California Millennial Democrat Ian Calderon announces bid for California governor Published 8 months ago on September 23, 2025 By Press Room <p>By Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters </p><p>This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. </p><p>Former state lawmaker Ian Calderon is joining the crowded 2026 race for California governor, he announced Tuesday. </p><div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>The Whittier Democrat is framing his candidacy as one from a “new generation of leadership.” He was 27 when he became the first millennial to be elected to the state Assembly in 2012. </p><p>But he was no newcomer even then — Calderon comes from a line of politicians from southeast Los Angeles County. His father, Charles Calderon, started the dynasty when he was elected to the Assembly in 1982. Two of his uncles also served in the Legislature — and federal prison for corruption. </p><p>Ian Calderon left the Assembly, where he was majority leader, in 2020 to focus on his young family and his stepmother Lisa Calderon now holds his seat. But he’s been biding his time for a return. </p><p>In a campaign video that heavily features his wife and children, he said since leaving office he’s been “living in the real world, watching everyday life get harder for families like mine.” He highlighted the high costs of gas, child care and housing, taking particular aim at investment firms buying up properties. </p><p>“The people running our government? They’re trying to use yesterday’s ideas to solve today’s problems and it isn’t working,” he said. </p><div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>He joins a crowd of Democrats jockeying in a wide-open race for the governorship, including: state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Controller Betty Yee, former state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, former Rep. Katie Porter, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. </p><p>Republicans Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, and commentator Steve Hilton also are running. </p><p>Polling in August showed Porter was the frontrunner after former Vice President Kamala Harris decided not to run. </p><p>This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license. </p><p></p> Copy HTML Source link Advertisement Related Topics:California Electionscalifornia governorFeatured Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ{{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Learn More{{/message}}{{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Learn More{{/message}}Submitting… This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Trending Louisiana2 days ago Officials say Louisiana’s black bear bounty could boost hunting this year Politics3 days ago Virginia Court Strikes Down Redistricted Voting Map in a Huge Blow to Democrats New York2 days ago Rail tickets to New Jersey World Cup matches will be $105, not $150. Maine5 days ago Iconic Maine Diner property going to auction — unless owner can stop it Kentucky1 week ago How much does a Kentucky Derby jockey make? Highest paid, average salary and more to know New York5 days ago His DNA Was Taken After His Arrest at an ICE Protest. Now, He’s Suing.
