Barrera seeks California superintendent of public instruction seat

Richard Andrew Barrera is running for California superintendent of public instruction in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The nonpartisan race also includes Sonja Shaw.

Barrera, a San Diego Unified School Board member, said on his campaign website that he wants to organize coalitions and fight for resources schools across the state need rather than push top-down mandates from Sacramento.

Candidate information

Name: Richard Andrew Barrera
Party: Nonpartisan
Education: Bachelor's degree in history, University of California, San Diego; master's degree in public policy, Harvard University
Background: First-generation San Diegan whose father immigrated from Colombia and whose grandparents immigrated through Ellis Island. Graduate of El Cajon Valley High School. Named School Board Member of the Year by the San Diego County School Boards Association in 2022, according to the San Diego Unified School District.

Experience and public service

Board member, District D, San Diego Unified School Board (2008–present)
Board president, San Diego Unified School District
Deputy superintendent and senior policy adviser, California Department of Education (2024)
Secretary-treasurer, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council
Community and labor organizer

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Barrera's responses to a BallotReady questionnaire and reflect the candidate's own statements.

School funding: Barrera said California's public schools need long-term investment rather than short-term fixes. He called for a statewide effort to increase education funding, for holding the federal government accountable on special education obligations and for helping local districts pass their own funding measures.

Student mental health: Barrera said mental health and student wellness must be a top priority. He called for expanding access to school counselors, placing peer counseling programs in every high school and making social-emotional learning a core measure of school success beyond test scores.

Teacher recruitment and retention: Barrera said too many teachers are leaving the profession. He proposed expanding paid apprenticeships for future teachers, covering tuition for those who commit to teaching in California public schools and strengthening partnerships between districts and higher education. He also called for helping districts secure funding to build workforce housing for teachers and school staff.

College and career access: Barrera said every high school should offer college-prep courses so no student learns too late they lack the classes needed to apply to a four-year university. He also called for expanding career and technical education, apprenticeships and vocational training.

Inclusion and equity: Barrera said schools should protect the rights of LGBTQ students and expand dual-language immersion programs so students graduate bilingual.

Endorsements

The following endorsements were claimed by the endorsers, according to the California Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide and BallotReady profile data: