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Eleni Kounalakis Democratic

Running for Treasurer

Official statement

Self-written ballot statement from the CA Secretary of State voter guide.

Specific claimI also have the support and endorsement of over 450,000 California teachers.
Specific claimI've created clean-energy jobs, managed public lands, and voted to approve more than 60,000 new beds on college campuses to help lower costs for students and families.
Unusual phrasingAs a businesswoman, I spent decades building housing communities, using infrastructure financing, and delivering results.
Unusual phrasingI'm on the front lines against Donald Trump's attacks on immigrant communities and women's reproductive freedom—all while protecting our environment and California's core values.
Read the full statement

I'm a businesswoman, financial expert and daughter of Greek immigrants. I believe in the California dream and as Lieutenant Governor have worked hard supporting small business, education and opportunities for hard working families. I'm running for State Treasurer to be a disciplined, responsible manager of California's finances, focused on protecting working families, strengthening our economy, and making smart investments that reflect our values. I'm running for State Treasurer to: Build affordable housing using public finance. Fight Trump's attacks on our health care and immigrants. Protect the pensions of hard-working Californians. Invest in the financial future of children and families . I have the support of Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. I also have the support and endorsement of over 450,000 California teachers. California's firefighters, first responders and health care workers also support my candidacy and I hope to have yours as well. As a businesswoman, I spent decades building housing communities, using infrastructure financing, and delivering results. As California's 50th Lieutenant Governor and a former Obama diplomat, I've brought real-world financial expertise to some of the state's toughest challenges. I've created clean-energy jobs, managed public lands, and voted to approve more than 60,000 new beds on college campuses to help lower costs for students and families. I'm a fierce fighter for democracy. I'm on the front lines against Donald Trump's attacks on immigrant communities and women's reproductive freedom—all while protecting our environment and California's core values. EleniForCA.com

Career fundraising

Lifetime political fundraising across all campaigns where Ballotpedia / OpenSecrets has data. Current 2026 cycle numbers are not yet published for state-office candidates.

$4.8M
Lifetime contributions raised
$991K
Lifetime expenditures

Election history

Appears in 2 prior elections.

2022
Won
vs Angela Underwood Jacobs
2018
Won
vs Edward Hernandez · 100.00%

Where they stand

Issues their published 2026 campaign themes engage with. Click an issue to compare positions across candidates.

Mentions Housing & homelessness
…sts over $60K per year. I will fight to make higher education affordable and to build more affordable student housing. Environment: As Lt. Governor, I will serve on the State Lands Commission. I will use my skills as a d…
Mentions Climate & environment
…California's economy for the 21st Century. We need to create more good-paying jobs while also protecting our environment. Higher Education: The cost of higher education is out of control. I have pledged to oppose all tu…
Mentions Education
…y for the 21st Century. We need to create more good-paying jobs while also protecting our environment. Higher Education: The cost of higher education is out of control. I have pledged to oppose all tuition increases for…
Mentions Trump & federal-state conflict
…ornia is a global leader in the effort to fight climate change. I'll fight to protect our coasts and stop the Trump administration from expanding offshore oil drilling. What areas of public policy are you personally pass…
Full notes (markdown source)

Eleni Kounalakis

Office sought: Treasurer
Party: Democratic
Ballot designation: Lieutenant Governor of California

Background

Biography. Kounalakis earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth in 1989 and an M.B.A from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992. Her career experience includes working as real estate developer. [1] She has been affiliated with the World Council of Religions for Peace. [2]

Prior offices and election history

2026 — California Treasurer

See also: California Treasurer election, 2026 General election The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary. The candidate list in this election may not be complete. Nonpartisan primary Nonpartisan primary election for California Treasurer The following candidates are running in the primary for California Treasurer on June 2, 2026. Candidate Anna Caballero (D) Eleni Kounalakis (D) Tony Vazquez (D) Jennifer Hawks (R) David Serpa (R) Submit photo Glenn Turner (G) There are no incumbents in this race. = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Libby Schaaf (D)

2026 — Campaign finance — Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here .

