Toni Atkins for Governor 

Toni Atkins is running for California Governor to continue her work uplifting and enhancing our state — and to ensure that the California Dream is accessible to everyone.

"You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire to make it in California… You should only have a dream—and people who care enough to help you reach it."

Toni Atkins lives in San Diego with her spouse, Jennifer, and their dogs, Joey and Mia.

<h3>Toni Atkins is running for California Governor to continue her work uplifting and enhancing our state — and to ensure that the California Dream is accessible to everyone.</h3><h4>Toni’s story started in the rural reaches of Appalachia, where she grew up one of four children to Betty and Jim Atkins.</h4>Despite working themselves to the bone, Jim, a lead and coal miner, and Betty, a seamstress who worked in a garment factory, lived paycheck to paycheck and rented a home without running water and an outhouse to share.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/58de565f-d7c2-4bfc-98e3-eb073d4744e7/19db3672-0df3-4ba9-88e7-6f6d1f0da6dc/22e09645-c8c7-43cc-a501-dc0d6933c717.webp?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C4096%2C2856&amp;w=1500" alt="" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Toni was a kid who got free breakfasts at school and got her first pair of glasses donated by the local Lions Club. Whose parents never had time off, and always had a doctor’s bill overdue. Who went to church camp on a scholarship and dreamed of being the first person in her family to go to college. That dream came true as she worked hard in school and graduated from Emory &amp; Henry College in Virginia.&nbsp;Her early years taught Toni the value of a dollar — and more importantly, the values that help you get through when dollars are scarce: Doing the most good you possibly can for others. Safeguarding the most vulnerable among us. Respecting people’s decisions and protecting their dignity.&nbsp;<h4>Toni first heard about California from her father, who reminisced about a beautiful place where he was stationed while serving in World War II.</h4>She daydreamed about one day going there while working in a dry cleaners — until the day she got a call from her twin sister, Tenia, who was stationed in San Diego while serving in the Navy. It was the mid-1980’s, and Tenia’s Navy husband was being deployed. Tenia was soon to deliver their first child, and needed help. Toni packed her car and set out from Virginia to California to help her sister and their newborn son.&nbsp;<h4>She came to California to help her twin. She stayed to help millions more.&nbsp;</h4><img src="https://run.imgix.net/58de565f-d7c2-4bfc-98e3-eb073d4744e7/a2425fc3-532b-41a6-8d60-4138610251b0/a2425fc3-532b-41a6-8d60-4138610251b0.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C5355%2C4482&amp;w=1500" alt="" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="35" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">At just 27, she was named the Director of Clinic Services at San Diego’s Womancare Health Center, where she helped low-income women access reproductive care — even when anti-abortion extremists tried to block access. Years later as a legislator, Toni proudly wrote laws that removed obstacles keeping women from getting the health care they needed, especially in rural areas and other underserved communities. And after the gut-wrenching Dobbs decision leaked, she wrote the constitutional amendment to protect the right to abortion and contraception for generations to come — and led the effort with Planned Parenthood and other grassroots clinics and organizations to ensure it was approved by a majority of California voters.&nbsp;<h4>After working in the women’s clinic, Toni went to work as a staff member at City Hall, later running and winning a seat on the City Council in 2000, where she passed San Diego’s first living wage law.</h4>When the Mayor of San Diego resigned during a period of crisis, Toni served as acting Mayor and helped San Diego successfully navigate the scandal.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/58de565f-d7c2-4bfc-98e3-eb073d4744e7/e446ea36-b724-451e-8893-503ff5f941eb/fa354bd0-7dc0-490b-9031-2b7ba7ad82bf.webp?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C4096%2C2724&amp;w=1500" alt="" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Elected by voters to the state Assembly in 2010, Toni served there for six years. In 2014, her colleagues selected her to be the Speaker of the Assembly, becoming the first San Diegan and the first lesbian to hold the position. As someone who grew up in a house without running water, Toni counts passing a $7.5-billion investment in clean, safe and reliable drinking water supplies as one of her proudest accomplishments as Speaker of the Assembly.In 2016, San Diego voters elected her to the State Senate — and after just one year, she was again selected by her colleagues to serve as Senate President pro Tempore, becoming the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to lead the Legislature’s upper house. Atkins is the first person in 150 years, the third person in California history, and the only woman to lead both houses of the Legislature.During her time in the Legislature, she negotiated eight on-time balanced budgets with two Governors, building record reserves without raising taxes on working people. As a leader, she negotiated the passage of historic climate goals and increased access to health care.Toni has worked to create good-paying jobs and bolster worker protections, and she’s expanded educational opportunities so that nothing gets in the way of California’s children being able to learn. She’s a champion for affordable housing, the environment, health care, veterans, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. She has led legislative efforts to protect victims of crime, including children being trafficked and women facing domestic violence. These are the people and causes she’s spent a lifetime fighting for, driven by the values that will continue to guide her campaign for Governor.<h4>Like people all across our state, she’s struggled to get by and she’s tried her best to get ahead, over obstacles that felt endless. And in 2026, we have the opportunity to elect a governor who understands and has lived the challenges facing Californians today.&nbsp;</h4>As Toni says, you shouldn’t have to be a millionaire to make it in California — you should only have a dream, and people who care enough to help you reach it.

