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Jenny Rae Le Roux

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Jenny Rae Le Roux
Image of Jenny Rae Le Roux
Elections and appointments
Last election

June 7, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Virginia, 2002

Graduate

Columbia Business School, 2018

Personal
Birthplace
Memphis, Tenn.
Religion
Christian
Profession
Business executive
Contact

Jenny Rae Le Roux (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of California. She lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.

Biography

Jenny Rae Le Roux was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Le Roux earned a B.A. in economics from the University of Virginia in 2002 and an M.B.A. from Columbia University Business School in 2018. Her career experience includes owning a business and working as the managing director of Management Consulted, an author, and a strategic advisor.[1][2]

Elections

2022

See also: California gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of California

Incumbent Gavin Newsom defeated Brian Dahle in the general election for Governor of California on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom (D)
 
59.2
 
6,470,104
Image of Brian Dahle
Brian Dahle (R)
 
40.8
 
4,462,914

Total votes: 10,933,018
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of California

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of California on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom (D)
 
55.9
 
3,945,748
Image of Brian Dahle
Brian Dahle (R)
 
17.7
 
1,252,800
Image of Michael Shellenberger
Michael Shellenberger (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
4.1
 
290,286
Image of Jenny Rae Le Roux
Jenny Rae Le Roux (R)
 
3.5
 
246,665
Image of Anthony Trimino
Anthony Trimino (R) Candidate Connection
 
3.5
 
246,322
Image of Shawn Collins
Shawn Collins (R) Candidate Connection
 
2.5
 
173,083
Image of Luis Rodriguez
Luis Rodriguez (G) Candidate Connection
 
1.8
 
124,672
Image of Leo Zacky
Leo Zacky (R)
 
1.3
 
94,521
Image of Major Williams
Major Williams (R) Candidate Connection
 
1.3
 
92,580
Image of Robert Newman
Robert Newman (R)
 
1.2
 
82,849
Image of Joel Ventresca
Joel Ventresca (D)
 
0.9
 
66,885
Image of David Lozano
David Lozano (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.9
 
66,542
Ronald Anderson (R)
 
0.8
 
53,554
Image of Reinette Senum
Reinette Senum (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
53,015
Image of Armando Perez-Serrato
Armando Perez-Serrato (D)
 
0.6
 
45,474
Image of Ron Jones
Ron Jones (R)
 
0.5
 
38,337
Image of Daniel Mercuri
Daniel Mercuri (R)
 
0.5
 
36,396
Image of Heather Collins
Heather Collins (G)
 
0.4
 
29,690
Image of Anthony Fanara
Anthony Fanara (D) Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
25,086
Image of Cristian Morales
Cristian Morales (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
22,304
Image of Lonnie Sortor
Lonnie Sortor (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
21,044
Image of Frederic Schultz
Frederic Schultz (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
17,502
Image of Woodrow Sanders III
Woodrow Sanders III (Independent)
 
0.2
 
16,204
Image of James Hanink
James Hanink (Independent)
 
0.1
 
10,110
Image of Serge Fiankan
Serge Fiankan (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
6,201
Image of Bradley Zink
Bradley Zink (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
5,997
Jeff Scott (American Independent Party of California) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
13
Gurinder Bhangoo (R) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
8

Total votes: 7,063,888
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign finance

2021

Gavin Newsom yes/no recall question

Gavin Newsom recall, 2021

Gavin Newsom won the Governor of California recall election on September 14, 2021.

Recall
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
38.1
 
4,894,473
No
 
61.9
 
7,944,092
Total Votes
12,838,565

Gavin Newsom replacement question

The ordering on the candidate list below does not reflect the order in which candidates will appear on the recall ballot. Click here to read Ballotpedia's policy on ordering candidate lists.

General election

Special general election for Governor of California

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Governor of California on September 14, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Larry Elder
Larry Elder (R)
 
48.4
 
3,563,867
Image of Kevin Paffrath
Kevin Paffrath (D) Candidate Connection
 
9.6
 
706,778
Image of Kevin Faulconer
Kevin Faulconer (R)
 
8.0
 
590,346
Image of Brandon Ross
Brandon Ross (D) Candidate Connection
 
5.3
 
392,029
Image of John Cox
John Cox (R)
 
4.1
 
305,095
Image of Kevin Kiley
Kevin Kiley (R)
 
3.5
 
255,490
Image of Jacqueline McGowan
Jacqueline McGowan (D)
 
