Sacramento Bee endorses Josh Fryday for California lieutenant governor
The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board endorsed josh fryday for California lieutenant governor, saying his record on affordability, education access and service programs makes him the strongest choice for the office. Fryday is California’s chief service officer, and the endorsement places him at the center of a race that also includes state Treasurer Fiona Ma, former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, David Fennell and Gloria Romero.
Fryday’s record
Fryday leads California Volunteers and has served as a former Novato mayor and a former Judge Advocate General’s Corps lawyer. The Bee reported that California Volunteers has grown into the largest service corps in the nation, bigger than the Peace Corps, and that it provides more than 10,000 jobs annually.
The board said Fryday stood out in interviews by focusing on California’s affordability gap, proposing cheaper access to higher education and expanding state service corps programs. His background gives him a record tied to government service, local government and military legal work, all of which the board pointed to in its endorsement.
Lieutenant governor powers
The endorsement lands in a race for an office with more than ceremonial duties. The lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate and holds voting seats on the UC Board of Regents, CSU Board of Trustees, California Community College Board of Governors and Calbright College Board of Trustees.
That makes the race relevant to institutions that affect students, employees and administrators across California’s public higher-education system. The board’s decision signals support for a candidate it said is strongest on the set of issues that run through both the office and those boards.
Race for the office
Fryday’s list of supporters includes Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former Sen. Barbara Boxer, former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, the California Teachers Association and California Environmental Voters. Those endorsements place him among the better-known Democratic-aligned figures in the contest.
The Bee also noted Ma’s term was marred by a sexual harassment lawsuit that ended in a $350,000 state settlement. With Ma, Tubbs, Fennell and Romero still in the race, Fryday now has the added benefit of a newspaper endorsement that points voters toward his record on affordability, education access and service programs.
The practical issue for voters is straightforward: the lieutenant governor helps shape decisions in the Senate and on public university boards. Fryday’s endorsement from the Bee puts his experience and policy focus directly in front of voters weighing who should hold that power.
