Guest Opinion: I’m running for Lt. Gov to upend business as usual

California is about to answer a revealing question: Do we want new leadership or do we want things to stay business as usual?

We keep hearing elected officials say they’re problem solvers and yet problems in California keep getting bigger. And we say that Democrats give a voice to the LGBTQ+ community, but yet we’ve only had one elected openly LGBTQ+ person in statewide office – and his term ends in 2027.

I’m a former mayor and city councilmember in Sausalito, an environmental lawyer, and a small business owner. I founded the Center for Sea Rise Solutions to help communities and insurers manage the economic risks of wildfires, floods, storms, and rising seas. I'm also the only openly LGBTQ+ woman running for statewide office at a time when female and gay representation is dwindling in the halls of power.

Most people think of the lieutenant governor as a ceremonial “backup” role. In reality, it’s one of the most consequential jobs in California. The lieutenant governor is the only statewide official who sits on the governing boards of all three public higher-education systems – UC, CSU, and community colleges – and also serves on key climate and economic bodies, including the state lands commission, the ocean protection council, the coastal commission, and the commission for economic development. These are the rooms where decisions about tuition, housing, jobs, energy, and long-term economic strategy actually get made. Not just for coastal cities, but for inland communities, rural towns, and suburbs across the state. When President Donald Trump says “drill, baby, drill” off our coast, it’s the lieutenant governor’s votes on the state lands commission and coastal commission that help decide whether that agenda becomes reality in California.

I never thought I’d run for office. Yet the challenges facing California have grown – from rising costs of living to climate-driven disasters threatening our communities and economy. When I saw problems that no one else was fixing, I stepped up. First as a city councilmember, then as mayor, and now through my work bringing together leaders on climate resilience, equity, and jobs.

It’s frustrating to see California politicians talking a lot and not taking bold action. We have one-party control in Sacramento with the Democrats, but we’re not acting like a state that understands the emergency we’re in. How is it that they were caught off-guard by the wildfires, by the housing crisis, by the cost of living rising to the point where Californians are moving away, or worse, landing on the streets?

I was tired of asking these questions and getting the runaround with no answers. I’m running for this office to use it as an operating job, not a talking point – aligning climate action, economic development, and higher education instead of treating them as separate fights.

Year-round fire prevention that reduces the overall cost to the state needs to be a priority. There are going to be continual California wildfires – we have to plan a future where we withstand them with prevention and resilience that actually reduce the damage and costs.

We have neglected the problems with affordable housing for too long. The fact that housing prices are so high that people can’t afford to rent or buy a home is unacceptable. It’s time to declare it the state of emergency that it is and take action. For LGBTQ+ youth and seniors – who already face higher rates of homelessness and housing instability – this isn’t abstract policy, it’s survival.

And as lieutenant governor, one of the biggest impacts I can have is on our university and college system. Residents who pay tax dollars to California should be able to go to school in the Golden State.

We need education and curriculum that are directly aligned with real careers. Right now, too many students are graduating without a clear pathway to a job in California.

On the UC, CSU, and community college boards, I will push to make sure campuses are affordable and safe for LGBTQ+ students, that we expand mental health support and affirming care, and that workforce programs are aligned with the jobs of the future – from climate resilience and clean energy to health care and advanced manufacturing – with clear pathways into those careers.

California doesn’t need another bureaucrat in a ceremonial job. It needs a lieutenant governor who will treat this office like the lever it is – to get things done and ensure California’s future as a leader not as a state just reacting to crises.

I’m asking our community – and the leaders who claim to represent us – to pave the way for future generations by supporting a qualified, experienced LGBTQ+ candidate in the face of establishment politics. The Democratic Party is suffering – a failure to use our voices contributes to our own demise.

We won’t change anything or move forward if we keep electing the same people. Let’s step it up.

Janelle Kellman, a Democrat and gay woman, is an environmental attorney and former Sausalito City Council member who is running for lieutenant governor in 2026. For more information, go to janellekellman.com.