2.9
 
214,242
Image of Joel Ventresca
Joel Ventresca (D) Candidate Connection
 
2.5
 
186,345
Image of Daniel Watts
Daniel Watts (D) Candidate Connection
 
2.3
 
167,355
Image of Holly Baade
Holly Baade (D) Candidate Connection
 
1.3
 
92,218
Image of Patrick Kilpatrick
Patrick Kilpatrick (D) Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
86,617
Image of Armando Perez-Serrato
Armando Perez-Serrato (D)
 
1.2
 
85,061
Image of Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner (R)
 
1.0
 
75,215
Image of John Drake
John Drake (D) Candidate Connection
 
0.9
 
68,545
Image of Daniel Kapelovitz
Daniel Kapelovitz (G)
 
0.9
 
64,375
Image of Jeff Hewitt
Jeff Hewitt (L)
 
0.7
 
50,378
Image of Ted Gaines
Ted Gaines (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.7
 
47,937
Image of Angelyne
Angelyne (No party preference)
 
0.5
 
35,900
Image of David Moore
David Moore (No party preference)
 
0.4
 
31,224
Image of Anthony Trimino
Anthony Trimino (R)
 
0.4
 
28,101
Image of Doug Ose
Doug Ose (R) (Unofficially withdrew)
 
0.4
 
26,204
Image of Michael Loebs
Michael Loebs (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
25,468
Image of Heather Collins
Heather Collins (G)
 
0.3
 
24,260
Image of Major Singh
Major Singh (No party preference)
 
0.3
 
21,394
Image of David Lozano
David Lozano (R)
 
0.3
 
19,945
Image of Denver Stoner
Denver Stoner (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
19,588
Image of Samuel Gallucci
Samuel Gallucci (R)
 
0.2
 
18,134
Image of Steven Chavez Lodge
Steven Chavez Lodge (R)
 
0.2
 
17,435
Image of Jenny Rae Le Roux
Jenny Rae Le Roux (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
16,032
Image of David Bramante
David Bramante (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
11,501
Image of Diego Martinez
Diego Martinez (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
10,860
Image of Robert Newman
Robert Newman (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
10,602
Image of Sarah Stephens
Sarah Stephens (R)
 
0.1
 
10,583
Image of Dennis Richter
Dennis Richter (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
10,468
Image of Major Williams
Major Williams (R) (Write-in)
 
0.1
 
8,965
Image of Denis Lucey
Denis Lucey (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
8,182
Image of James Hanink
James Hanink (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
7,193
Image of Daniel Mercuri
Daniel Mercuri (R)
 
0.1
 
7,110
Image of Chauncey Killens
Chauncey Killens (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
6,879
Image of Leo Zacky
Leo Zacky (R)
 
0.1
 
6,099
Image of Kevin Kaul
Kevin Kaul (No party preference)
 
0.1
 
5,600
Image of David Hillberg
David Hillberg (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
4,435
Image of Adam Papagan
Adam Papagan (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
4,021
Image of Rhonda Furin
Rhonda Furin (R)
 
0.1
 
3,964
Image of Nickolas Wildstar
Nickolas Wildstar (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
3,811
Image of Jeremiah Marciniak
Jeremiah Marciniak (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
2,894
Image of Joe Symmon
Joe Symmon (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
2,397
Miki Habryn (No party preference) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
137
Roxanne (D) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
116
Stacy Smith (D) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
81
Vivek Mohan (No party preference) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
68
Thuy Hugens (American Independent Party of California) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
19
Vince Lundgren (No party preference) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
5

Total votes: 7,361,568
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates


Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jenny Rae Le Roux did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Le Roux's campaign website stated the following:

The Future of Safety

The California Dream is one of safe, flourishing communities.

The Problem

The clearest sign that government is failing is when it can’t protect its people. Californians deserve to live free of the daily fear of crime.

Gavin Newsom has overseen the largest spike in violent crime in at least 13 years. Four of California’s cities – Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco – saw a 30 percent increase in homicides and 20 percent increase in both motor vehicle theft and commercial burglaries in 2020.

And it was even worse in 2021.

Our incarceration rate remains low, yet California made it possible for up to 76,000 prisoners – including violent and repeat felons – to serve 33% shorter sentences.

While crime spirals, our communities are facing severe shortages of police – openings have increased 6x since 2010. Research shows us that each additional officer reduces crime by 1.3 violent crimes and 4.2 property crimes per year and saves communities more than $300,000 per year.

Newsom is also closing two prisons – one last September and another later this year – at a time when our prisons and county jails don’t have enough room.

