State Senator Steven Bradford running for Lieutenant Governor of California

(FOX40.COM) — Southern California Senator Steven Bradford has launched a campaign for lieutenant governor in 2026.

Senator Bradford has served in the State Senate since 2016 and was previously in the Assembly, along with the Gardena City Council.

He was also a member of California’s legislative reparations task force.

Senator Bradford says he believes his background as a fighter within the Legislature will help him in this run for lieutenant governor.

“…I think we’re at a place and time in the state of California where we really need all levels of government working closely,” Bradford said to FOX40.com.

“I have been responsive, I have been engaged, I show up…this is the kind of job that is not about glam, it’s about putting your head down and doing the real work, and I’ve done that for 26 years as an elected official,” he added.

If elected, Senator Bradford would be just the second Black person to hold this role.

His mentor, Mervyn Dymally, was the first, having served from 1975-79.

Bradford, a Democrat who represents parts of Los Angeles County including Inglewood, Compton and Gardena, is the second significant candidate to enter the race.

California Treasurer Fiona Ma announced her campaign last year.

Eleni Kounalakis has been lieutenant governor since 2018 and will be termed out in 2026. She started her 2026 campaign for governor in the spring of 2023, more than three years before the term will begin.

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