Fiona Ma seeks California lieutenant governor seat Nov. 3

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma is running for lieutenant governor as a Democrat in the Nov. 3 general election.

She faces Republican Gloria Romero.

Ma, a certified public accountant, said on her campaign website that her background in accounting and financial oversight drives her bid. She has served as treasurer since 2019.

The information below is drawn from candidate responses, campaign materials and BallotReady profile data.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Current office: California state treasurer (2019–present)
Education: Bachelor's in accounting, Rochester Institute of Technology (1988); master's in taxation, Golden Gate University (1992); MBA, Pepperdine University (2000)
Licensed CPA since: 1992

Ma said she is the oldest child of immigrant parents. Her family moved to San Francisco in 1985. She said she is the first woman of color and the first woman CPA elected as state treasurer, first winning the seat Nov. 6, 2018, and winning re-election in 2022.

Experience and public service

Accountant, Ernst & Young (1988–1994)
Tax accountant, Fiona Ma, CPA (1994–2002)
District representative for Sen. John L. Burton (1995–2001)
Supervisor, District 4, San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2002–2006)
State Assembly member, District 12 (2006–2012), serving as majority whip and speaker pro tempore
Board member, District 2, California State Board of Equalization (2014–2019)
California state treasurer (2019–present)

Ma said she also serves on the boards of CalPERS and CalSTRS, the state's largest pension funds.

On the issues

Economy and budget: Ma said she oversees the disbursement of $3.7 trillion per year as treasurer and manages an investment portfolio of $150-$250 billion per year. As lieutenant governor, she said she would fight to grow the economy and create jobs.

Housing: Ma said she is committed to building more housing so everyone can afford to live in California.

Health care: Ma said she would continue fighting for health care access, noting she has a pre-existing condition.

Public safety: Ma said she championed legislation to end human trafficking in massage parlors, expand rights for domestic abuse survivors and ban toxic chemicals in baby products. She said nearly 60 other proposals she authored were signed into law.

Environment and investing: Ma said she has advocated on the CalPERS and CalSTRS boards for socially responsible and climate-smart investing.