Despite a reduction in prison rolls that has seen nearly 50,000 fewer criminals in custody since 2006, the budget for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is the highest it has been in our state’s history.

And amidst this insanity, Newsom is empowering District Attorneys such as Los Angeles’s George Gascón and San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin who seek to reduce the sentences of convicted criminals.

The Safer Streets Solution

We need a supported police force to protect our communities. I will spearhead initiatives to retain and hire new officers and support pay increases for the men and women that put their lives on the line every day to protect Californians.

As Governor, I will put a stop to prison closures, initiate a comprehensive prison spending audit, and restore fire crew training programs. In addition, I will expand work training programs for high-demand industries such as building and software development.

And finally, my criminal justice reform plan focuses on rehabilitation, not politically-motivated prison releases. The “reform” our radical DAs advocate for will never be signed into law when I am Governor.

Californians want safe communities to raise their children and live their lives free of worry. Newsom has failed us, but under my administration we will have a champion for safety once again.


The Future of Schools

As the mother of two young children in a public Spanish immersion school, I understand the challenges our schools face. The California Dream can only be achieved with a world-class education system. I will reimagine remarkable, world-class schools for our kids.

The Problem

After two years of upheaval, far too many parents are feeling helpless. Our children missed out on a real education while being taught over Zoom. In fact, 175,000 children left our schools in the last 2 years – including many of our most vulnerable kids.

The data from school shutdowns is saddening. Math test scores decreased by as much as 10%, the number of kindergarteners at high risk of not learning to read increased by 68%, and the number of first-graders at high risk of not learning to read by 65%.

Even before the fallout from school shutdowns, California schools were failing - ranking 40th in the nation (or lower).

Our children deserve better from the adults in charge. Under Gavin Newsom, we were the last state to reopen schools and the last to lift our school mask mandate. He has opposed school choice and signed Critical Race Theory into law as a high school graduation requirement.

California schools were once a primary reason families moved to the state - now, crazy curriculum and an anti-parent culture are causing families to leave.

The Remarkable Schools Solution

As Governor, I will put our kids first. It’s not just your kids that are affected - it’s my kids too. Every decision I make will be marked by one question - “Is this best for our kids?”

As Governor, I will decentralize decision-making and allow school-by-school changes to curriculum, school day, and academic calendar. When Newsom closed the doors of public schools, he sent his kids to private school for in-person instruction. In contrast, I invited our school’s teachers to come to our farm to create instructional videos to help students adapt to virtual teaching.

New curriculum - including outdoor schooling, language immersion, entrepreneurship, creative arts, trade apprenticeships, and more - will be born in California, celebrated, and expanded across the state.

In addition, successful charter networks have long demonstrated that innovative solutions - like extended days - help disadvantaged students accelerate learning.

I will also focus on building the best education system in America by championing school choice, banning divisive curriculum such as Critical Race Theory, and preparing California’s kids to become the creators of our 21st century economy.


The Future of Housing

Millions of Californians have been priced out of the housing market, and millions more can barely afford the homes we live in. Meanwhile, our cities are overrun with homeless camps. In fact, 51% of America’s unsheltered homeless live right here in the Golden State.

Newsom proudly shares how much he spends on homelessness, yet the problem is getting worse – homelessness increased 17 percent in Newsom’s first year and another 7 percent the year after. In February, an audit found we are spending $837,000 in Los Angeles to house a single homeless person.

We’re left to ask the question: Why aren’t we seeing results despite the billions being spent?

The first issue? We have nine state agencies overseeing 41 programs to address homelessness. There is no accountability or transparency, and far too many beds in our shelters are going unused.

At the same time, our housing crisis is getting worse. In the last decade, California’s population grew by 6% while housing grew by only 2%. This imbalance has increased prices - now, the average California home costs nearly $700,000.

During his time in office, Newsom has signed onerous building regulations and done nothing to streamline building permits. Supply and demand applies - when supply does not increase, it is no wonder the average California home costs nearly $700,000.

The Affordable Housing Solution

To address our homelessness crisis, I will first expand working programs from cities like Bakersfield and Fresno. Those cities started by gathering the most important data - the names of their homeless residents. Their effective homeless solutions have been driven by personalization.

Second, I will conduct a 90-day forensic audit on all homelessness spending. I will simplify the organization and champion cuts to all waste and abuse.

Third, I will expand capacity in mental health and drug treatment centers.

