California Governor Gavin Newsom has been a polarizing figure in American politics, largely due to him being the head of the most hated state by Republicans, but also for his moderate policies that have drawn him criticism from both the left and the right. It is undeniable that he has ambitions to become the next president of the United States, and after his second term is finished in 2026, he will get that chance in 2028. Governor Newsom has some big shoes to fill–being the governor of the world’s 5th largest economy is no easy task, especially given the chronic struggles California faces with climate change, inequality, and the everlasting “exodus” conservatives bash the state for. That being said, there have already been some eager individuals who have announced their candidacy for the governor’s office, among which is the vice chair of the California Democratic Party–Betty Yee.
California is one of the most diverse states in the union, yet out of 174 years of existence, there has yet to be a minority in the office of the governor. In the 2026 election, there is a chance for this to change. Candidates who have declared their interest include former President pro tempore of the state senate Toni Atkins, lieutenant governor Eleni Kounalakis, former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa, Stephen Cloobeck, Tony Thurmond, Michael Younger, and Betty Yee. Up against notable high-ranking Democrats, Betty Yee has a tough challenge in front of her, but she’s not without her own set of accomplishments that make her a formidable candidate.
A child of Chinese immigrants, Yee grew up in San Francisco learning Mandarin as her first language. After completing a bachelor’s degree in sociology at UC Berkeley, she then completed her MPA at Golden Gate University, before working for the California State Legislature as the chief deputy director for budget under Governor Gray Davis, and later the chief deputy under Carole Migden, a Board of Equalization member. In 2006, Yee was elected to the California Board of Equalization District 1 by herself, winning with 65% of the votes, and was re-elected to the same district in 2010 with 63%. In 2014, she won the election to become the California State controller, where she beat the Republican opposition 54% to 46%–after serving two terms, she has since left the office in 2023. Yee also temporarily served as vice president for California Women Lead, which is an NPO organization for women running for political offices in California. Additionally, she currently sits on the board of trustees for CalPERS and CalSTRS, the state’s public employees’ retirement system and the state’s teachers’ retirement system respectively.
With a political career spanning two decades, Yee has no shortage of impressive achievements, leading the fight on the 2011 “Amazon Tax” that collected sales taxes on online purchases, reformed the tax code to ensure equity on property taxes for same-sex couples, and discovered and redirected $7.3 billion in mismanaged funds on the state and local level. Coupled with her solid previous election results, Yee has a fighting chance of going up against some big name Democrats to become the next governor of California. Whether or not she sets new records and becomes the first minority woman to hold the office will depend on her ability to tackle California’s most pressing problems: climate change, high cost of living, and homelessness.
Regarding climate change, Yee has made it clear that this issue is one of her top priorities as governor of California; being a member of Climate Resolve and an advocate for SB350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act, she is posed to continue the fight against major polluters and protect our environment. However, every Democratic candidate says the same thing regarding climate change, and outside of her memberships and endorsements, Yee does not particularly stand out on this front in comparison to her opponents.
On the high cost of living, Yee claims that her experiences managing her parents’ finances at a young age coupled with her professional experience as deputy budget director and state controller make her fit for the position. Facing a $73 billion deficit, Yee believes her expertise will help California bounce back from this slump. Indeed, this seems to be an advantage she has over her counterparts, as none of the other candidates have the same level of in-depth experience managing the state’s finances as she does.
Finally, concerning homelessness, Yee has been mostly lukewarm on the issue, with no documented instances of advocating for homeless measures in the state, and not a single mention of the word on her official candidate page.
Betty Yee has some daunting opponents in her way of running for the office of the governor. If she wants a bigger shot at winning, she will have to prove to the Californian electorate that she has what it takes to combat California’s biggest issues, but beyond that, she needs to show Californians that she is more than just a lukewarm moderate Democrat compared to Newsom. California is undergoing some of the worst years in its history, with record high costs of living, homelessness, and emigration; in order for Betty Yee to win, she must prove that she is willing to change California drastically to meet the needs of its 39 million residents.
(Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License)
