SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s former Controller Betty Yee says she will run for governor in 2026. She announced her candidacy Wednesday and will compete against a strong field of Democrats. They include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, outgoing state Senate leader Toni Atkins and state top education chief Tony Thurmond. Attorney General Rob Bonta is also considering a run. Yee was the state’s budget director before she was elected as a member of the California State Board of Equalization and then as state controller. If elected, Yee would be first woman to become California’s governor. She says she wants to tackle affordability, bring transparency to Sacramento and address the climate crisis.
