2026 California State Board of Equalization elections
November 3, 2026
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All 4 seats on the California State Board of Equalization | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in California |
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The 2026 California State Board of Equalization elections will be taking place on November 3, 2026, to elect all four seats of the State Board of Equalization, with the non-partisan blanket primary election taking place on June 2, 2026.
Overview
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ted Gaines[a] | Republican | ||||
| 2nd | Sally Lieber | Democratic | ||||
| 3rd | Tony Vazquez[a] | Democratic | ||||
| 4th | Mike Schaefer[a] | Democratic | ||||
District 1
The incumbent is Republican Ted Gaines, who was re-elected in 2022 with 55.5% of the vote. He is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. District 1 encompasses much of inland California, stretching from Modoc County and Sisiyou County on the Oregon border to Southern California to include a portion of San Bernardino County.
Candidates
Declared
- Nelson Esparza (Democratic), Fresno city councilmember[1][2]
- Shannon Grove (Republican), state senator from the 12th district[3][2]
- Nader F. Shahatit (Republican), tax consultant[2]
- Donald E. Williamson (Democratic), San Bernardino County Assessor[2]
Endorsements
- US Representatives
- Doug LaMalfa, CA-01 (2013-2026) (deceased)[3]
- State officials
- Ted Gaines, incumbent Board of Equalization member[3]
District 2
The incumbent is Democrat Sally Lieber, who was elected in 2022 with 69.8% of the vote and is eligible to run for a second term. District 2 encompasses a majority of coastal California, stretching from Del Norte County on the Oregon border to Ventura County, near Los Angeles County.
Candidates
Declared
- Sally Lieber (Democratic), incumbent member of the Board of Equalization[4][2]
- John Pimentel (Democratic), trustee for the San Mateo County Community College District[2]
- Bill Shireman (Republican), founder of Future500[5][2]
District 3
The incumbent is Democrat Tony Vazquez, who was re-elected in 2022 with 70.4% of the vote. He is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election, instead running for state treasurer.[6] District 3 encompasses the entirety of Los Angeles County.
Candidates
Declared
- Mike Gipson (Democratic), state assemblymember from the 65th district (2014-present)[7][2]
- Yvonne Yiu (Democratic), city councilmember of Monterey Park[2]
Declined
- Ben Allen (Democratic), state senator from the 24th district[4] (running for insurance commissioner)
Endorsements
- Statewide officials
- Malia Cohen, California State Controller (2023-present)[7]
- Tony Vazquez, incumbent California State Board of Equalization member (2019-present)[7]
- State legislators
- Robert Rivas, Speaker of the California State Assembly (2023-present) and state assemblymember from the 29th district (2018-present)[7]
District 4
The incumbent is Democrat Mike Schaefer, who was re-elected in 2022 with 58.8% of the vote. He is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. District 4 is in Southern California and encompasses a portion of Greater Los Angeles, including a portion of San Bernardino County and the entirety of Orange County, Riverside County, San Diego County, and Imperial County.
Candidates
Declared
- Martin Arias (Democratic), San Diego County Assesor's Office Taxpayer Advocate[2]
- Denis Bilodeau (Republican), Orange city councilmember and Orange County Water District Board Member[8][2]
- Gardner Osborne (Libertarian)[2]
- Cody Petterson (Democratic), Chief Deputy for the Fourth District of the Board of Equalization[9][2]
- Tom Umberg (Democratic), state senator from the 34th district[8][10][2]
Declined
- Chris Duncan (Democratic), former San Clemente city councilmember (running for state senate)[11]
Notes
References
- ^ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (January 15, 2026). "The tax proposal Bay Area CEOs don't hate". POLITICO. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Board of Equalization" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ a b c Segall, Peter (August 27, 2025). "Grove seeks seat on Board of Equalization". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ a b "California Secretary of State - CalAccess - Campaign Finance". cal-access.sos.ca.gov. Archived from the original on July 2, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ "Our Board of Directors". Future500. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (March 10, 2025). "Aftershocks from a possible Harris run". Politico. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
There have been loud rumblings in recent weeks that Kounalakis is considering running for state treasurer...it could complicate the path for the candidates already in that race: former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Board of Equalization member Tony Vazquez.
- ^ a b c d Jones, Blake; Gardiner, Dustin (January 8, 2025). "Dems tack right on immigration". Politico. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Sen. Umberg Announces Bid for Board of Equalization". MyNewsLA.com. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ "Cody Petterson for Board of Equalization". Cody Petterson for Board of Equalization. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Blake; Bluth, Rachel; Gardiner, Dustin (November 25, 2025). "Frontline GOPers caught in health care jam". POLITICO. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ "Chris Duncan for State Senate". Chris Duncan for State Senate. Retrieved December 16, 2025.