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<img src="https://run.imgix.net/58de565f-d7c2-4bfc-98e3-eb073d4744e7/b0e4a456-f7f9-4259-9a3f-62b4c4f0da5d/b0e4a456-f7f9-4259-9a3f-62b4c4f0da5d.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=147%2C0%2C5853%2C4380&amp;w=1500" alt="" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" variant="framed"><h2>Get in touch</h2><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@toniatkins.org">info@toniatkins.org</a>Toni Atkins for Governor 2026 FPPC ID# 14661142358 University Avenue, PMB 283 San Diego, CA 92104<h2>Media Inquiries</h2><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:press@toniatkins.org">press@toniatkins.org</a>

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Help Toni Atkins become CA's next Governor

<h2>Toni Atkins announces run to be California's next Governor</h2>Rallying hundreds of supporters, constituents, neighbors, and friends, Toni launched her campaign to serve as California's next Governor.

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Toni is running for California Governor to continue her work uplifting and enhancing our state — and to ensure that the California Dream is accessible to everyone.Her story is one of struggle and success, and started in the rural reaches of Appalachia, where she grew up one of four children to Betty and Jim Atkins. Despite working themselves to the bone, Jim, a lead and coal miner, and Betty, a seamstress who worked in a garment factory, lived paycheck to paycheck, renting a home without running water and an outhouse to share.&nbsp;

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Toni in the News

SACRAMENTO — Californians could do worse than elect veteran state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.Not that they should necessarily. But she’s worth serious consideration. Voters will have two years to size her up and decide before Newsom is termed out at the end of 2026.

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Atkins is prepared to lead California but faces a tough race for governor

State Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) announced a 2026 run for California governor Friday morning, making the legislative leader the latest entrant in an increasingly crowded race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom after he is forced out of office by term limits.

State Senate leader Toni Atkins joins 2026 race for California governor

SAN DIEGO — California's Democratic State Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins is officially running for governor in 2026, she announced at her campaign's first rally in San Diego Friday morning.The announcement comes hours after she filed paperwork to run in the race to replace Gavin Newsom, who will term out at the end of 2026.

Toni Atkins launches campaign for California governor

The burgeoning field to be California’s next governor grew even more crowded Friday as Toni Atkins, the San Diego Democrat who has held the state’s top legislative posts, launched a bid to succeed Gov Gavin. Newsom in 2026.

California Senate leader aims to be the state’s first woman and LGBTQ+ governor

State Senate leader Toni Atkins is running for governor in 2026, she announced Friday in San Diego, making it increasingly likely that California’s next leader will not be a white man for the first time since 1875.

