Michael Tubbs
Office sought: Lieutenant Governor
Party: Democratic
Ballot designation: Former mayor of Stockton
Background
Biography. Michael Tubbs earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a graduate degree from Stanford University. He has been affiliated with Mayors for Guaranteed Income and End Poverty in California. [1]
Prior offices and election history
2026
See also: California lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 California lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary) 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. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of California The following candidates are running in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of California on June 2, 2026. Candidate Submit photo Rakesh Christian (No party preference) David Collenberg (R) Sean Collinson (No party preference) David Fennell (R) Josh Fryday (D) Janelle Kellman (D) Jeyson Lopez (D) Ebie Lynch (R) Fiona Ma (D) Oliver Ma (D) Tim Myers (D) Gloria J. Romero (R) Submit photo Skip Shelton (R) Abdur Sikder (D) Alice Stek (Peace and Freedom Party) Michael Tubbs (D) Submit photo James Cameron (R) (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 Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Toni Atkins (D) Steven Bradford (D) Mike Schaefer (D) Brian Jones (R)
2026 — Endorsements
Tubbs received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Tubbs’s endorsements as published by their campaign, click here . To send us additional endorsements, click here . ACCE Action’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by ACCE Action) CA Votes Progressive (Sway voting group by June Paniouchkine) CALIFORNIA LIBERAL DEMOCRATS (Sway voting group by JCP YOU KNOW ME) CalMatters Voter Guide (Sway voting group by CalMatters) California Environmental Voters’ Voting Group (Sway voting group by California Environmental Voters) California Faculty Association’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by California Faculty Association) California Working Families Party’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by California Working Families Party) California YIMBY’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by California YIMBY) Courage California Courage California’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Courage California) East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club) East Bay YIMBY’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by East Bay YIMBY) Election Day is Every Tuesday (Sway voting group by Ariella Elm) Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club) KPBS Endorsement Guide (Sway voting group by KPBS) KaitlynDoesPolitics (Sway voting group by Kaitlyn Hennessy) Legalmiga’s Legit Picks (Sway voting group by Taylor Tieman (@legalmiga)) New Deal Dems (Sway voting group by Hunter Dunn) Potrero Hill Democratic Club’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Potrero Hill Democratic Club) SEIU California’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by SEIU California) SEIU Local 1021’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by SEIU Local 1021) SEIU Local 521’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by SEIU Local 521) SEIU Local 99’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by SEIU Local 99) SEIU-UHW’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by SEIU-UHW) San Francisco Examiner’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by San Francisco Examiner) The Overwhelmed San Franciscan’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by The Overwhelmed San Franciscan) Voting is a Team Sport | Katie Grossbard (Sway voting group by Katie Grossbard) Working Families Party California’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Working Families Party California) YIMBY Action’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by YIMBY Action) Yaysayers (Sway voting group by Eric Say More)
2020
See also: Mayoral election in Stockton, California (2020) General election General election for Mayor of Stockton Kevin Lincoln II defeated incumbent Michael Tubbs in the general election for Mayor of Stockton on November 3, 2020. Candidate % Votes ✔ Kevin Lincoln II (Nonpartisan) 56.4 57,276 Michael Tubbs (Nonpartisan) 43.6 44,206 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 101,482 = 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 Mayor of Stockton The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Stockton on March 3, 2020. Candidate % Votes ✔ Michael Tubbs (Nonpartisan) 41.5 21,016 ✔ Kevin Lincoln II (Nonpartisan) 21.6 10,927 Submit photo William Smith (Nonpartisan) 11.2 5,679 Submit photo Motecuzoma Sánchez (Nonpartisan) 10.9 5,523 Shoua Lo (Nonpartisan) 5.5 2,773 Submit photo Ralph White (Nonpartisan) 4.3 2,179 Submit photo Shelly Hollis (Nonpartisan) 3.4 1,698 Submit photo Andrew Johnson (Nonpartisan) 1.3 674 Other/Write-in votes 0.3 136 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 50,605 = 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.
