California Senate Leader Toni Atkins (D–San Diego) launched her campaign for Governor on Friday, looking to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026.
Atkins joins a field that already includes Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Controller Betty Yee and could possibly include Attorney General Rob Bonta as well.
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The big picture: Atkins, the President pro tempore of the Senate, got her start in the Legislature in 2010 when she was elected to the Assembly.
- After rising to Speaker of the Assembly in 2014, she was elected to the State Senate in 2016 and was selected as the President pro tempore in 2018.
- She is the first woman to lead the California Senate.
What they’re saying: “It’s time for California to finally elect a woman governor,” Atkins said at her campaign launch on Friday in San Diego. “As the most qualified candidate running for governor, who also happens to be a woman, I agree.”
