Former California State Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon announced Monday he was entering the race for California governor in 2026. His campaign launch focused on his youthfulness and adapting legislation to fit today’s technology and problems.
Calderon, a Democrat who represented Whitter, was 27 when he was first elected as a state assemblymember, making him the first millennial elected into office in the state. Three years later, he became the youngest assembly majority leader in California history. According to data from the Young Elected Leaders Project, the average age of a state legislator is 51.5 years old.
“We just need a seat at the table,” said Calderon in an interview with Annenberg Media about the importance of politicians listening to young people. “I do have a perspective that’s important, and this [legislature] is going to be significantly impactful on my generation and future generations. [So], it’s important that you guys hear that perspective.”
Now 39, Calderon acknowledges that those who are going to be the most affected by the changes in policies should be a part of the decision-making process.
“You’re not going to solve poverty, you’re not going to solve homelessness, you’re not going to solve people feeling like they can’t own a home here, that they can’t raise their family here… unless you address this root cause,” said Calderon. “You [need to] declare a state of emergency and come up with a specific set of regulations and policies to bring us out of this crisis situation and continue to reevaluate it.”
Calderon’s priorities include making housing affordable, expanding childcare access, and lowering the cost of living. He plans to “veto any new laws that increase the cost of gas and reestablish California’s energy independence” according to his campaign website. He also supports the use of cryptocurrency and gives supporters the option to donate to his campaign using Bitcoin.
His approach to creating affordable housing is to put “a moratorium on regulations that increase the cost of building homes, and stop Wall Street and foreign investors from buying up neighborhoods” according to his campaign website.
“We’ve almost set up this system of indentured servitude in terms of renting and the cost of renting,” said Calderon. “Most Americans can’t afford a $400 surprise expense.”
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center, a single adult in California needs to make an estimate of $112,000 to live comfortably. However, the average salary for a single adult in the state is about $76,000. For families, the cost is almost double.
With entry-level positions starting at $32,000 per year, according to ZipRecruiter, young people entering the workforce are forced to move out of state or live with relatives to make up for the wage gap. As of last month, California’s unemployment rate was 5.5% meaning that about a million people in the civilian labor force were seeking work.
Calderon believes the best way to increase job accessibility is to make it easier for businesses to exist and grow in California, thus expanding the job market.
“You face a lot of issues around duplicative regulation, unnecessary regulation, lack of streamlining of regulation… that’s just not a sustainable model,” said Calderon. “And for me, good government is fixing that up… that’s how you’re going to start tackling those cost of living issues and being able to find employment.”
While polls show that California voters are looking for a governor that takes action on the housing crisis, recent conflict between Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump have sparked concerns about state autonomy.
If he wins the election, Calderon says his strategy is fighting for California values nationally when necessary, but mainly focusing on changes in-state.
“You’re still the governor of California or an elected official in California,” said Calderon. “Focus on that being your number one priority and solving our problems, which you really have the power to do and the authority to do and rely on our federal elected officials and work closely with them, and work closely with the Attorney General and initiate litigation when necessary.”
Calderon comes from a family of politicians. His father, Charles Calderon, is a former member of the state senate. Ian Calderon’s stepmother, Lisa Calderon, now holds his former seat representing Whittier in the state assembly. Two of the candidate’s uncles also served in the state legislature before serving time in federal prison for corruption.
Calderon joins a crowded field of Democrats vying for governor’s office, including former Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and former California State Controller Betty Yee. Republicans in the race include Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton.
The primary election is set for June 2, 2026.