Tony Thurmond focusing on "MAGA extremists" while eyeing CA governor run in 2026
Tony Thurmond focusing on "MAGA extremists" while eyeing CA governor run in 2026
Tony Thurmond, the current California Superintendent of Public Instruction announced via Twitter he is "seriously considering" a run for governor in 2026.
"Right now I'm fully focused on my job as State Superintendent- from taking on MAGA extremists who want to ban books to defending classroom teachers and students against the constant assault on our democracy" Thurmond shared in a tweet.
Thurmond is the 28th and current California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
He has served in elected office for over 15 years, including on the Richmond City Council, the West Contra Costa Unified School Board, and the California State Assembly.
Thurmond is a Democrat, former social worker, and educator. His accomplishments in the current role as California State Superintendent of Public Instruction include:
Secured $20,000 grants for 10,000 school counselors and launched a campaign to recruit student mental health support
Included $184 million in the 2022-2023 State Budget for teacher and school counselor residency programs.
Expanded an existing $350 million in residency programs to school counselors.
Thurmond received criticism for his role in school closures during the pandemic. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit California in March 2020, schools across the state were closed for an extended period of time.
Thurmond didn't have the authority to order schools to close, but he did have a lot of influence. He worked closely with county school superintendents to make sure that schools were closed. He also helped to develop plans for how schools could reopen safely.
Thurmond's leadership
Thurmond was accused of creating a toxic work environment at the California Department of Education (CDE), in his first term. Nearly two dozen senior officials left the agency after Thurmond entered office in 2019, and several of them accused him of humiliating and intimidating staff.
California schools chief churns through top aides in allegedly toxic workplace
The allegations of a toxic workplace at the CDE were the subject of several news reports, including a September 2021 article in Politico. The article cited nine former state education officials who said that morale was so low and turnover so high that the CDE could not efficiently operate.
Opinion: The next governor of California will have a lot of responsibility. He or she will be responsible for the lives of over 40 million people and the future of the state's economy, environment, and culture. If he runs and is elected, Thurmond would be responsible for representing all Californians.
California is a very Democratic state, and there is not a large MAGA presence here. However, there are other political problems that California faces, such as:
Homelessness: California has a severe homelessness problem, with an estimated 171,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. This is due to a number of factors, including high housing costs, a lack of affordable housing, and a shortage of mental health and addiction treatment services.
Income inequality: California has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the country. The top 1% of earners in California take home more than 20% of the state's income, while the bottom 20% of earners take home less than 5% of the state's income.
Water scarcity. The state experiences long periods of drought. The state is also facing increasing demands for water from a growing population and a changing climate.
Transportation: California's transportation system is congested and inefficient. The state is facing a shortage of public transportation options, and traffic congestion is a major problem in many areas.
Thurmond said over the coming months he will be seriously exploring a run for Governor in 2026, and he's formed a committee to begin that process. If he does decide to, he will need to do more to solve issues that affect every Californian, and not just invoke Maga, mega MAGA, ultra MAGA etc. etc.
Black Political Opinion is a multi-part opinion-editorial series that looks at various political topics, news, and views, from the perspective of a Black female, conservative leaning Independent, who voted for Biden in 2020. Follow me on Twitter @MsLashaunTurner and @MsBlackPolitics.
Read More Black Political Opinion:
Black Political Opinion: What have Democrats done for Blacks? Ice Cube says "nothing has changed"
Black Political Opinion: NAACP travel warning for Florida, but not Chicago?
Black Political Opinion: Blacks are getting played not paid. Read Newsom's statement on reparations
Black Political Opinion: Jordan Neely- a life cut short by Daniel Penny, not racism