Gloria Romero, former Democratic leader and Senate Majority Leader, announced Monday that she is running for lieutenant governor as part of a ticket with GOP gubernatorial nominee Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator.
“At the end of the day, it’s really about one-party rule in Sacramento. I’ve seen it. I’ve left it,” Romero said in an interview. “We have to make a change, otherwise we will never turn to accountability or buyouts and fight for working families like the Democrats once said the party stood for. Those days are gone. It’s a new day, and I’m proud to work with Steve in this exciting race to make California Golden again.”
Hilton, who has longtime political ties to Romero, said his expertise at the state Capitol was one of the reasons he chose him. Romero served in the state Senate and Assembly for nearly 12 years, including three as the first female majority leader of the state Senate.
“He’s been incredibly helpful, helping me understand how Sacramento works and doesn’t work,” Hilton said. “When I am the governor, I will have to work with the legislature, and one of the important things that I see as the real advantage of having Gloria where I am is that she is not only in the legislature, she led one of the chambers.
Other candidates for lieutenant governor include Treasurer Fiona Ma, former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and Josh Fryday, a cabinet member of Gov. Gavin Newsom, all Democrats, and state Sen. Brian Jones (R-Santee).
Romero was a lifelong Democrat, including co-chairing President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign in California. But he began to split with his party over education reform, particularly his support for school choice.
“Education is the key to the American dream, and yet my group has been very focused on the teachers union, the powerhouse of Sacramento,” she said.
Using the words of the late President Reagan, Romero said that he did not leave the Democratic Party, the party left him. He became a registered Republican in September 2024 after what he called a “political convention” to unseat President Biden as the Democratic nominee. He then endorsed President Trump and spoke at a rally in support of Coachella.
He said the role of Lieutenant Governor is usually a sleep for politicians as they give themselves time to run for higher positions.
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Romero said, adding that the lieutenant governor’s role on the governing boards of UCs, Cal States and the community college fit right into his wheelhouse. “Education and changing education is in my blood, it is in my dreams.
Unlike presidential elections, statewide contests do not involve partisanship; each person should be chosen according to his needs.
Hilton said Romero is the first member of his “California golden ticket” and that he plans to field other candidates across the country to join their effort.
“I know it’s never been done before. But right from the beginning, when I was thinking about my run for governor, one of the things I wanted to do was put together a strong team, because turning around California is going to take a strong team.”
