Our next Governor will inherit a solid platform built on the hard work and vision of two previous administrations.

Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. served as California’s governor during two distinct periods: 1975–1983 and 2011–2019. His second tenure was marked by several significant accomplishments that laid the foundation for California’s continued success. These include creating a budget surplus and a rainy day fund, enacting landmark climate change legislation, supporting Proposition 57, advocating for the high-speed rail project, expanding Medi-Cal, and increasing broadband access across the state.

Since taking office in 2019, Gavin Newsom has pushed California even further toward progress with a bold agenda. Some of his most notable achievements include setting ambitious climate goals, implementing the Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, expanding Medi-Cal to cover all low-income residents regardless of immigration status, establishing a moratorium on the death penalty, enacting sentencing reforms, investing in clean energy, increasing education funding, enacting gun safety measures, and offering an official apology for historical racism.

These accomplishments represent a strong legacy of progressive leadership in areas such as climate change, healthcare access, social justice, and economic development.

But there is still more to explore. As California stands on the shoulders of these accomplishments, it’s worth asking: how do we continue this momentum? What new ideas can take root in the rich soil cultivated by Governors Brown and Newsom? In writing about California’s future, I’m interested in how we can build on this strong platform – expanding what works, addressing what’s still broken, and imagining what comes next in a state known for innovation, resilience, and progressive spirit.