Superintendent of Public Instruction
✦ AI Race Summary
Open-seat, officially nonpartisan race. Incumbent Tony Thurmond is running for governor. The Superintendent runs the California Department of Education and oversees a roughly $150B annual K–12 budget. Eight candidates filed.
Candidates · sorted by endorsements
Former state senator (SD-29, Orange County, 2016–2018, 2020–2024); chaired the Senate Education Committee. U.S. Army veteran and entrepreneur. Co-authored a $10B school facilities bond.
BAJC-Action · Endorsed
Hindu United Vote · Endorsed
Speaker of the California State Assembly 2016–2023; represented AD-63 (Lakewood / South Los Angeles). Background in early childhood education before politics.
Three-term Assemblymember (AD-66, South Bay LA); chairs the Assembly Education Committee. Author of AB 1454, California's "science of reading" / phonics law. Former deputy attorney general.
San Diego Unified School District board member since 2008 and current board president; longtime Service Employees International Union organizer.
San Francisco classroom teacher and vice president of United Educators of San Francisco.
President of the Chino Valley Unified School District board; nationally known for the district's parental-notification policy on student gender identity.
Educator and entrepreneur; founder of a tutoring and academic-skills nonprofit.
Los Angeles Community College District trustee and longtime classroom teacher.