Meet the Candidates for Governor: Ian Calderon

The race for Governor of California is only getting more and more exciting! This year will be filled with many more surprises to come, so stay up-to-date by attending Manny's series of town halls with each candidate, moderated by Politico Reporter Dustin Gardiner.

Next up is Ian Calderon, Former California State Assemblymember!

See below for free tickets!

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Ian Calderon has spent his career at the intersection of public service, business, and family life, bringing together real-world experience and proven leadership to deliver results for Californians. In 2012, Ian made history as the first millennial elected to the California Legislature, representing a Los Angeles County district. Four years later, at just 30 years old, he became the youngest and longest-serving Majority Leader in state history. Over eight years in the Assembly, Ian earned a reputation as a pragmatic leader focused on policies that strengthen California’s economy and improve quality of life for working families.

As Majority Leader, Ian helped author and pass California’s landmark film tax credit program, keeping thousands of middle-class jobs in the entertainment industry and billions in economic activity in-state. He wrote the legislation that created California’s Blockchain Working Group, positioning the state as a national leader in innovation and establishing guidelines for the use of cryptocurrency and emerging technology. He also fought for his community, securing millions in state funding, including the reopening of the Whittier courthouse, restoring access to justice and revitalizing the local economy.

At the height of his political career, Ian made a different choice: he stepped away to focus on his young family. For the past five years, he has raised four children with his wife Elise while building a consulting business that advises clients in the housing and technology sectors. This experience outside the Capitol has kept him grounded in the realities California families face every day: rising housing costs, unaffordable childcare, and paychecks that do not keep up with the cost of living.

Ian believes California can once again be the best place in the world to raise a family, buy a home, and build a future. His campaign for governor is rooted in the kitchen table issues that define family life: making housing affordable, expanding childcare access, and lowering the cost of living. He knows that solving these challenges requires more than rhetoric. It requires innovation and investment. That means preparing the next generation for careers not only in college but also in the skilled trades, and ensuring that small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families have a fair shot in California’s economy.

Ian is a Democrat who believes in the power of government to lift up all Californians. He is running for governor to bring a style of leadership back to the Capitol that listens, adapts, and delivers for California, not the political extremes.

A graduate of California State University, Long Beach, Ian lives in Orange County with his wife and their four children. As a young father and experienced legislator, he represents a new generation of leadership with the energy to shape the future and the experience to make government work.

Learn more about Ian at www.ianforgovernor.com.

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Dustin Gardiner is a reporter at Politico that has covered state and national politics from California, Arizona and D.C. for 16 years.

He previously covered state politics for the San Francisco Chronicle, including from Washington where he tracked California's congressional delegation during President Donald Trump's first impeachment. Prior to moving to California, he spent a decade with The Arizona Republic, where he covered state and city politics.

Dustin’s awards include first place honors in both the newsletter category and for daily Capitol beat coverage from the Sacramento Press Club in 2024 and 2023, and the “story of the year” award from the Arizona Newspapers Association in 2017.

Dustin lives in San Francisco and is a member of NLGJA, the association of LGBTQ journalists.

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