Tony ThurmondTony Thurmond

Born to an immigrant mother from Panama, Tony Thurmond and his brother were raised by a cousin they had never met after their mother died when Tony was just six years old. Growing up in poverty, Tony’s family relied on public assistance and great public schools to rise out of hardship, experiences that inspired his lifelong dedication to equity and opportunity for all Californians. He ultimately became a social worker, City Councilmember, School Board Member, Assemblymember, and eventually Superintendent of California’s $150 billion public school system. As State Superintendent, Tony sponsored a law to keep ICE out of California Schools. He helped create universal preschool for 4-year-olds, and universal meals for hungry kids. Thurmond helped pass billions in funds to make schools safer by removing asbestos and other toxins. Tony understands that our political system is broken. From skyrocketing costs of food and groceries to a federal government assaulting our civil liberties, our state is in a crisis. Meanwhile, the billionaires just get richer and richer. That’s why he’s fighting for a tax on billionaires, healthcare for all, abolishing ICE, 2 million new units of housing, finally fully funding our public schools, abortion care that is legal and accessible, getting weapons of war of of our streets, and protecting democracy. We need a leader who will stand up to the billionaires, to the federal government, and fight for everyday working-class Californians. We need Tony Thurmond. On June 2nd, vote Tony Thurmond for Governor. Visit tonythurmond.com.

Superintendent of Public Instruction and former social worker who heads the California Department of Education overseeing K-12 public schools after serving four years in the state Assembly. Positioned to the left of most Democratic competitors, he is the only gubernatorial candidate supporting a proposed one-time tax on billionaires' assets to backfill federal Medi-Cal cuts. His priorities include tax credits for lower-income working families, utilizing school district-owned land for housing development, and increasing public funding for affordable housing construction.

Key endorsements: California Faculty Association, National Association of Social Workers — California.

Tony Thurmond is a lifelong advocate for working families who drew on his own experience growing up in poverty to serve as a public educator, school board member, Richmond City Councilmember, State Assemblymember, and two-term State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He has been a steadfast ally to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023 he traveled to Chino Valley Unified School District to speak out against a policy that would out LGBTQ+ students to their parents and was forcibly removed by security for doing so. He is the only gubernatorial candidate interviewed who openly supports taxing billionaires.

Source (https://www.milkclub.org/endorsements)