Jennifer Hawks seeks California treasurer post

Jennifer Hawks, a Republican from the Bay Area, is running for California treasurer in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Democrat Eleni Kounalakis, according to the California Secretary of State’s voter guide.

California voters will help choose the official who manages state investments and administers the sale of state bonds and notes. Hawks emphasizes financial transparency, accountability and oversight in her statement in the California Secretary of State’s voter guide.

The San Rafael Record candidate questionnaire was sent to Jennifer Hawks’ campaign. No response was received as of Oct. 27, 2026. The policy positions below are drawn from her public campaign website and public records.

Hawks advanced from the June 2 primary with 2,063,253 votes, or 24%, according to the state’s official results.

Candidate information

Party: Republican.
Office sought: California treasurer.
Professional background: Retired business executive, according to her campaign website.

CalMatters describes Hawks as a Bay Area party activist and former private school administrator.

Experience and public service

Hawks’ campaign website describes her professional experience as focused on managing budgets and business operations.

In her statement in the state voter guide, Hawks presents herself as a business professional seeking greater scrutiny of public finances.

“The Treasurer cannot rewrite the state budget or create new laws, but the office can demand transparency, strengthen oversight, and shine a light on how taxpayer dollars are managed,” she states.

On the issues

The following positions come from Hawks’ campaign website and state voter guide statement.

Transparency and accountability: Hawks proposes making information about borrowing, spending allocations and debt payments easier for the public to understand. Her campaign calls for evaluating programs by their results.

She says she would question spending decisions and seek to expose waste, fraud and mismanagement.

Debt and borrowing costs: Hawks supports a disciplined approach to state borrowing and maintaining strong credit ratings. Her campaign argues that lower borrowing costs would benefit schools, local governments and infrastructure projects.

Public pensions: Hawks says pension and investment decisions should prioritize the people who earned those benefits. She opposes using investment decisions to advance political objectives.

Housing and public financing: Hawks identifies housing finance as an area for greater oversight, including scrutiny of project costs and whether publicly supported developments deliver promised results.