Every Democrat on this list can be expected to work in general harmony with Democratic governors and in opposition to major policies of the Trump administration.
There are differences in their backgrounds, but only minor policy differences, including the participation of trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.
With an excerpt of their survey responses, listed alphabetically:
Richard BarreraThe 59-year-old was a longtime school board member at San Diego Unified, the state’s second-largest school system, a senior adviser to Thurmond and a local labor union executive before that.
“The three experiences that best suit me for this office are those that required me to navigate a public school system, execute policy inside a state agency, and understand the realities of the workforce in practice,” Barrera said.
Wendy Castaneda-LealThe 42-year-old has pursued a career in more rural areas, currently serving as superintendent for Semitropical Elementary School District, a K-8 school with about 140 students on Highway 46 in Kern County. She has also been the Director of Whole Child Education for the Roseland School District and the Principal of a secondary alternative school.
“I lead districtwide efforts aligned with California’s priorities by advancing equity, strengthening academic achievement, and expanding supports for the whole child, including multilingual learners and disadvantaged student populations,” Castañeda-Leal said. “I also bring extensive site leadership experience as a principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels, where I improved student outcomes.”
nickel henderson
(Courtesy of Nichelle Henderson)
nickel hendersonThe 57-year-old is an elected trustee of the Los Angeles Community College District. Her education career began as a teaching assistant. She later taught sixth grade math and science at Compton Unified. She is currently a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor in the Cal State teacher preparation program.
“It’s clear among the Democratic candidates that there are candidates who are seeking this position because they want a safe place to land after the nomination,” Henderson said. “My goal is to build the capacity of our K-12 public schools to prepare students for higher education and to participate in the local and global workforce.”
anne long41, San Francisco Unified middle school math department chair, ran without any significant resources four years ago and came within less than 1 percentage point of making the runoff. It helped, then, that no Democrats ran against Thurmond and that Republican challengers split the Republican vote. Long then had – and still has – the ballot designation: “Public School Teacher.” He is also a former senior administrator at a charter-school group.
“One of the jobs of the (state superintendent) is to measure the effectiveness of our laws (in practice – what actually happens), and help find better ways to educate our body,” Long said. “The people closest to the work are closest to the problems of the practice, so they are the first to see solutions.”
Al Muratsuchi
(Photo courtesy of Al Muratsuchi)
Al Muratsuchi61, represents the 66th Assembly District, encompassing parts of the South Bay, and has been chairman of the State Assembly Education Committee. He taught briefly at the college level and served as an elected board member of the Torrance Unified School District.
Muratsuchi said, “I am the only candidate running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction with combined experience in statewide education policy leadership, local school district administration as a former Torrance Unified School District Board Trustee, and classroom teacher.” He said he has written 23 bills related to education that have been signed and become laws.
josh newman
(Josh Newman)
josh newman61, has been a state senator, including as chairman of the Education Committee, and a technology company executive. He served in the military and taught briefly at both the college and middle school levels.
“Among the Democrats in this race, the most significant difference is between the candidates whose vision for this office is organized primarily around labor relations and funding advocacy, and my own, which emphasizes accountability, outcomes, and the full range of students’ needs, along with continued investment,” Newman said.
Anthony Rendon
(Photo courtesy of Rendon Campaign)
Anthony RendonThe 58-year-old was state Assembly speaker from 2016-23, previously served as director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services and chief operating officer of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation.
He talked about “the role of technology in the erosion of youth mental health and happiness. The next superintendent needs to properly enforce California’s ban on phones in classrooms, be at the forefront of setting policies on the use of generative AI, and ensure that teachers have the training and support to make sure learning happens in the classroom.”
Neither candidate received enough votes to win the Democratic Party’s endorsement. match Was as follows: Henderson: 24.75%; Muratsuchi 21.97%; Rendon 17.43%; Newman 16.82%; Barrera 12.77%.
