Fiona Ma and Gloria Romero will face off in California’s lieutenant governor runoff, setting up another Democratic-Republican contest in the November election.
The matchup is drawing attention to the possibility that California’s next governor and lieutenant governor could come from either the same party or opposing parties.
The California Secretary of State’s Office announced June 10 that Ma, the Democratic state treasurer, and Romero, a former state senator running as a Republican, had advanced from the lieutenant governor primary.
With 94% of ballots counted, Ma was in first place with 1,557,800 votes, or 19.1%. Romero followed with 1,468,044 votes, or 18%.
Romero was previously a prominent Democrat. She served as a Democratic lawmaker when she became majority leader of the California Senate.
However, she left the Democratic Party after becoming disillusioned with its presidential nomination process during the 2024 election and later joined the Republican Party.
Romero served in both the California State Assembly and Senate. In 2005, she became the first woman to serve as California Senate majority leader.
She is currently an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy.
Ma also brings extensive experience in state and local government.
A certified public accountant, Ma said in an interview with The Korea Daily in June 2025 that her knowledge of California’s finances and budget distinguished her from the other candidates.
Ma previously served on the California State Board of Equalization, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the California State Assembly.
During her time in the Assembly, she became the first Asian American to serve as speaker pro tempore.
Although the two candidates represent different political parties, they share similar positions on several major policy issues.
Both Ma and Romero support the death penalty.
They also oppose California’s plan to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles beginning in 2035 and a proposed wealth tax targeting billionaires with a net worth of at least $1 billion.
The lieutenant governor’s office is often viewed as largely ceremonial, but it carries several responsibilities in state government.
The lieutenant governor serves on the governing boards that oversee the University of California and California State University systems.
The officeholder may also cast a tie-breaking vote in the California Senate and assumes the governorship if the sitting governor dies, resigns or is removed from office.
The outcome will also determine whether the next lieutenant governor belongs to the same party as California’s next governor.
The November governor’s race will also feature a Democrat against a Republican.
A governor and lieutenant governor from the same party could more easily coordinate on policy priorities. If they come from opposing parties, however, political disagreements could create tension within the state government.
