EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — This week, almost all the focus is on national politics with the Republican National Convention happening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

But big statewide political news is breaking, too, here in Southern California.

Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs announced Wednesday that he is running for lieutenant governor in 2026, where he’ll face off against Treasurer Fiona Ma and State Senator Steven Bradford.

When Spectrum News' Alex Cohen caught up with him before he broke the news, the 33-year-old Democrat explained how parenthood has shaped his politics. 

“As the as a father of three young kids, just thinking about the future through their eyes,” he said. “All the work California has to do to bridge what I call the gap between what we say in the rhetoric and the actual results and receipts, right? I want my kids to grow up in a state where we have these values of liberty and inclusion and opportunities that are real.”

Tubbs was 22 when he was first elected to serve on the Stockton City Council and was a rising political star after earning support from the likes of Oprah and Barack Obama.

In fact, HBO made a documentary about him called “Stockton on My Mind” as he ran for reelection. But that effort proved unsuccessful. A viral social media site called The 209 Times ran damaging stories, many of which were unfounded. 

Tubbs eventually relocated to LA, where he has served as an adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Why does he think he can achieve victory with a statewide office when he wasn’t able to win re-election in a smaller city? 

“I’ve learned so much since losing reelection in Stockton,” he told me. He said serving, especially during the COVID pandemic, left him in a place of having to make difficult, but necessary decisions. “Because of making all the unpopular decisions, it created a lot of anger and angst,” he said, but notes the experience has some upsides. “I think that’s really equipped me to lead the state.”

The lieutenant governor’s election happens in 2026.