Gloria Romero, a Republican, is running for California lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills voters will see this race on their ballots.
Romero faces Democrat Fiona Ma. According to Wikipedia, Romero switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party on Sept. 4, 2024, citing the party's abandonment of working-class families and parental rights.
She was the first woman to serve as Senate majority leader in California State Senate history.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Birthplace: Barstow, California (born July 10, 1955)
- Education: Associate of arts, Barstow Community College; bachelor of arts, California State University, Long Beach; master of arts, California State University, Long Beach; doctor of philosophy in psychology, University of California, Riverside
Experience and public service
- Board of trustees member, Los Angeles Community College District (1995–1998)
- State Assembly representative, District 49 (1998–2001)
- Majority whip, California State Assembly (1998–2000)
- State senator, District 24 (2001–2010)
- Senate majority leader, California State Senate (2005–2008)
- Professor, Cal State Los Angeles (claimed by the candidate)
- Founder and executive director, Scholarship Prep Charter School
- Adjunct faculty, Pepperdine School of Public Policy
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Romero's responses on her campaign website and through BallotReady. They reflect the candidate's own statements.
Education: Romero said she would fight to restore merit in college admissions and protect academic standards. She called California's community colleges "the Ellis Islands of higher education" and said recent reports show widespread abuse of the application system. She said she wants to hold university administrators accountable to ensure nondiscrimination on campus, with particular attention to the safety of Jewish students and students of every faith. She also said she would push to better integrate K-12 with higher education so the system prepares students for college, careers and life.
Environment and energy: The lieutenant governor plays a major role in California's land and coastal policy, Romero said. She said she would be a voice for fire prevention, smarter land management and faster rebuilding after disasters. She cited fires affecting communities including Paradise, Malibu, the Palisades and Altadena. She said she would work to restructure and streamline state commissions she described as answering to Sacramento special interests. She also said she would collaborate with federal partners to cut through red tape and safely uncover untapped energy reserves.
Civil rights: Romero said she would stand up for women's sports and Title IX. Fairness matters, she said.
Taxes and budget: Romero said she would push for serious oversight and accountability over taxpayer dollars, particularly in workforce training programs.
Endorsements
The following endorsements were claimed by the endorsing organizations, according to BallotReady profile data:
- San Bernardino County GOP
- Bay Area GOP
- Silicon Valley Association of Conservative Republicans
- Santa Clara County GOP
- San Francisco GOP
- Monterey County GOP
- Los Angeles County GOP
- California Congress of Republicans
Candidate positions were drawn from responses submitted through BallotReady and the candidate's campaign website. The Platinum Tribune does not endorse candidates.
