Current:Home > MyFormer mayor known for guaranteed income programs launches bid for California lieutenant governor -Nova Finance Academy
Former mayor known for guaranteed income programs launches bid for California lieutenant governor
View
Date:2025-04-17 10:43:14
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Michael Tubbs is running for lieutenant governor of California, returning to politics four years after voters in his Central Valley hometown ousted him as one of the country’s youngest mayors following his reboot of guaranteed income programs for the poor that made him a star.
The 2026 campaign, announced Wednesday, offers something of a soft landing spot for Tubbs as it will give him experience running a statewide campaign for an office that gets little public attention and is mostly ceremonial. The main job is to fill in whenever the governor is out of state, and the only real power comes with sitting on the University of California and California State University boards of regents.
However Tubbs sees opportunities in the office similar to those he had during his stint as the mayor of Stockton, where he melded the power of his personal story with ambitious plans for the oft-forgotten city, becoming a a rising figure among state Democrats who were searching for inspiration after Republican Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.
“Oftentimes it’s not about the formal role or statutory authority of a position, but it’s really about the leader in that position ... and how they’re able to use that position to get things done and to make it big or to make it meaningful for the people they want to serve,” Tubbs said.
Raised by a single mother with a father in prison, Tubbs graduated from Stanford and interned in the Obama White House before winning election as the first Black mayor of Stockton in 2016 when he was just 26 years old.
His biggest splash was securing funding from Silicon Valley for a guaranteed income program that paid poor people $500 a month with no restrictions on how they could spend the money. The program, a relaunch of an old idea, prompted dozens of similar programs across the country, culminating with the California Legislature setting aside $35 million for guaranteed income programs benefitting pregnant people and former foster children.
But Tubbs’ celebrity status turned off some voters in Stockton, and he lost his reelection bid in 2020 to Republican Kevin Lincoln, a little-known figure at the time.
Since then, Tubbs has followed a familiar script for political rehabilitation. He acted as an unpaid advisor to Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and published a memoir while working with a coalition he founded to help launch guaranteed income programs across the country.
For Tubbs to complete the comeback and win office, he will have to best some formidable candidates with lots of experience in Sacramento, including Democrats Fiona Ma, who is finishing up two terms as state treasurer, and state Sen. Steven Bradford, known for pushing California closer to becoming the first state to offer reparations for slavery.
“I have a track record of doing hard things,” Tubbs said. “When we think of sort of the problems that have been caused by Sacramento or attempted to be solved by Sacramento, I’m just not convinced those same problems can be solved by people who’ve spent decades in Sacramento.”
Lieutenant governor has been a stepping stone to the governor’s office for some, including Newsom, who was lieutenant governor for eight years before getting elected to his current position in 2018. In the 1990s, Democrat Gray Davis also occupied the post before winning the state’s top job, and current Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is a strong contender in a field of candidates to replace Newsom in the 2026 election.
Tubbs said he views the job as important in its own right. But he still has his eyes on the future.
“My hope is to do such a great job ... that in four to eight years, after the job, I have all types of options for things to do,” he said.
veryGood! (23219)
Related
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Boyfriend of missing mother arrested in connection with her 2015 disappearance
- Sean Payton's brash words come back to haunt Broncos coach in disastrous 0-3 start
- Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean Celebrates 2 Years of Sobriety After “One Hell of a Journey”
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- A Florida man and dog were attacked by a rabid otter. Here's what to know about the symptoms and treatment.
- Kia, Hyundai recall over 3.3 million vehicles for potential fire-related issues
- When will Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Hudson, more daytime stars return after writers' strike?
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Suspect sought in fatal hit-and-run that may have been intentional: Authorities
Ranking
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- 'Whip-smart': This 22-year-old helps lead one of the largest school districts in Arizona
- NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, two cosmonauts return to Earth after U.S.-record year in space
- Previously unknown language found hidden in cultic ritual text of ancient tablets
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- FAFSA's the main source of student aid but don't miss the CSS profile for a chance for more
- Milwaukee to acquire Damian Lillard from Portland in blockbuster three-team trade
- Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean Celebrates 2 Years of Sobriety After “One Hell of a Journey”
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Heinz announces new product after Taylor Swift condiment choice goes viral at Chiefs game
3 people die in a crash involving 4 vehicles in New Hampshire
White Sox executive named Perfect Game's new commissioner: 'I want to make a difference'
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Late-night talk show hosts announce return to air following deal to end Hollywood writers' strike
Long a city that embraced cars, Paris is seeing a new kind of road rage: Bike-lane traffic jams
A Florida man and dog were attacked by a rabid otter. Here's what to know about the symptoms and treatment.