2026 — Governor of California

See also: California gubernatorial election, 2026 General election The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary. The candidate list in this election may not be complete. Nonpartisan primary Nonpartisan primary election for Governor of California The following candidates are running in the primary for Governor of California on June 2, 2026. Candidate Akinyemi Agbede (D) Mohammad Arif (D) Submit photo Larry D. Azevedo (D) Xavier Becerra (D) Carolina Buhler (D) Submit photo Louis De Barraicua (D) Submit photo Sophia Edum-a-Sam (D) Derek Grasty (D) Joel Jacob (D) Submit photo Gary Kidgell (D) Submit photo Matthew Levy (D) Matt Mahan (D) Thunder Parley (D) Katie Porter (D) Raji Rab (D) Submit photo Satish Rao (D) Barack D. Obama Shaw (D) Submit photo Scott Shields (D) Thomas Steyer (D) Eric Swalwell (D) (Withdrew, still on ballot) Tony Thurmond (D) Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Betty Yee (D) (Withdrew, still on ballot) Submit photo Erin Zezulak (D) Submit photo James Athans Jr. (R) Chad Bianco (R) Patricia De Luca Basualdo (R) Submit photo Randeep Dhillon (R) Submit photo Rafael Hernandez (R) Steve Hilton (R) Submit photo Alicia Lapp (R) Submit photo Leo Naranjo IV (R) Tim Nelson (R) Submit photo Gretha Solórzano (R) Leo Zacky (R) Submit photo David Zickefoose (R) Tom Woodard (L) Submit photo Naomi Bar-Lev (No party preference) Submit photo Joseph Cabrera (No party preference) Submit photo Elaine Culotti (No party preference) Submit photo LivingForGod DeMott (No party preference) Serge Fiankan (No party preference) Submit photo Lukasz Filinski (No party preference) Max Fomin (No party preference) Don Grundmann (No party preference) Submit photo Jon Henderson (No party preference) Lewis Herms (No party preference) Submit photo Dawit Kellel (No party preference) Anne Komarovsk (No party preference) Submit photo Duane Loynes Jr. (No party preference) Amanda Martin (No party preference) Submit photo Brent Maupin (No party preference) Daniel Mercuri (No party preference) Mauro Alberto Orozco (No party preference) Reza Safarnejad (No party preference) Submit photo Sam Sandak (No party preference) Christine Sarmiento (No party preference) Frederic Schultz (No party preference) Submit photo Margaret Trowe (No party preference) Nancy Young (No party preference) Ramsey Robinson (Peace and Freedom Party) Butch Ware (G) (Write-in) There are no incumbents in this race. = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Ethan Agarwal (D) Toni Atkins (D) Ian Charles Calderon (D) Sebastian de Warren (D) Eleni Kounalakis (D) George Slivka (D) Michael Younger (D) Ché Ahn (R) Dylan Colbert (R) Sharifah Hardie (R) Brandon Jones (R) Kyle Langford (R) Jon Slavet (R) Ebony Taylor (R) Nicholas Thompson (L) Jesse Alberti (No party preference) Javen Allen (No party preference) Tony Fitzpatrick (No party preference) Leonard Jackson (No party preference) Liam Keel (No party preference) Belinda Yung (No party preference)

2022

See also: California lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022 General election General election for Lieutenant Governor of California Incumbent Eleni Kounalakis defeated Angela Underwood Jacobs in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of California on November 8, 2022. Candidate % Votes ✔ Eleni Kounalakis (D) 59.7 6,418,119 Angela Underwood Jacobs (R) 40.3 4,332,602 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 10,750,721 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of California The following candidates ran in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of California on June 7, 2022. Candidate % Votes ✔ Eleni Kounalakis (D) 52.7 3,617,121 ✔ Angela Underwood Jacobs (R) 19.9 1,365,468 David Fennell (R) 13.4 922,493 Submit photo Clint Saunders (R) 4.5 306,216 Jeffrey Highbear Morgan (D) 3.3 229,121 Mohammad Arif (Peace and Freedom Party) 2.7 183,150 William Saacke (D) 2.5 171,800 David Hillberg (Independent) 1.1 74,289 James Orlando Ogle III (No party preference) (Write-in) 0.0 25 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 6,869,683 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Scott Sebel (R) Boris Romanowsky (Independent)

2018

See also: California lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 General election General election for Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis defeated Edward Hernandez in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of California on November 6, 2018. Candidate % Votes ✔ Eleni Kounalakis (D) 56.6 5,914,068 Edward Hernandez (D) 43.4 4,543,863 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 10,457,931 (100.00% precincts reporting) = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of California The following candidates ran in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of California on June 5, 2018. Candidate % Votes ✔ Eleni Kounalakis (D) 24.2 1,587,940 ✔ Edward Hernandez (D) 20.6 1,347,442 Cole Harris (R) 17.5 1,144,003 Jeff Bleich (D) 9.9 648,045 David Fennell (R) 7.9 515,956 Submit photo Lydia Ortega (R) 6.4 419,512 David Hernandez (R) 6.2 404,982 Gayle McLaughlin (Independent) 4.0 263,364 Timothy Ferreira (L) 1.5 99,949 Cameron Gharabiklou (D) 1.2 78,267 Submit photo Danny Thomas (Independent) 0.7 44,121 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Total votes: 6,553,581 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Marjan Fariba (Independent) Matthew Rizzie (D)

2018 — Endorsements

Kounalakis was endorsed by former President Barack Obama (D) in the general election. [3]

Issue positions (campaign themes)

2026 — California Treasurer

Ballotpedia survey responses See also: Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Eleni Kounalakis has not yet completed Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Eleni Kounalakis asking her to fill out the survey . If you are Eleni Kounalakis, click here to fill out Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey . Who fills out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey? Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate’s Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for. More than 28,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia’s candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here . You can ask Eleni Kounalakis to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@eleniforca.com.

