By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is running to be the next lieutenant governor of California in the 2026 gubernatorial elections, he announced last week.

Tubbs, 33, serves as a special adviser for economic mobility in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. He plans to replace Eleni Kounalakis as the state’s second-highest executive officer.

A well-known figure in the Democratic Party, Tubbs became the first Black Mayor of Stockton and one of the youngest mayors of a big city when he was elected in 2016. He implemented a universal basic income initiative giving low-income residents a $500 monthly stipend for two years.

Despite his efforts, he lost his reelection bid in 2020 to current Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln.

However, Tubbs says he is determined to strive higher and implement generational change in the Democratic Party. His campaign is focused on a policy platform that prioritizes minority and working-class voters. Tubbs says he is pushing to expand education and social programs, address climate change, protect jobs from artificial intelligence, and promote initiatives that provide affordable housing and housing security for renters and homeowners.

“California is at a crossroads. We have to start solving some of these issues,” said Tubbs. “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 is among a group of Democratic leaders running for the office of lieutenant governor. They include Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and Sausalito Mayor Janelle Kellman.

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