Office: Governor
Recommended
Tom Steyer
- Political Party:
Democrat
- Ballot Designation:
Climate Advocate
- Law Enforcement Contributions:
None as of 4/15/26
- Background:
Tom Steyer is a billionaire businessman by profession and has put much of his wealth towards environmental advocacy and his own political aspirations, including a run for President in 2020. He also previously donated large amounts towards supporting Prop 57 (youth parole and credit earning) and Prop 62 (death penalty abolition) in 2016. He is the founder of NextGen, a large youth voter engagement organization, and has funded many other liberal ballot measures in CA, such as the cigarette tax, closing loopholes for big oil, and most recently, Prop 50.
- Public Safety Platform:
While Steyer does not outline his stances on justice reform on his campaign website, he does express other progressive views such as calling for the abolition of ICE, closing corporate tax loopholes, and investing in more housing to bring down the cost of living.
During a justice reform roundtable in April 2026, Steyer did express his support for several progressive reforms including abolishing the death penalty and Life Without Parole (LWOP), increasing the amount of people who are found suitable for parole, and sentencing reforms. He also shared he would use his executive authority to grant pardons and commutations.
However, in a March 2026 interview with ABC Sacramento, Steyer also expressed his support for Prop 36, a measure that passed in 2024 that reclassified several misdemeanors as felonies which IJ Action strongly opposed. In that interview he stated he believes the state should “find a balance where we keep communities safe and violent criminals off the street while rehabilitating people and helping them become successful members of society who don’t return to prison.”
Despite this, Steyer appears to be the most progressive of the front-runner candidates and has secured endorsements from partner organizations such as Courage California and Smart Justice. Given the law enforcement support and tough-on-crime policies of some of the other candidates, IJ Action recommends voters support Tom Steyer for governor.
- Website: