Gloria Romero seeks California lieutenant governor post

Gloria Romero, a Republican and former state legislator, faces Democrat Fiona Ma in the Nov. 3, 2026, election for California lieutenant governor, according to the state’s official voter guide.

The lieutenant governor serves on California’s higher education governing boards and the State Lands Commission, giving the office a role in decisions affecting public colleges, universities and state-owned lands.

The San Rafael Record invited Gloria Romero’s campaign to complete its candidate questionnaire. No response had been received as of publication. The policy positions below are drawn from her public campaign website and published candidate statement.

Candidate information

Party: Republican. Romero switched from the Democratic Party in 2024, according to official voter registration history published by Orange County.

Education: Romero reported earning an associate degree from Barstow Community College and a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, in her Ballotpedia candidate survey. UC Riverside lists her as earning a master’s degree in psychology in 1980 and a doctorate in psychology in 1983, according to its alumni records.

Experience and public service

Romero served on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees from 1995 to 1998 and subsequently served in the California Assembly, where she held the position of majority whip, according to her Pepperdine School of Public Policy biography.

She entered the state Senate in 2001, representing East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. She became the first woman to serve as Senate majority leader, a distinction confirmed by UC Riverside’s alumni biography.

Her legislative leadership also included chairing the Senate Education Committee.

Romero’s professional background includes teaching psychology at Cal State Los Angeles. Pepperdine’s biography also describes her work founding Scholarship Prep Charter School and teaching education policy.

On the issues

The following positions come from Romero’s campaign website and her published candidate statement.

Higher education: Romero supports admissions policies emphasizing academic merit and maintaining college-level standards. She says university officials should be accountable for protecting students from discrimination, including antisemitism.

Community colleges: Romero calls for stronger oversight of fraudulent applications and spending intended to help students gain job skills. She also supports closer coordination between K-12 schools and higher education to improve preparation for college and employment.

Land management and wildfire recovery: Romero supports restructuring state commissions, improving fire prevention and accelerating rebuilding after disasters. Her platform also calls for working with federal officials on energy development.

Women’s sports: Romero says she would defend women’s sports and Title IX protections.

Government spending: Romero advocates closer scrutiny of public spending and greater accountability for education and workforce programs.