Eleni Kounalakis

A Los Angeles Times op-ed argues California should strip party labels from elections for state controller and treasurer, two technical fiscal watchdog roles currently elected like partisan offices. The author, a former controller candidate, contends party affiliation dominates these races—citing research showing partisanship explains over 80% of vote variation in partisan contests versus just 10% in nonpartisan ones—letting incumbents like Controller Malia Cohen and Treasurer Eleni Kounalakis avoid scrutiny of their records. About half of states already treat controller races as nonpartisan, and roughly a third do so for treasurer.

The piece calls for a citizen-led ballot initiative, since the Democratic-controlled Legislature is unlikely to act on its own.

California voters will choose a new lieutenant governor on Nov. 3, as term limits bar both Gov. Gavin Newsom and incumbent Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis from seeking the office again. The race pits Democrat Fiona Ma, the current state treasurer and a former assemblymember and San Francisco supervisor, against Republican Gloria Romero, a former Democratic state Senate majority leader who switched parties in 2024 over disagreements including public safety and COVID mandates.

Ma, backed by the California Democratic Party and major labor and equality groups, says she would focus on affordability through housing production, streamlined business permitting, and more affordable higher education. Romero, endorsed by the California Republican Party, has pledged to cut government "bureaucracy and waste," halve the number of state commissions, and fight antisemitism on college campuses. The position carries duties including chairing the State Lands Commission, serving on university system boards, presiding over the state Senate, and acting as governor when the chief executive is out of state.