in person at your county elections office or your polling place through Election Day, and every active registered voter gets a ballot in the mail. Check or update your registration at registertovote.ca.gov, and track your ballot at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Drafted by News Observed Editorial AI, human reviewed and published.