Q&A With Gubernatorial Candidate Tony Thurmond: “California Needs a Governor Who Listens and Leads”

March 2, 2026

Tony Thurmond, California's state superintendent of public instruction now in his second term, is running for governor in 2026, emphasizing his lived experience growing up in poverty and relying on public assistance. The former social worker and state assemblymember is campaigning on addressing California's affordability crisis through tax credits for working and middle-class families, along with ambitious housing construction plans. He proposes closing the state's budget gap through fraud enforcement, a potential wealth tax, and an inheritance tax rather than cutting services to working families.

Who is affected

Working-class and middle-class Californians struggling with affordability
Immigrant families and children concerned about deportations
California's Black community regarding reparations
Families unable to afford housing in California
Students and families in California's public school system
People experiencing homelessness
Communities impacted by crime and public safety issues

What action is being taken

Thurmond is currently campaigning for the 2026 governor's race
He is serving his second term as California's state superintendent of public instruction
He is working on a $10 billion plan to build affordable housing

Why it matters

This matters because California faces multiple critical challenges including an affordability crisis driving residents out of state, a significant budget gap, housing shortages, and concerns about immigration enforcement. Thurmond's candidacy offers a perspective grounded in personal experience with poverty and public assistance, which he argues provides unique insight into the struggles facing working Californians. His proposals for tax relief, housing construction, budget solutions through fraud enforcement and new taxes on wealth and inheritances, and balanced approaches to crime and immigration represent a distinct vision for addressing the state's interconnected crises while maintaining California's promise of opportunity.

What's next

Thurmond plans to build two million housing units by 2030 using surplus school district property
He plans to provide tax credits to working and middle-class people
He intends to implement fraud enforcement for insurance and EDD systems
He is considering implementing a wealth tax and inheritance tax

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint