By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
Editor’s Note:
This California Black Media Q&A series with California’s gubernatorial candidates is intended to inform voters about where the candidates for governor stand on key issues. The opinions, assertions, and claims expressed are those of the candidates and have not been independently verified; they may or may not be supported by publicly available data.
Former California State Controller Betty Yee has spent more than four decades shaping fiscal policy and public finance in the Golden State. A San Francisco native and daughter of Chinese immigrants, Yee rose from working in her family’s small business to managing the finances of what is now the world’s fifth-largest economy.
She served two terms as California’s chief fiscal officer from 2015 to 2023 after earlier representing Northern California on the California State Board of Equalization, building a reputation for fiscal oversight and government accountability.
Now a candidate in the 2026 race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, Yee spoke with California Black Media about her campaign, which she says is rooted in restoring opportunity for working families and ensuring state government delivers for communities that have long been left behind.
Her answers have been edited for length and clarity.
What inspired you to run for governor of California?
I remember a time when government did a better job of creating opportunities for people and providing the support families needed to succeed and thrive. The economy felt more accessible then, and there were clearer pathways for people to build stable lives and move forward.
Over more than four decades in public service, I’ve watched those opportunities become harder for many Californians to reach. My decision to run for governor comes from a desire to restore that sense of possibility and make California work for everyone.
That means bringing fiscal discipline to state government while keeping a strong focus on what I call our frontline communities — those that bear disproportionate burdens, whether environmental impacts or economic hardship. Ultimately, my goal is to ensure the state delivers for those communities and creates real opportunities for people to succeed.
You’ve spoken often about leadership and accountability. What does it mean to you to be an “accountability governor,” and how would you measure results?
Accountability begins with clearly defining goals. When legislation is proposed or programs are funded, we should state upfront what outcomes we expect to see. Those benchmarks should be developed with the communities affected by those policies — especially low-income communities and communities of color. If we are spending public resources without working toward clear outcomes, we have to ask whether that money is truly being used effectively.
For me, accountability also means inviting scrutiny. Communities should be able to hold government responsible for improving living conditions and delivering meaningful change. If programs aren’t working, we should be willing to reevaluate them.
Artificial intelligence is becoming a growing concern when it comes to protecting workers and families. What policies would you pursue around AI?
Last year I proposed creating a Workers First Fund, seeded by some of the early profits AI companies are generating. As companies become more efficient through AI, many workers will inevitably be displaced. We’re already seeing this happen.
A Workers First Fund could provide temporary assistance for displaced workers while also helping them retrain for jobs that will require stronger AI-related skills. We should move toward a more worker-centered approach to AI deployment so that technology serves people rather than simply maximizing corporate efficiency.
Housing affordability is another major issue this election cycle. What is your affordable housing plan, and how does it differ from your competitors?
Many candidates will talk about affordability in similar ways, but I approach housing with a few key differences.
First, we have to acknowledge the historic barriers around housing in this country. Early housing covenants excluded communities of color, so equity must be part of today’s affordable housing conversation.
Housing policy also cannot exist in isolation. When we build housing, we should also consider economic development. If communities include both housing and opportunities for businesses and jobs, we can create neighborhoods that are economically and environmentally sustainable.
We also need to reduce development costs, particularly land costs, which are often the most expensive part of housing projects. Community land trusts are another promising model. In these cases, nonprofits or local governments own the land while housing is built on top of it, helping ensure affordability for generations.
Finally, we must stabilize housing for renters. For many people, the path to homeownership is longer today than it used to be.
Our organization has written extensively about the Stop the Hate program, which is currently set to lose funding in 2026. What would you do to continue or expand that work?
I believe we need a permanent funding source for this work. Hate crimes affect many communities, and unfortunately this problem isn’t going away. The divisions we’re seeing in national politics may even worsen it.
But one positive outcome of programs like Stop the Hate has been the way they bring communities together. Communities of color, immigrant communities and others have been able to build alliances and support each other.
Going forward, we should not only track and report hate crimes but also focus on long-term institutional change. That means addressing disparities in education, health care access and other basic services that many communities still struggle to obtain.
Health care access has also become a major concern after federal cuts and policy changes. As governor, how would you protect healthcare access without creating a major budget deficit?
We may have to raise revenue to offset some of the federal funding losses. There is already discussion about a potential wealth tax targeting billionaires, which I support. California also has temporary tax increases set to expire before 2030, and protecting those revenues will be important.
While I support a single-payer healthcare system in principle, it cannot happen overnight — especially given the current federal political climate, which could limit the waivers needed to restructure federal healthcare funding.
Instead, we should start by strengthening the healthcare workforce across California. I often describe this as a “Marshall Plan” for healthcare workforce development.