Democrat Ian Calderon, former majority leader of the California Assembly, has entered the crowded race to succeed outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026.
Calderon, 39, of Whittier, comes from one of California’s most powerful political families that has endured a dark chapter in recent years.
The family man said he was seeking the governor’s seat to represent the new, younger generation.
“California is not doing enough for us,” Calderon said in a social media video announcing his candidacy on Sept. 23. “My generation pays bills on our phones. We send money to each other on Venmo, and we save in bitcoin. But the people running our government, they’re trying to use yesterday’s ideas to solve today’s problems, and it isn’t working.”…