2026 — Governor of California

Ballotpedia survey responses See also: Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Eleni Kounalakis did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Eleni Kounalakis did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses See also: Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Eleni Kounalakis completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kounalakis’ responses. What would be your top three priorities, if elected? Economy: As the chair of the Commission for Economic Development, I will advance policies that ensure our state’s economy works for everyone, fight to build more affordable homes, ensure equal pay for women, and prepare California’s economy for the 21st Century. We need to create more good-paying jobs while also protecting our environment. Higher Education: The cost of higher education is out of control. I have pledged to oppose all tuition increases for California students attending the UC and CSUs. I paid $2K per year in tuition for my MBA at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Now, the same program costs over $60K per year. I will fight to make higher education affordable and to build more affordable student housing. Environment: As Lt. Governor, I will serve on the State Lands Commission. I will use my skills as a diplomat, and my experience working on the policies that led to the Paris Climate Accord as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, to protect the environment and ensure California is a global leader in the effort to fight climate change. I’ll fight to protect our coasts and stop the Trump administration from expanding offshore oil drilling. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I am the only woman in this race, and if elected, I’ll bring down a high, hard glass ceiling as the first woman elected Lt. Governor of California. If we make history in this way, there is no greater cause for me to take on than to fight for gender parity in leadership and increase security for women. This includes protecting women from sexual harassment and ensuring equal pay and economic security. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? My very first paid job was working as a staffer at the California Democratic Party in 1992, helping elect two women to the U.S. Senate and turning California blue. Since then, I have been an activist promoting good government and a supporter of qualified Democratic candidates for elected office. Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate’s campaign requests it.

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia’s coverage scope . Notable candidate endorsements by Eleni Kounalakis Endorsee Election Stage Outcome Elen Asatryan source (Nonpartisan) Glendale City Council At-Large (2026) – Nicole Crosby source (Nonpartisan) San Diego City Council District 2 (2026) – Stephen Sherrill source (Nonpartisan) San Francisco Board of Supervisors District 2 (2026) – Alan Wong source (Nonpartisan) San Francisco Board of Supervisors District 4 (2026) – Ray Mueller source (Nonpartisan) San Mateo County Board of Supervisors District 3 (2026) – Ayn Craciun source (Nonpartisan) Irvine City Council District 4 (2024) Lost General Kamala D. Harris source (D, Working Families Party) President of the United States (2024) Primary Lost General Lateefah Simon source (D) U.S. House California District 12 (2024) Primary Won General Laura Friedman source (D) U.S. House California District 30 (2024) Primary Won General Dave Min source (D) U.S. House California District 47 (2024) Primary Won General Joanna Weiss source (D) U.S. House California District 47 (2024) Primary Lost Primary Christy Smith source (D) U.S. House California District 27 (2022) Primary Lost General Pete Buttigieg source President of the United States (2020) Primary Withdrew in Convention Kamala D. Harris source President of the United States (2020) Withdrew in Convention Notable ballot measure endorsements by Eleni Kounalakis Measure Position Outcome California Eliminate State Officer Recall Successor Elections Amendment (2026) source Support On the ballot California Proposition 14, Stem Cell Research Institute Bond Initiative (2020) source Support Approved California Proposition 16, Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (2020) source Support Defeated California Proposition 17, Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment (2020) source Support Approved California Proposition 1, Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure (March 2024) source Support Approved California Proposition 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2022) source Support Approved California Proposition 27, Legalize Sports Betting and Revenue for Homelessness Prevention Fund Initiative (2022) source Oppose Defeated California Proposition 32, $18 Minimum Wage Initiative (2024) source Support Defeated California Proposition 33, Prohibit State Limitations on Local Rent Control Initiative (2024) source Oppose Defeated California Proposition 34, Require Certain Participants in Medi-Cal Rx Program to Spend 98% of Revenues on Patient Care Initiative (2024) source Support Approved California Proposition 50, Use of Legislative Congressional Redistricting Map Amendment (2025) source Support Approved San Francisco, California, Measure A, Earthquake Safety and Emergency Bond Measure (June 2026) source Support On the ballot San Francisco, California, Proposition D, Create an Office of Victim and Witness Rights Measure (June 2022) source Support Approved

Enrichment source: Ballotpedia — https://ballotpedia.org/Eleni_Kounalakis

Sources