California Sen. Anna Caballero announces historic run for state treasurer
State senator and former Salinas mayor, Anna Caballero is running for California state treasurer.
If Caballero is successful, she will be the first Latina elected state treasurer in California history—adding to a career of firsts.
"I've dedicated my life to public service—from representing farmworkers to becoming the first Latina Mayor of Salinas, to leading major investments in healthcare, housing, and education in the State Senate," Caballero stated on social media Wednesday. "Now I'm running for State Treasurer to put working families first and recommit to the California Dream."
Before she made history in 1998 as the first woman elected mayor in Salinas, Caballero worked as a lawyer representing farmworkers with California Rural Legal Assistance and co-founded a law firm providing affordable legal services to working families, according to her state senate bio.
She also founded Partners for Peace, a nonprofit that aimed to reduce youth violence by supporting afterschool programs and other youth initiatives across the Salinas Valley.
Caballero got her start in politics serving on the Salinas Planning Commission before being elected to Salinas City Council in 1991.
After serving for 15 years on the Salinas City Council, Caballero went on to become the first Latina elected to represent the 28th Assembly District in 2006.
Five years later in 2011, she was appointed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown to his cabinet, serving as secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.
There, Caballero oversaw 16,000 employees and a $27 billion budget—managing civil rights enforcement, consumer protections, building standards, pension funds and the licensing of over 3.4 million professionals statewide.
Caballero returned to the Assembly in 2016, before being termed out in 2018, when she once again made history as the first Latina elected to represent California's 12th Senate District.
She currently serves as representative for the 14th Senate District, post-redistricting. Her term ends in 2026.
The state treasurer acts as the state's banker and manages California's finances.
The office has grown since it was established in 1849 as part of the California Constitution to act as steward of public funds.
In 2024, the Office of the State Treasurer served as agent for sale on "$20.6 billion of bonds on behalf of the state, state agencies and state financing authorities, managed trillions in banking transactions, and managed an investment portfolio that finished the year with $155.4 billion in assets," according to the state treasurer's office.
The state treasurer also serves as the chair of 17 boards, commissions, and authorities.
The current state treasurer, Fiona Ma, cannot run again due to term limits. Ma has declared her intention to run for lieutenant governor.
So far, along with Caballero, former mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf and current member of the California State Board of Equalization, Tony Vazquez are also running for state treasurer.
The statewide primary election is scheduled to take place on June 2, 2026. The top two vote-getters will then move on to compete in the general election in November.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Former Salinas mayor declares run for California state treasurer
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