Finally, I will create annual targets for the number of chronic homeless and the number of building permits issued – and tie future funding to the achievement of these goals. Funding will begin with measurement and will be based on progress; less restrictive funding ensures local organizations can innovate and collaborate. This goal-focused approach will enable us to see which localities are doing well so we can quickly share the lessons they have learned with the rest of the state.

And while we are dealing with the homelessness crisis, my administration will simultaneously tackle housing affordability, as the two are clearly linked.

I will streamline regulatory approvals and development impact fees, as well as incentivize localities to simplify complex growth ordinances, which increase house prices by up to 5% per ordinance.

We must do all we can to ensure housing will be affordable and available for generations to come.


The Future of Water

To build an affordable California, we must store, move, recycle, and reuse water so there is more than enough for everyone. Water shortages will limit what is possible in California. California’s water supply issues are the result of mismanagement first, and under-investment in storage and conveyance infrastructure second. I will fix both.

The Water Problem

Our state has been crippled by short-sighted leadership, poor planning and investment, burdensome regulations, and limited use of alternate water options.

In addition, moving water over great distances has created intense regional rivalries. Water feuds have divided the state, pitting north against south, east against west and three major stakeholders (agricultural, urban and environmental) against one another.

Water restrictions for individuals and insufficient water for farmers create long-term consequences for our environment and economy. Our water shortages are man-made. When Sacramento bureaucrats mismanage water, wildlife migrations are disrupted and groundwater reserves are not replenished. In 2021 alone, water shortages resulted in $1.1B and 9,000 jobs lost to the state’s agricultural industry.

During the rainy season, we have more than enough water flowing from the Sierra Mountains and other ranges - but we don’t capture it, so it becomes unusable in the Pacific. The last California dam was built 42 years ago. Over that time span, our population doubled.

Finally, California’s conveyance infrastructure is outdated, so we lose water to evaporation. Water recycling is affordable, and we boast the world’s most effective technologies in our state - but they are used only on a limited basis. Desalination, which is the most expensive, can be incorporated into long-range planning after less expensive options are exhausted.

A lack of vision by Gavin Newsom has led us to feud over water, when we should instead be focusing on how to better capture and recycle the water we already have.

The Abundant Water Solution

My water plan will create water abundance.

First, we will improve water management. California has cyclical rainy and drought periods in California that we must plan for, and water allocation will be done on a multi-year basis. Our reservoirs have sufficient supply to cover 5 dry years for the full population in California. I will appoint water managers who use data and take a long-term view for water planning, and I will ensure the Delta pumps are used to capture rainwater before it is lost to the Pacific.

Second, California affordability is directly tied to water availability. To plan for growth, I will cut through the red tape that holds up water storage projects we have already paid for through Prop 1 bonds collected from CA taxpayers since 2014.

Finally, I will invest in new water technologies. We will update water conveyance canals and pipes, advance investment in water recycling, and introduce desalination.

Gavin Newsom uses surpluses to create wasteful new government programs that do not get results. I will invest surplus funds in water infrastructure to provide homes and habitat with more than enough water for generations to come.


The Future of Electricity

Abundant, stable, and clean electricity is necessary to build an innovation-driven economy.

The Problem

Californians pay the 7th highest electrical rates in the nation. Even at that premium, the state can’t keep the lights on.

Newsom’s failed promises have hurt our economy and left us with insufficient power. He pledged “giant leaps forward” in our energy infrastructure but when it became clear that his failed policies couldn’t stop rolling brownouts, he asked us just to accept it as the “new normal.”

Newsom’s burnouts have impacted 51 million Californians. Elderly Californians had to go without cooling and sick Californians had to go without power for medical devices. There were 5 power availability alerts about power limitations issued in 2020 and 8 in 2021, according to CAISO records. Newsom is projecting an “unforeseen shortfall” of 5,000 megawatts through 2022, and our vulnerable populations are at risk.

In addition, we pay the highest gas taxes in the nation - $0.51 per gallon, with another planned increase this summer - while Newsom boasts about a California surplus.

The Plentiful Power Solution

I will never accept electricity shortages as “normal.” I have a data-driven plan to build a power system for the future. We will ensure flexible, adequate supply and add new clean energy.

First, as long as we have a state surplus, I will suspend the gas tax - putting money back in the pockets of California’s middle class.

Second, I’ll continue the use of the Diablo Canyon power plant (slated to close in 2024). The plant is clean, safe, and carbon-free. At a time when California can’t meet the energy demands of its residents, we should not be shutting down any viable energy source. The plant, which provides nearly 10% of California’s power, has been rated safe by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and could run well beyond 2040.

