State Sen. Anna Caballero, who represents parts of the Westside, has announced her candidacy for California State Treasurer, aiming to become the first Latina to hold the position and the first Latino Treasurer in more than 140 years.

Caballero brings decades of experience in state and local government, including leadership roles as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, former Secretary of California’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, and former Mayor of Salinas.

“As Californians face mounting challenges, I’ve spent my career making government work for working people—especially in tough economic times,” Caballero said. “That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring as State Treasurer.”

Born to copper miners and raised in California public schools, Caballero earned a law degree and began her career representing farmworkers. As Salinas’ first female mayor, she led efforts that turned a budget deficit into a surplus and implemented nationally recognized housing and public safety programs.

Caballero later served as Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency under Gov. Jerry Brown, overseeing California’s housing expansion, consumer protections, and civil rights enforcement, managing a $27 billion budget with 16,000 employees.

Her state legislative career includes securing funding to keep distressed hospitals open, co-authoring Proposition 1 to codify abortion rights, overseeing the nation’s largest small business COVID relief program, and writing the Middle-Class Housing Act to unlock land for affordable workforce housing. She also authored the country’s first carbon capture and storage law.

In her campaign launch, Caballero highlighted her grassroots approach to winning elections, noting her victory in 2018 when she flipped a longtime Republican-held Senate seat by knocking on doors and building trust with voters. She has received endorsements from an array of state leaders, including Speaker Robert Rivas, multiple Assemblymembers, and several state senators from across California.

The California Treasurer oversees the state’s investments, bond sales, and debt management, while managing financing for public infrastructure, housing, and economic development. The office plays a crucial role in shaping the state’s fiscal future, directing billions in funding and overseeing a staff of more than 400.