2016
Obama endorsement During the 2016 election cycle Tubbs was one of the candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama Full list of Obama’s 2016 endorsements Michael Tubbs defeated incumbent Anthony Silva in the Stockton mayoral general election. [2] Mayor of Stockton, Nonpartisan General Election, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes Michael Tubbs 70.57% 56,165 Anthony Silva Incumbent 29.43% 23,426 Total Votes 79,591 Source: San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, “Election Results,” accessed November 9, 2016 The following candidates ran in the Stockton mayoral primary election. [2] Mayor of Stockton, Nonpartisan Primary Election, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes Michael Tubbs 33.55% 9,700 Anthony Silva Incumbent 26.02% 7,521 Carlos Villapudua 23.81% 6,884 Tony Mannor 4.75% 1,374 Jimmy Rishwain 4.38% 1,265 Gary Malloy 4.23% 1,223 Sean Murray 2.39% 690 Emiliano Benito Adams 0.67% 193 Write-in votes 0.2% 59 Total Votes 28,909 Source: San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, “Election Results,” accessed June 8, 2016
Issue positions (campaign themes)
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses See also: Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Michael Tubbs completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Tubbs’ responses. Expand all | Collapse all Who are you? Tell us about yourself. In 2016, I was elected Mayor of Stockton at the age of 26, becoming the youngest Mayor of any major city in American history. Under my leadership, Stockton saw a 40% drop in homicides in 2018 and 2019 and led the state of California in the decline of officer involved shootings in 2019. Because of initiatives, investments, and work I spearheaded, Stockton’s unemployment rate dropped from around 15% in 2012 to near a record low at around 5.7% in 2019. By the end of my term, Stockton was named the second most fiscally healthy city in California. As Mayor, I raised over $20 million dollars to create the Stockton Scholars, a universal scholarship and mentorship program for Stockton students. Additionally, I piloted the first mayor-led guaranteed income pilot in the country. Since leaving office, I have served as the Special Advisor for Economic Mobility to California Governor Gavin Newsom; the founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income; and the founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC). Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Supporting a Marshall Plan level approach to building housing in California including blocking unfettered private equity consolidation of residential real estate. Expanding economic opportunity through expansion of guaranteed income programs, vocational training at community colleges, and exploring ways to ensure wealth generated from AI is shared broadly to unlock economic opportunity in all communities. Expanding educational opportunity through building more student and workforce housing and lowering the cost of higher education What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I’ve championed guaranteed basic income pilots throughout the state to keep people in their homes because that is more humane and affordable than transitioning them out of homelessness. Our trial projects in Stockton and those of other cities demonstrate the powerful impact even a modest additional income can have on working families. Nothing is more impactful than helping struggling Californians access additional income and empower them to improve their lives. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? A good elected official needs to understand first-hand the struggle facing many Californians. I was raised by three strong women – my mother, my grandmother, and my aunt. As my mother navigated life from teen pregnancy to affording a home at the age of 26, she inspired me to pursue public service. California is the 4th largest economy in the world, but for who? Far too often, it’s not working for everyday people who need affordable housing and groceries. Sacramento is not producing results for the average Californian and that’s a huge reason why I decided to step into the race. Today, as a father of three young children, I see California’s future through their eyes. I know firsthand how the statewide decisions we make in the next few years are going to shape California for decades to come. I’m running for LG to build a California future that sets the example for how government can work for everyone. This state should lead the nation not by talking about problems, but solving them. I’m running for LG to build a California future that sets the example for how government can work for everyone. This state should lead the nation not by talking about problems, but solving them. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? As Lieutenant Governor, I would prioritize my positions on the Board of Regents of the UCs, CSUs, and California Community Colleges. As the state’s higher education czar so to speak, we can focus on building affordable opportunities for students across the board. Right now, many students in our public universities experience food insecurity and housing insecurity. The stats are harrowing: 50% of California college students have experienced food insecurity and 28% of students actively skipped meals because of the inability to afford them. There are students graduating while living in their cars and unaware that they can benefit from systems like CalFresh. After talking with current students in the UC system, I know there are ways we can fix this. Firstly, we can connect financial aid systems at public colleges and universities to CalFresh. We can alert folks from lower income backgrounds of their eligibility for CalFresh and make it easier for folks to enroll. Secondly, we must build more affordable housing on these campuses. These universities and colleges have a very unique right to build, which means we can––and should––greenlight affordable housing for students, faculty, and staff to tackle the housing crises hitting these campuses. What is something that has been a struggle in your life? In many ways, our society sets up people from backgrounds like mine for failure — namely prison or premature death. My father is in prison. My cousin, Donnell, was shot and killed when I was in college. Their stories made me want to defy the odds and not succumb to the fate society said was in store for me. They also propelled me to look deeper and to commit my life to challenging and solving these inequities. In a more just system, overcoming poverty wouldn’t be a Herculean task. Talent is universal, we just have yet to ensure that opportunity and resources are universal as well. But I confronted these obstacles and more in my journey from the south side of Stockton, California to Stanford University and, finally, to the Stockton Mayor’s office at age 26. These opportunities must be available to all kids growing up in th
2020
Michael Tubbs did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Tubbs submitted the following candidate statement to the City of Stockton: Note: You can navigate the documents by zooming in or out with the + and - buttons and using the horizontal and vertical scrollbars on the document.
