Progressive hero seeks political comeback in California
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Michael Tubbs speaks during the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit at Detroit Opera House on October 03, 2022 in Detroit. Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, Calif. who became a hero to progressives, is seeking a political return years after pushing guaranteed income during the presidency of former President Trump and losing his reelection bid.
The big picture: Tubbs tells Axios he is running for lieutenant governor in California and will make fighting poverty the cornerstone of his election in 2026.
- Tubbs made national news by defeating GOP incumbent Anthony Silva to become the community's youngest and first Black mayor. That same night, Trump shocked the nation and won the presidency.
- Tubbs immediately shot to national stardom among liberals who sought new, bold ideas to fight poverty, violence and educational inequality.
State of play: He attracted private funds to experiment with a basic income plan that critics dismissively called "free money" for the poor.
- He also organized former prison inmates to keep peace among gangs and got more private donations to provide scholarships to the city's poor high school students, all shown in the HBO documentary, "Stockton on My Mind."
Yes, but: Tubbs lost his reelection bid in 2020 to a little-known Republican challenger after a blog's vicious social media campaign in a community with very little traditional media.
- Tubbs also faced backlash from some Stockton residents about the national attention he was getting.
What we're watching: The lieutenant governor's seat in California is an important political stepping stone. (Gov. Gavin Newsom served as lieutenant governor.) The role is expected to draw a crowded field.
- Tubbs has name recognition and a multiethnic following, including Asian Americans and Latinos, which could help him rise to the top tier.
"I've been in Stockton for a decade, doing local government and helping us to exit bankruptcy...," Tubbs said. "I think folks who care about results and not rhetoric...they'll gravitate to the campaign."
Zoom in: Tubbs' announcement comes after he spent months touring California and researching policy solutions to income inequality.
- His nonprofit, End Poverty in California (EPIC), participated in a multiyear listening tour of the state's 58 counties to hear directly from residents struggling with poverty.
- Influenced by New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's "poverty tour" of the 1960s, EPIC collected stories and crafted legislative proposals aimed at tackling barriers to upward mobility.
What he's saying: "It's really those conversations, and people's belief that things could get better by sharing their stories that got me thinking about like, 'Hey, maybe I should run again,'" the former mayor said.
- Tubbs said he couldn't get those stories of poverty out of his head and was constantly thinking about what else he could do to make a difference.
EPIC helped move several proposals through the California Legislature by providing testimonies and organizing rallies.
- The group supported a bill Newsom recently signed that strengthens eviction protections for renters and closes a loophole allowing landlords to circumvent the state's rent cap.
- "You have to get involved in the game that was encouraged by so many people I respect," Tubbs said of his campaign. "And now I'm ready."
Go deeper: A California listening tour looks for solutions to poverty
