Gloria Romero seeks California lieutenant governor seat

Gloria Romero, a Republican and former California state senator, is running for lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Democrat Fiona Ma.

Romero switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party on Sept. 4, 2024, citing what she called the Democratic Party's abandonment of working-class families and parental rights, according to her Wikipedia entry. She was the first woman to serve as Senate majority leader in California State Senate history. Romero says the lieutenant governor plays a major role in California's land and coastal policy.

Candidate information

Party: Republican
Born: July 10, 1955, in Barstow, California
Education: Associate of arts, Barstow Community College; bachelor of arts, California State University, Long Beach; master of arts, California State University, Long Beach; doctor of philosophy in psychology, University of California, Riverside

Experience and public service

Board of trustees member, Los Angeles Community College District (1995–1998)
State Assembly representative, District 49 (1998–2001)
Majority whip, California State Assembly (1998–2000)
State senator, District 24 (2001–2010)
Senate majority leader, California State Senate (2005–2008)
Professor, Cal State Los Angeles, according to her campaign website
Founder and executive director, Scholarship Prep Charter School, according to Pepperdine School of Public Policy
Adjunct faculty, Pepperdine School of Public Policy

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Romero's campaign website and her responses on BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own views.

Education: Romero says she will fight to restore merit in college admissions and protect academic standards. She calls California's community colleges "the Ellis Islands of higher education" and says recent reports show widespread abuse of the application system. She says she wants to hold university administrators accountable to ensure nondiscrimination on campus, with particular attention to the safety of Jewish students and students of all faiths. She also says she will push to better integrate K-12 with higher education so students graduate prepared for college, careers and life.

Environment and energy: Romero says she will lead on restructuring commissions she describes as answering to Sacramento special interests. She says she supports fire prevention, smarter land management and faster rebuilding after disasters. She also says she will work with federal partners to cut through red tape and safely uncover untapped energy reserves.

Civil rights: Romero says she will stand up for women's sports and Title IX.

Taxes and budget: Romero says she will push for oversight and accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent helping Californians learn job skills.