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Every Democrat on this list could be expected to work in general harmony with a Democratic governor and in opposition to key Trump administration policies.<\/p>\n
There are differences in their backgrounds, but only minor policy divergences, including on the participation of trans athletes in women\u2019s and girls\u2019 sports.<\/p>\n
Listed in alphabetical order, with an excerpt from their survey responses:<\/p>\n
Richard Barrera, 59, is a longtime school board member in San Diego Unified, the state\u2019s second-largest school system, a senior advisor to Thurmond and before that was a local labor union executive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe three experiences that best qualify me for this office are the ones that required me to govern a public school system, execute policy inside the state agency, and understand workforce realities in practice,\u201d Barrera said.<\/p>\n
Wendy Casta\u00f1eda-Leal, 42, has pursued a career in more rural areas, currently serving as superintendent for the Semitropic Elementary School District, which has one TK-8 school with about 140 students off Highway 46 in Kern County. She\u2019s also been director of whole child education for Roseland School District and a secondary alternative school principal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI lead districtwide efforts aligned with California\u2019s priorities by advancing equity, strengthening academic achievement, and expanding supports for the whole child, including multilingual learners and underserved student populations,\u201d Casta\u00f1eda-Leal said. \u201cI also bring extensive site leadership experience as a principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels, where I improved student outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Nichelle Henderson<\/p>\n
(Courtesy of Nichelle Henderson.)<\/p>\n
Nichelle Henderson, 57, is an elected trustee of the Los Angeles Community College District. Her education career began as a teaching assistant. She later taught sixth grade math and science in Compton Unified. She\u2019s currently a faculty advisor and clinical field supervisor in a Cal State teacher preparation program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat it is clear among Democratic candidates is that there are candidates that are seeking this position because they want a safe place to land after having termed out,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cMy goal is to build the capacity of our TK-12 public schools to prepare students for higher education and to participate in the local and global workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ainye Long, 41, a San Francisco Unified middle school math department chair, ran four years ago with no significant resources and came within less than 1 percentage point of making the runoff. It helped then that no Democrat ran against Thurmond and that Republican challengers divided the Republican vote. Long also had then \u2014 and still has \u2014 the ballot designation: \u201cpublic school teacher.\u201d She also is a past senior administrator at a charter-school group.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne job of the [state superintendent] is to measure the effectiveness [in practice \u2014 what actually happens] of our laws, and help to find better ways to educate our body,\u201d Long said. \u201cThe people closest to the work are closest to the problems of practice, so they\u2019re the first to see the solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Al](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777633692_308_.jpeg\")
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Al Muratsuchi<\/p>\n
(Photo courtesy of Al Muratsuchi)<\/p>\n
Al Muratsuchi, 61, represents the 66th Assembly District, encompassing parts of the South Bay, and has been the chair of the state Assembly education committee. He taught briefly at the college level and served as an elected board member of the Torrance Unified School District.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am the only candidate running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction with the combined experience of statewide education policy leadership, … local school district governance as a former Torrance Unified School District board trustee, and classroom educator,\u201d Muratsuchi said, adding that he authored 23 education-related bills that were signed into law.<\/p>\n
![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777633692_404_.jpeg\")
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Josh Newman <\/p>\n
(Josh Newman)<\/p>\n
Josh Newman, 61, has been a state senator, including chairing the education committee, and a technology company executive. He served in the Army and taught briefly both at the college and middle school levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmong the Democrats in this race, the most significant distinction is between candidates whose approach to this office is primarily organized around labor relationships and funding advocacy, and my own, which emphasizes accountability, outcomes, and the full range of students\u2019 needs alongside continued investment,\u201d Newman said.<\/p>\n
![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777633692_130_.jpeg\")
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Anthony Rendon <\/p>\n
(Photo courtesy of Rendon campaign)<\/p>\n
Anthony Rendon, 58, was state Assembly Speaker from 2016-23, previously directed Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services and served as chief operating officer for Mexican American Opportunity Foundation.<\/p>\n
He spoke of \u201cthe role that technology is playing in the degradation of youth mental health and happiness. The next superintendent needs to properly implement California\u2019s ban on phones in classrooms, be ahead of the curve in establishing policies on generative AI use, and make sure teachers have the training and support they need to make sure the classroom is about learning.\u201d<\/p>\n