Toni Atkins, first woman to lead California’s Assembly and Senate, will run for governor

SAN DIEGO – Rallying hundreds of supporters, constituents, neighbors, and friends at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, California Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins today launched her campaign for Governor of California.“In 2026, we have the opportunity to elect a Governor who understands, and has lived, the challenges facing Californians struggling to get by and trying to get ahead,” said Atkins in her remarks. “I am ready to be Governor.”To learn more about Toni Atkins and her historic run for governor, visit: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="file:////Users/jeffreygozzo/Library/Group%20Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/TemporaryItems/msohtmlclip/clip_filelist.xml">www.toniatkins.org</a>&nbsp;Today’s remarks, as prepared, can be read in full below:Madam Secretary, thank you for the incredible introduction, thank you for your continued friendship over the years, and most important, thank you for welcoming Jennifer and me into the Weber family!Your dad was a sharecropper. My dad was a lead miner.They worked hard to give their families—and particularly their kids—a better life.It was our journeys to California that gave each of us the dream of a better life.The California Dream was real for us, evidenced by the fact that we stand here today, you as the Secretary of State and me as the Leader of the State Senate. A long way from Hope, Arkansas and South West Virginia.I know neither of us ever imagined the incredible path or opportunities we would realize.A path that—for me—today—includes announcing my candidacy to serve as Governor of California!I use that specific language for a reason. It’s never been my ambition to “be” Governor. But it is my intention to serve as Governor.I stand here with deep gratitude to San Diego—to the friends, the mentors—Christine Kehoe, I wouldn’t be where I am without you—and the supporters—for all of the opportunities you have offered.I first heard about California from my dad, who told us about this magical place that he came to while serving in World War II.I heard more about California, and San Diego, from my twin sister and her husband when they were stationed here.Before my brother in law was deployed, I moved out here from Virginia to help my sister and my newborn nephew.And in this land of dreams, I found my passion: working in the service of people.And that is what I have spent my life doing. How fortunate I am that my little slice of the California Dream could come from helping others find their dreams.I have a little over two years to reach almost 27 million eligible voters in California.Based on my speech at our wedding reception, I know Jennifer thinks I am going to try to speak to each one of them individually.Of course, I can’t do that. But, in asking people for their vote, I do have the obligation to tell folks who I am—and what I’m not.And before I go any further, I want to say to Jennifer, no announcement I ever make, no words I will ever say, can match getting to lawfully say “I do” standing by your side.Soon after helping my sister’s family, I found work in a women’s health clinic, Its full name was “Womancare Clinic, a Feminist Women's Health Center.”I was 27. And I felt such a weight on my shoulders to make sure the women who were depending on us got the information and treatment they needed.Our philosophy was empowering them to be able to advocate for themselves in any health care setting. To trust their ability to know their bodies and demand the care and support they deserved from the health care system.Respecting their decisions and protecting their dignity was always foremost in my mind, especially when they would have to pass through a wall of extremists just to get to their appointments.It’s because of that experience that years later, as a legislator, I wrote laws to remove obstacles that kept women from getting the care they needed, especially in rural areas and other under-served communities.And then, after the Dobbs decision leaked and it was clear Roe was going to be overturned, I couldn’t just stand back and let that happen.I felt that same kind of responsibility. So I authored the constitutional amendment and then led the campaign so that&nbsp;the right to abortion and contraceptives&nbsp;will be protected in California not just for us, but for generations to come.I want to acknowledge our labor friends who are here today and thank you for everything you do to ensure California workers can be safe and secure as they earn their share of the California Dream.And a special shout out to the members of the Carpenters, Laborers and United Domestic Workers for being here with me again today. I can’t tell you how much this means to me and I will never forget this.In 2026, we have the opportunity to elect a Governor who understands, and has lived, the challenges facing Californians struggling to get by and trying to get ahead.Someone who got free breakfasts at school and went to church camp on a scholarship. Whose parents never had time off and always had a doctor’s bill overdue.Someone who started out in a home without running water. We actually had an outhouse and had to carry water from a spring.That whole experience is part of why as Speaker of the Assembly I spearheaded the largest water bond in state history to protect our water sources and provide clean water