2016 — Additional themes
Tubbs’ campaign website listed the following themes for 2016: “ SAFE STREETS, SECURE NEIGHBORHOODS Continue building better police-community relations by expanding community engagement, further developing a community policing model, and diversify our police and fire departments Further develop a Community Policing model that is based on building trust, identifying specific needs of neighborhoods, and using data to identify where to step in before crime happens Increase the Capacity of the Office of Violence Prevention to partner with the community to provide job opportunities and other supports to those most at-risk for violence Retain our current Police Officers and Firefighters by ensuring they receive competitive benefits that we can afford and the training and support to be successful ambassadors of our city Partner with the Parks and Recreation, the Police Department, Non-Profits and the City to create a Summer Lights Program for youth and families, modeled after Los Angeles’ successful program that saw a reduction in violence over the past 8 years Partner with County to fully implement the Marshall Plan Recommendations to increase the capacity and effectiveness of our criminal justice system NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION Expand the model of Reinvent South Stockton to the 4 other Hot Spot Areas identified in 2012 to begin to revitalize these areas that have not reached their potential due to high crime rates, few job opportunities, and failing schools Make neighborhoods with the highest unemployment rates into “Job Creation Zones” Target these neighborhoods with tax credits, fee abatement, repayable loans, and workforce investments Work with federal, state, county and city agencies and departments to ensure new opportunities for the hardest hit neighborhoods of Stockton Implement the South Stockton Promise Zone Strategy and rigorously monitor results Advocate for neighborhood master plan development as part of our General Plan Build public-private partnerships and philanthropic support through the creation of a Philanthropic Liason to strengthen the capacity of local non-profits to focus on undeserved neighborhoods, engage the community, secure grant funding and implement housing development, wellness programs, and youth-focused educational opportunities Develop a Cradle-to-College continuum of supports for children focused on parent education, student growth, learning, and achievement starting at birth and expanding at each level of child development EDUCATION Identify, recruit and enroll low-income 4 year-old children eligible for but not currently enrolled in pre-Kindergarten Work with Stockton businesses, the building trades, and current apprenticeship programs to create job-training pathways for Stockton high school graduates to help them gain practical skills Work in conjunction with our school districts to create pathways to success for all students, with a particular focus of correcting disparities between groups Bring back City programs such as the Youth Leadership Academy and the Youth and Education Action Team to provide positive outlets and learning opportunities for youth Expand City youth job opportunities Create matched savings accounts and/or college savings accounts for every child or our most vulnerable children by partnering with banks and other financial institutions to make an initial deposit into each account, then provide incentives for parents to contribute to the account over time Currently the City of San Francisco contributes an initial $50 for each kindergartner Create a Task Force to recruit companies and individuals to participate in this matching program Champion a city-wide initiative to fund universal preschool for all 4 year-olds to close the achievement gap ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INNOVATION Establish an Innovation Fund to create new investment in small businesses on the cusp of starting or expanding in Stockton, funded from investors that believe in Stockton’s potential for growth Focus on creating a cluster of innovation around our strong, local assets: UOP, the Port, and Mercy to focus economic growth around transportation, health care, and education Work with the county, the business community, and the philanthropic sector to expand workforce development and training opportunities Support the creation of a small business network that brings entrepreneurs together to offer business training, workshops, and better collaboration between businesses on the local level A HOUSING FIRST MODEL FOCUSED ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS Create a staff position focused on homelessness to serve the community and coordinate County and Public Safety Efforts Use Proposition 63 funds as bond collateral to create a Homeless Housing Trust Fund to develop a real housing first model in Stockton San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles County are already moving on the Housing First model to get residents off the street and into supportive, permanent housing Change city zoning laws to allow for the creation of tiny houses and micro apartments San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle have passed ordinance changes allowing for smaller square feet housing options ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY Provide residents more information online and through social media to allow increased access, more transparency in decision making, and build trust Develop a participatory budget process citywide, where community members define spending priorities through an application, discussion, and a voting model Start a Community Roundtable that provides community organizations and non-profits a platform to discuss their goals, needs, and vision for Stockton regularly that culminates each year with the State of the City Turn vacant lots into community gardens that provide opportunities for urban farming and establish public spaces where community members interact and build community Hold quarterly city-wide Town Halls and regular mayoral office hours to update residents on the progress of the city Bring back
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 Michael Tubbs Endorsee Election Stage Outcome Lateefah Simon source (D) U.S. House California District 12 (2024) Primary Won General Barbara Lee source (D) U.S. Senate California (2024) Primary Lost Primary Michael Bloomberg source President of the United States (2020) Withdrew in Convention Notable ballot measure endorsements by Michael Tubbs Measure Position Outcome California Proposition 16, Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (2020) source Support Defeated California Proposition 22, App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative (2020) source Oppose Approved
Enrichment source: Ballotpedia — https://ballotpedia.org/Michael_Tubbs
Sources
- CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide
- Ballotpedia (enrichment, when available)