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California lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
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| California Lieutenant Governor |
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| General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 6, 2026 |
| Primary: June 2, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| California executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
California is holding an election for lieutenant governor on November 3, 2026.
To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Lieutenant Governor of California
The following candidates are running in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of California on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Steven Bradford (D) | ||
| Josh Fryday (D) | ||
| Janelle Kellman (D) | ||
| Fiona Ma (D) | ||
| Tim Myers (D) | ||
| Mike Schaefer (D) | ||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Toni Atkins (D)
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Janelle Kellman, Esq., is a passionate, action-oriented leader who is looking to make a change in the status quo. She served on the Sausalito City Council from 2020-2024 and as Mayor in 2022. Known for her collaborative approach in handling complex, multi-stakeholder issues, Janelle easily solves challenges spanning climate risk, housing equity, and economic development. Her accomplishments include restructuring the city's finance department post-COVID, securing $2 million for sea level rise and infrastructure planning, and leading initiatives to address homelessness. A global climate leader, Janelle founded the Center for Sea Rise Solutions to address coastal resilience, workforce development, and ocean health. The nonprofit launched an international blue economy job creation program in partnership with the City and Port of Barcelona and the World Ocean Council. As Mayor, Janelle also launched a blue economy task force to revitalize Sausalito's Marinship area, one of the nation's last remaining working waterfronts. She is working with local, state, and federal partners to connect key players in workforce development and ocean health to catalyze job creation and on-shore micro-manufacturing in the maritime industry. Janelle holds an undergraduate degree in History from Yale, a Master's in Environmental Management from Oxford, and a J.D. from Stanford Law. Janelle is a proud member of the Jewish and LGBTQ communities. She currently lives in the Bay Area."
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Janelle Kellman (D)
I will bring an integrated vision where economic growth fuels local resilience, environmental protection reduces financial risk, and innovation drives down costs. By supporting workforce development, small businesses, and clean energy jobs, we can build a climate-smart economy that restores affordability across CA.
The Lieutenant Governor holds significant power to shape our future. From serving as a voting member of the state's university and college system boards to participating on the CA Ocean Protection Council and Coastal Commission, to alternating as Chair of the CA State Lands Commission and representing our economic interests globally — this office has incredible potential to drive meaningful action on housing, safety, economic resilience, and mental health.
I'm running because, like many of us, I'm frustrated by politics-as-usual. I'm a fresh, dynamic leader who's not afraid to have the hard conversations and turn good ideas into action. I'm committed to practical, common-sense solutions that will make a difference.
I've spent the last two decades tackling the defining challenges of the 21st century, including climate change, housing, homelessness, reproductive rights, and equity and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community.
Janelle Kellman (D)
Despite years of Democratic supermajority, the CA Dream is slipping out of reach for too many. We face a crisis of affordability, rising homelessness, growing climate risk, and economic instability—and it's clear that business as usual isn't working. It’s time for common-sense, results-driven solutions:
More housing, backed by mental health and addiction services. Strong public safety policies that restore trust and protect communities. Bold action on climate risk and insurance to keep our homes livable and insurable. Support for small businesses and job training to strengthen local economies.
I’m ready to bring a fresh, practical approach to CA politics—one that delivers results.Janelle Kellman (D)
Janelle Kellman (D)
1. Infuse climate and economic resilience into land use and coastal access policies that affect port infrastructure, agriculture, and business expansion.
2. Promote university-industry partnerships to commercialize innovation, and support measures to make California's public higher education accessible for all.
3. Push for workforce-aligned curriculum and investment in business-facing research centers across California’s public higher education systems.Janelle Kellman (D)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Voting information
- See also: Voting in California
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Past elections
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.
2022
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of California
Incumbent Eleni Kounalakis defeated Angela Underwood Jacobs in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of California on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Eleni Kounalakis (D) | 59.7 | 6,418,119 | |
| Angela Underwood Jacobs (R) | 40.3 | 4,332,602 | ||
| Total votes: 10,750,721 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of California
The following candidates ran in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of California on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Eleni Kounalakis (D) | 52.7 | 3,617,121 | |
| ✔ | Angela Underwood Jacobs (R) | 19.9 | 1,365,468 | |
| David Fennell (R) | 13.4 | 922,493 | ||
| Clint Saunders (R) | 4.5 | 306,216 | ||
| Jeffrey Highbear Morgan (D) | 3.3 | 229,121 | ||
| Mohammad Arif (Peace and Freedom Party) | 2.7 | 183,150 | ||
| William Saacke (D) | 2.5 | 171,800 | ||
| David Hillberg (Independent) | 1.1 | 74,289 | ||
| James Orlando Ogle III (No party preference) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 25 | ||
| Total votes: 6,869,683 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Scott Sebel (R)
- Boris Romanowsky (Independent)
2018
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of California
Eleni Kounalakis defeated Edward Hernandez in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of California on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Eleni Kounalakis (D) | 56.6 | 5,914,068 | |
| Edward Hernandez (D) | 43.4 | 4,543,863 | ||
| Total votes: 10,457,931 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of California
The following candidates ran in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of California on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Eleni Kounalakis (D) | 24.2 | 1,587,940 | |
| ✔ | Edward Hernandez (D) | 20.6 | 1,347,442 | |
| Cole Harris (R) | 17.5 | 1,144,003 | ||
| Jeff Bleich (D) | 9.9 | 648,045 | ||
| David Fennell (R) | 7.9 | 515,956 | ||
| Lydia Ortega (R) | 6.4 | 419,512 | ||
| David Hernandez (R) | 6.2 | 404,982 | ||
| Gayle McLaughlin (Independent) | 4.0 | 263,364 | ||
| Timothy Ferreira (L) | 1.5 | 99,949 | ||
| Cameron Gharabiklou (D) | 1.2 | 78,267 | ||
| Danny Thomas (Independent) | 0.7 | 44,121 | ||
| Total votes: 6,553,581 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Marjan Fariba (Independent)
- Matthew Rizzie (D)
2014
| Lieutenant Governor of California, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Gavin Newsom Incumbent |
57.2% | 4,107,051 | |
| Republican | Ron Nehring | 42.8% | 3,078,039 | |
| Total Votes | 7,185,090 | |||
| Election results via California Secretary of State | ||||
Election analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this state's elections when those are available.
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections in 2026
There are 30 lieutenant gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2026.
See also
| California | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
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