In addition, I will reverse Newsom’s Executive Order that would ban hydraulic fracturing starting in 2024. The crisis in Ukraine has shown America that energy independence is a security imperative, and we can produce oil right here in California.

Furthermore, our problems of water and power are interrelated. Governor Newsom has demonstrated that if we don’t manage our water, the water levels in our reservoirs drop so low that hydroelectric power generation declines. Hydroelectric power is an important source of clean energy. I will work to retain this source of power.

Californians need a Governor who is determined to prevent disruptions in their lives. As Governor, I will never accept any problem as “unsolvable” - and will fight day and night to ensure every Californian can afford to keep their lights on.

I will continue to move California toward clean and renewable energy sources using incentives instead of mandates, but I will not disrupt current power supply in the process.


The Future of Forests

The future of California’s environment depends on conservation, excellent resource management, and comprehensive environmental stewardship.

California can have a future without catastrophic wildfires. Did you know that California is experiencing the same number of wildfires today as it did 40 years ago? However, there is one major difference - they are much bigger.

The Problem

Gavin Newsom wants to distract you from the cause so he is not responsible for the cure.

The Governor isn’t being honest - the root issue is forest mismanagement. Our wildfires are getting more destructive because we haven’t managed our forests properly, and there is too much fuel to burn.

A report published by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CalFire) in 2018 – before Newsom took office – made it clear that 20 million acres of our forests must undergo “fuel reduction treatment.”

Despite promising to manage our forests, Newsom has failed to do so. Not only has he failed to protect our state from destructive wildfires – he’s repeatedly lied about it.

  • He said he treated 90,000 acres with prescribed burns when the state actually treated just over 11,000.
  • He said he would devote $1B to active forest management over 5 years, then cut CalFire’s prevention budget by $150M.
  • He said he would increase year-round fire crews, then released 600 incarcerated firefighters and announced his intention to close 20% of inmate firefighting camps by 2022.

The Healthy Forest Solution

I will end catastrophic wildfires in California.

When I’m Governor, California will manage a minimum of 500,000 acres of forest per year by working with CalFire and private landowners. Let me be clear - this is not clear-cutting. This is thinning - and every piece of removed wood and brush can be turned into clean biofuel.

Private companies that harvest timber own nearly 14% of California’s forest (4.6M acres), but as recently as 2018, the president and CEO of the California Forestry Association said it is currently “cost-prohibitive” to remove any timber in California due to regulations. My administration will reduce the regulatory burden while preventing clear-cutting.

On top of better forest management, we will increase the use of drone and sensor technology to detect wildfires more quickly. Early response will save homes and lives.

Finally, we will deregulate road construction in forests for the purpose of treatment and thinning and incentivize utilities to move power lines underground.

Californians do not have to experience wildfire destruction and smoke-filled skies. It just takes a Governor that has the courage to get to the root of the problem and do something about it.


Unleashing Business Innovation

The California dream is to build the future in inspiring, fulfilling workplaces.

The Problem

The California business community is weighed down by burdensome taxes and anti-business regulations. California is at the top of just about every bad list in the country:

  • Highest unemployment rate
  • 9th highest corporate tax rate
  • 49th in business climate

California is not competitive, and people and businesses are voting with their feet. More than 50 major corporations have left California since 2014 – with most packing up their U-Hauls since Gavin Newsom took office.

According to the California Chamber of Commerce, the Legislature has proposed 319 anti-business bills in the last 10 years.

We need a Governor who will advocate tirelessly for businesses to thrive in California.

The Business Building Solution

The annual filing fee our entrepreneurs pay for a business license is $300 more than any other state and 16 times more than the national average. Even New York only charges $9 every other year. As Governor, I will champion a reform to bring this fee down to $50.

Should the Legislature continue to send anti-business bills to my desk, I will veto them.

And as Governor, my administration will audit the impact of all business-related regulations passed in the last 10 years, such as those on employee scheduling and telecommuting, to evaluate which are helping businesses and which are outdated.

I am running to unleash California families and businesses to innovate again. As your Governor, I will create a competitive business climate that will restore the California Dream to incentivize people to start businesses and raise families in this great state.[3]

—Jenny Rae Le Roux's campaign website (2022)[4]

2021

Candidate Connection

Jenny Rae Le Roux completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Le Roux's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am an accomplished business executive and strategist. After launching my career advising billion-dollar companies and government organizations at Bain Consulting, I co-built companies in the energy and financial services industries before purchasing a private tech-enabled services company. I am a frequent presenter at Harvard Business School and over 60 other top institutions, and have been quoted in Forbes, Business Insider, and other business publications.