to more Californians.Growing up I learned the value of a dollar. More importantly, I learned the values that help get you through when dollars are scarce.I mentioned Christine Kehoe. It was my experience working for her and then following her on to the city council, and serving as acting mayor, that really taught me how to build bridges and bring all sides together to solve problems.That experience has guided my time in the legislature.I have worked to increase affordable housing for Californians—including our veterans—and that will continue until we get the job done.I have worked to create jobs and expand educational opportunity, including negotiating broadband improvements so little kids don’t have to do their homework in a Taco Bell parking lot.I didn’t do well in school until a donated pair of glasses from the local Lions Club helped me see the board and do the lessons. That experience inspires me to try and remove every obstacle we can that gets in the way of California’s children being able to learn.I have worked to protect victims of crime, including children being trafficked and women facing domestic violence, and we are working in real time to help businesses fighting threats to their stores and employees by mass retail thefts. And that will continue until we get the job done.I am ready to be Governor.I have stood eye to eye with two governors as a leader of a co-equal branch of government—the only woman and first person in 150 years to lead both houses of the California Legislature.As a leader, I negotiated bills on everything from historic climate goals to increasing access to health care. Real actions that have improved the real lives of individuals, families, and communities.I’ve done the same on state budgets—in good times and bad—balancing eight on-time budgets, building record reserves, and protecting the progress we have made together.The word governor may not be in my job title, but a lot of similar work sure has been in my job descriptions.So that’s a little bit of who I am.Let me also share some of what I am not.Well, I am not a man. As every other California Governor has been.Now don’t get me wrong. I love the two Governors I have worked with. And one of the things I’ve liked best about them is how they respect and promote strong women: Anne Gust Brown and my friend Chief of Staff Nancy McFadden. First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Chief of Staff Dana Williamson. That says a lot.But it’s time to go the extra mile.Many have said that in 2026, it’s time for California to finally elect a woman Governor.As the most qualified candidate running for Governor, who also happens to be a woman, I agree!Look, I am not a product of privilege.After cobbling together scholarships and holding down multiple jobs, I managed to be the first one in my family to go to college. I want California students from every background and every zip code to have that same chance to change their lives and discover new worlds.When I was growing up, being able to live in a double-wide trailer was the dream, so the first time I was able to sign escrow papers and buy a little 950-square-foot house in San Diego, it felt unreal.But it shouldn’t be unreal, it should be reality. Which is why I’ve dedicated much of my career to ensuring that we create more affordable housing and widen the supply of housing—and it’s why I wrote the California Dream for All Act that helps create more homebuyers.You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire to have a home in California.Finally, and I want you to hear this from me before you hear it from some other candidate’s opposition research team:I am not a natural redhead anymore.But believe me, these are the only roots I will ever turn my back on!If someone had told me when I first came to California&nbsp; that I would be here today, I probably would have laughed out loud at how crazy that sounded.I had always been too different.Too poor.Too country.Too gay.But thanks to so many of you here today, I have been part of some amazing teams—teams that not only opened doors for me, but helped so many others find opportunity and realize their dreams.You all know better than most that I am who I am.Do I think my story provides some kind of golden ticket to the governor’s office? Of course not. But my experience defines me.In this campaign and as Governor of California I will stay true to the values I was raised on and the people and causes I’ve spent a lifetime fighting for and fighting with.We’ve got a heck of a lot more work to do if we’re going to get people off our streets and into housing.We’ve got more work to do to help families afford a place to call home in the communities where they work.And we need to do more to help people find work in the amazing economies that make up California.There was a country song that was popular before I came to San Diego.It went something like this: “All the Gold in California is in a Bank in the Middle of Beverly Hills in Somebody Else’s Name.”Remember that one?&nbsp;You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire to make it in California. You should only have to have a dream—and people who care enough to help you reach it.Let’s achieve that dream together.Are you with me?Are you ready?Let’s do this!Thank you!# # #

SAN DIEGO - California Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins announced today before a crowd of hundreds in downtown San Diego that she will run for Governor...

