Former Assemblymember Ian Calderon, a member of a prolific family in modern California politics, is entering the crowded race to become California’s next governor, he announced Tuesday.
The 39-year-old from Whittier announced his candidacy in a video posted to social media, where he touted his youthfulness as part of a “new generation of leadership” and vowed to fix California’s affordability crisis.
“I’m a Democrat who believes in working families, small businesses and common sense solutions,” he said. “Not the political extremes holding California back.”
Elected to the assembly in 2012, representing District 57 in Los Angeles County, Calderon served as the Assembly Majority Leader from 2016 to 2020. He chose not to run for reelection in 2020, citing the desire to spend more time with his young family.
Since leaving office, he founded lobbying firm Majority Advisors and served as its CEO.
Now, he’s seeking a return to Sacramento, where his family has been a mainstay in the state government for decades. Calderon’s father, Charles, served in both the assembly and the state senate in his political career spanning from 1982 to 2012, including an unsuccessful run for attorney general in 1998.
Calderon’s uncles Ron and Tom both had stints in the assembly, with Ron also serving two terms in the state senate from 2006 to 2014. Now, Calderon’s stepmother Lisa is representing the 57th District in the Assembly, his former seat.
In his first post to X after announcing his gubernatorial candidacy, Calderon advocated for California to be “the undisputed leader on Bitcoin,” a cryptocurrency he also referenced in his announcement video.
Calderon joins a massive and growing Democratic field for the governorship in 2026 with the impending departure of Gov. Gavin Newsom. Current candidates include former Rep. Katie Porter, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, former mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa, former President pro tempore of the California State Senate Toni Atkins and founder of Diamond Resorts Stephen Cloobeck.
