Betty Yee, Candidate for Governor of California

Betty Yee is the former California State Controller. She was elected in November 2014, following two terms of service on the California Board of Equalization, the nation’s only elected tax commission. Re-elected in 2018 for a second term as Controller, earning the highest number of votes of any candidate nationwide that year --- over 8 million votes -- - Betty was the 10th woman elected to statewide office in California’s history.

As chief fiscal officer of the world’s then-fifth-largest economy, Betty, among other responsibilities, served as a member of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) boards, whose combined portfolio reached $800 billion.

With over three decades of experience in public service, specializing in state and local finance. Betty earned a BA in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MPA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ceres, Golden Gate University, and College Futures Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.

Betty participated as a Fall 2023 Fellow with the University of Southern California Dornsife Center for the Political Future, where she led a discussion and study group on the relationship of good governance and the health of our democracy. She serves as Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party and is a candidate for Governor in 2026.