Former Stockton mayor to run for lieutenant governor. ‘That was really ground zero’

Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs announced Wednesday he is running to replace Eleni Kounalakis as the next lieutenant governor of California in 2026.

Tubbs, a well-known champion for universal basic income initiatives and a once rising star in the Democratic Party, is currently serving as Newsom’s special adviser for economic mobility . He announced his campaign for the state’s second-highest executive office in a video posted to social media channels Wednesday.

“California is at a crossroads. We have to start solving some of these issues,” he said. “We need a problem-solver with a different mindset, different experience, different background, different outlook who’s willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work.”

Tubbs joined a small list of Democratic leaders jumping into the race, including state Sen. Steven Bradford and state Treasurer Fiona Ma . Janelle Kellman, who most recently served as the mayor of Sausalito in 2022, also is running. More than six other potential candidates have created fundraising committees in advance of the state’s lieutenant governor election.

California’s current lieutenant governor Kounalakis is term-limited. She is seeking to replace Newsom in the state’s 2026 gubernatorial election.

Tubbs anticipated campaigning on a range of issues affecting Californians, including poverty, housing prices and homelessness, and accessibility to education.

“When I look towards the future of California, I’m concerned with issues of affordability. I know a lot of people I grew up with can’t afford to live in California” he said. “I want to be part of a solution to help fix that.”

Ground-breaking mayor

Tubbs was born in Stockton to a 16-year-old mother and afather who has been incarcerated most of his life.

He started his career in politics as an intern at the White House during the Obama administration. Tubbs returned home to run for Stockton City Council after his cousin was killed by gun violence. He was a council member for four years before being elected mayor of Stockton in 2016.

Tubbs was voted into office at 26, making him the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with a population larger than 100,000 and Stockton’s first Black leader. At the time, Stockton had recently declared bankruptcy and had one of the highest murder rates in the nation.

“That was really ground zero for a lot of issues facing the state,” he said. “All the issues facing the state — from homelessness to crime to economic development, education — I had a front row seat to try to solve them.”

During his mayoral tenure from 2017-21, Tubbs championed efforts to reduce gun violence and increase higher education opportunities for youths. He became best-known as one of the first elected officials in the country to create a universal basic income program. He launched a privately funded pilot program where 125 Stockton residents were given $500 monthly stipends from the city for 18 months. In 2020, he founded Mayors for a Guaranteed Income , a collective of more than 150 city leaders advocating for direct cash payments.

Tubbs was voted out of office after one term. During his reelection campaign, he was opposed by police and firefighters’ unions and was attacked by a local media site for unfounded allegations of corruption.

Post-mayoral ambitions

In the three years since, Tubbs founded a nonprofit to tackle poverty and took an unpaid appointment as Newsom’s special advisor for economic mobility in 2021.

In the role, Tubbs helped introduce a statewide guaranteed income program , nearly $2 billion worth of child college savings accounts and a youth workforce development program, which provides paid summer jobs for young people.

“I’ve been able to see at least some of the mechanics of state government,” he said. “As lieutenant governor, I can be even a bigger advocate, supporter and proposer, for like-minded programs and whoever the governor and work with the legislature to get those things done.”

Even though lieutenant governor is the state’s second-highest statewide position, the seat does not hold much power and is largely ceremonial. The elected official serves as the president of the state Senate and steps in to lead California whenever the governor is out of the state.

If elected, Tubbs said he will be a coalition builder and a strong advocate for California’s most economically disadvantaged residents.

“I will continue to fight for a government that works for everyone to end poverty, to extend economic opportunity and to just make sure the government works for everyone,” he said.

California is one of 17 states where the governor and lieutenant governor run separately. Tubbs said he does not plan on endorsing a gubernatorial candidate.

The role is commonly viewed as a pathway to greater positions of power. Newsom served eight years as lieutenant governor before becoming governor and California’s current lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, is now running in the 2026 gubernatorial race. Tubbs said he is not thinking that far ahead.

“I’m 100% focused on campaigning for lieutenant governor and the job’s capacity to elevate important issues,” he said.