The job
The treasurer is the state's banker: managing its investments, selling state bonds and notes and paying out funds once the controller and agencies spend them, according to the official voter guide. The treasurer also sits on several commissions, most tied to bond financing.
Eleni Kounalakis (D)
Now in her second term as lieutenant governor, Kounalakis previously served as U.S. ambassador to Hungary under President Obama and is the daughter of developer Angelo Tsakopoulos, CalMatters reports. As lieutenant governor she voted against tuition increases at UC and CSU. Her ballot statement says she spent nearly two decades as a builder, and she pledges to use public finance to build affordable housing, invest in children's financial futures and protect pensions. She notes she is the only Democrat in the race and lists Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi among her supporters. CalMatters lists the California Labor Federation, Teamsters California and NUHW.
Jennifer Hawks (R)
Hawks is a Silicon Valley retiree who was on the executive team of Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, has never held elected office and is a Republican activist, according to CalMatters. Her ballot designation is Retired Business Executive. In her statement she says she is "not a career politician," acknowledges the treasurer can't rewrite the budget, and promises to demand transparency and expose "waste, fraud, and mismanagement."
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.
More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.