Gloria Romero seeks California lieutenant governor seat

Gloria Romero, a Republican and former California state senator, is running for lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

She faces Democrat Fiona Ma.

Romero, who switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party on Sept. 4, 2024, said on her campaign website that she left over what she called the Democratic Party's abandonment of working-class families and parental rights.

Candidate information

Party: Republican
Born: July 10, 1955, in Barstow, California
Education: Associate of arts, Barstow Community College; bachelor of arts and master of arts, California State University, Long Beach; doctor of philosophy in psychology, University of California, Riverside

Experience and public service

Romero was the first woman to serve as Senate majority leader in the history of the California State Senate, holding the post from 2005 to 2008, according to Wikipedia.

She represented District 24 in the California State Senate from 2001 to 2010. Before that, she represented Assembly District 49 from 1998 to 2001 and served as majority whip in the California State Assembly from 1998 to 2000.

Earlier in her career, Romero served on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees from 1995 to 1998, according to Pepperdine School of Public Policy. She is founder and executive director of Scholarship Prep Charter School and has served as adjunct faculty at Pepperdine School of Public Policy. Romero said on her campaign website that she was a professor at Cal State Los Angeles.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Romero's campaign website and her responses on BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Education: Romero said she believes California's community colleges are "the Ellis Islands of higher education" and called for addressing what she described as widespread abuse of the application system. She said she would fight to restore merit in admissions and protect academic standards. Romero also said she would push to integrate the K-12 system more fully with higher education so students graduate prepared for college, careers and life. On campus safety, she said she would hold administrators accountable to ensure nondiscrimination and protect students of every faith and background.

Environment and energy: Romero said the lieutenant governor plays a major role in California's land and coastal policy. She called for restructuring commissions that she said answer to Sacramento special interests rather than to communities. Romero said she would lead on fire prevention, smarter land management and faster rebuilding after disasters. She also said she would work with federal partners to cut through permitting delays and safely explore untapped energy reserves.

Taxes and budget: Romero said she would push for serious oversight, real consequences and basic accountability over taxpayer dollars, particularly in workforce training programs.

Civil rights: Romero said she would stand up for women's sports and Title IX protections.