California’s schools chief announces 2026 run for governor

California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced Tuesday that he’s running for governor of the Golden State in 2026. 

“California’s had a lot of governors. My story is nothing like theirs. I didn’t come from money, power, or influence,” Thurmond said in a video posted to X over clips of Ronald Reagan and other past gubernatorial figures.

“I’m running for Governor to be a voice for those who need one — because California may be working for millionaires and billionaires but for the rest of California — we need real change,” he said.

The term of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is up in 2027.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) is also running to lead the nation’s most populous state. Kounalakis jumped into the race earlier this year, just months after Newsom won reelection in the midterms — though the 2026 race is still years out.

Newsom had been floated as a possible 2024 presidential contender, but he has repeatedly said he won’t challenge President Biden and has thrown his support behind the Biden-Harris team. Some think he could move to make a presidential run in 2028.

Thurmond’s launch video details his life growing up in poverty, his experience in public schools and his work running California’s public education system.

“Today, California is the fifth-largest economy in the world. Our state is home to some of the wealthiest people on the planet. We are also home to the poorest people in America, and the crises are only growing,” Thurmond said in the video.