California Senate Leader Toni Atkins announces run to be California's next governor

Atkins, the first lesbian to become speaker of the state Assembly and the first woman and openly LGBTQ person to lead the state Senate as president pro tempore, is familiar with the role as she first filled in for former Gov. Jerry Brown back in 2014. This temporary fill-in falls in line with the California Constitution, which requires governors to put someone else in charge whenever they leave the state.

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California Senate leader Toni Atkins announces bid for governor

It’s Official: Toni Atkins of San Diego Announces Bid for Governor of California in 2026

The nation’s most populous state could elect a lesbian governor in 2026.Longtime California legislator Toni Atkins, a Democrat, announced Friday that she will run for the post. She had said late last year that she was considering a run, but this makes it official.Atkins made her announcement at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. She joins a crowded field of candidates seeking to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom when he leaves office due to term limits.

Lesbian Toni Atkins announces run for California governor in 2026

Voters won’t weigh in for more than two years — the primary election is not until June 2026 — but the race to be California’s next governor is already growing crowded with major contenders.Outgoing state Senate leader&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calmatters.org/legislator-tracker/toni-atkins-1962/">Toni Atkins</a>&nbsp;today&nbsp;became the latest high-ranking Democrat to declare their candidacy, holding a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpTxcK6gSjo">kickoff rally</a>&nbsp;packed with union members in her hometown of San Diego.

California picks its next governor in more than 1,000 days. Why the race is already so crowded

Toni Atkins is the only person in California to have served as both speaker of the Assembly and president of the Senate in the past 150 years. The San Diego Democrat has broken several glass ceilings as a woman and a lesbian. Will she try to break another by running for governor in 2026?

She Broke 2 Glass Ceilings in Sacramento. Will She Try for 3?

State Senate leader Toni Atkins is thinking seriously about running for governor of California. And hopefully she’ll enter the race.

Hardscrabble trailblazer Toni Atkins would be an intriguing candidate for California governor

California prides itself on diversity and inclusion, but to date, all its governors have been straight white men. That could change with the 2026 election, when Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, can’t run due to term limits — and the state could elect its first woman and first lesbian governor.

Could Toni Atkins Be California's First Lesbian Governor?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The first time Toni Atkins acted as the governor of California, she used her powers to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/3aa284fa5c8d46e38231e359e0900133">honor the passing</a> of San Diego Padres baseball player Tony Gwynn while playfully rebuffing Jimmy Kimmel’s advice that she “ <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-jimmy-kimmel-oregon-invasion-acting-california-governor-20140731-story.html">invade Oregon.</a> ”

California’s first lesbian Senate leader could make history again if she runs for governor

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Toni G. Atkins

Huffman’s Hootenanny was a hoot and a half!

It was great to join North Coast leaders to support @JaredHuffman’s re-election! https://t.co/UnI0t2Vmm5

It was great to hear from some of CA’s agriculture producers!

@CaliCotton represents 21 cotton gins and all of the estimated 300-400 cotton growers in CA and @AgProcessors represents our state’s tree nut industry.

These growers are key to our economy and ag industry. https://t.co/3YkaQ6tycb

This week, I toured @Fresno_State and met with President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval &amp; Dean of Agriculture Rolston St. Hilaire. Fresno State enriches the Central Valley &amp; entire state, &amp; I’m committed to supporting them as they provide higher education access to nearly 24,000 students. https://t.co/3ulbTNKISW

It was great to meet with farmers and tour the @driscollsberry research and development center on California’s Central Coast! These growers are an important part of California’s powerhouse agricultural industry and the local economy. https://t.co/sB9wjfHZlK

.@dems4equality’s work opened doors for me and other #LGBTQ+ candidates to run for office - and win! I’m honored to have their endorsement in my campaign to become the first openly LGBTQ+ Governor of California. https://t.co/NFEVfgJJmu