I am a businesswoman who runs organizations where results matter. I grew startups into global businesses by shrinking costs and bringing value to the marketplace. And I did it all while raising a family. My children attend a Spanish language immersion school, and the family operates a hobby ranch.

As the state’s top executive, I’ll do what I’ve always done: follow the data to common sense solutions to free Californians to live, work, and breathe. As an outsider, I am beholden only to the people of California. As a working Californian, I won’t ask you to do anything I’m not willing to do. And as a mom, I believe that California’s kids deserve better: they deserve a free and prosperous future in California.
  • First, I will free California to live by restoring our cities. I will stop prison releases and closures, and reduce homelessness by addressing root cause issues. My “Spend Smarter” plan will use data to base local funding on progress, increase mental health and substance abuse support, and ensure the homeless are legally bound to use available housing options.
  • Second, I will free California to work by celebrating our businesses. I will support small businesses by phasing out extended unemployment benefits, removing harmful regulation (like AB5), and reducing fees.
  • Finally, I will free California to breathe by sustainably managing shared resources with a long-term plan. I will renew water deliveries to farmers. I will free California to breathe by reducing wildfire risk, managing 1M acres of managed forest per year through thinning, biomass permits, and controlled burns. And I will stop power source closures, increasing the diversity of our power supply and ensuring we can keep the lights on.
As a working mom with two children in public school, I am passionate about education reform. Over the last 10+ years, student performance in California has declined while spending per student has increased by more than $5,000.

My “Smart Schools” plan focuses our top education priority on preparing our children for the workforce of tomorrow. I support training for critical thinking and engineering, not social engineering.

California is ranked #40 in the nation in K-12 education by the US News & World Report, even though education is the most expensive line item in our budget. Technology skills represent two of the top 10 skills for the jobs of 2025 - yet California’s education system performs its worst on math, ranking 44th in 4th grade math and 39th in 8th grade math. My top education priority is to implement engineering, coding, and vocational classes into public schools, giving students the opportunity to prepare for California’s 21st century jobs.

In addition, I will expand school choice opportunities for children in low performing schools to attend high-quality charter schools, which often provide better education at a lower cost. In my “Smart Schools” plan, I ensure that state funding follows the student wherever and however they want to learn, whether that be public school, charter school, private school, or homeschool. This will ensure equitable education funding for each of California’s schoolchildren.
I look up to Walt Disney for his spirit of innovation and persistence. He saw what was possible long before his contemporaries did, and worked to achieve his version of the California dream. Walt’s example inspires me to be a leader of great vision who pushes the bounds of innovation to achieve real and lasting change for the people of California.

He once said that, “Leadership means that a group, large or small, is willing to entrust authority to a person who has shown judgment, wisdom, personal appeal, and proven competence.” I hope to earn the trust of Californians by continuously exhibiting these qualities.
I am a problem solver. I have advised billion-dollar companies and government agencies, co-founded two startups, and run my own business. In addition, I am a mom of 3 boys and run a ranch. I use non-partisan data to identify the root source of a problem and solve it.

I am welcoming. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all make California great. We work together respectfully.

I am a listener. I receive input and review data. Many perspectives lead to better information gathering and more complete solutions.

I am empowering. Local control and individual choice best address the diversity and challenges of California.
It is the Governor’s job to solve problems that affect all Californians. I am running to free California to live, work and breathe again.

Live - My “Smart Schools” plan I will strengthen California’s public education system, ranked #40 in the nation, by introducing STEM learning and workforce preparation.

My “Spend Smarter” plan will combat CA’s homelessness crisis. The state spent $4B on homelessness last fiscal year, yet the problem is getting worse - homelessness increased 17% in 2019 and another 7% in 2020. First, I will audit CA’s 41 programs to address homelessness. Next, I will fill gaps and ensure the homeless are legally bound to use housing options provided to them rather than occupying public spaces. Then, I will ensure funding is focused on coordinated care managed at the local level, with specific focus on sufficient substance abuse and mental health support.

Finally, my “Safe Communities” plan will stop rising crime by funding public safety support, enforcing the law, and stopping the already-underway release of 76,000 criminals.

Work - My “Grow Smarter” plan will stop the exodus of job creators from California. I will reduce business fees that are 16X higher than other states to ensure businesses don’t leave. I will stop anti-business regulation to allow businesses to re-focus on delivering products and services. I will align business taxes with competitive states to incentivize businesses to build and grow in CA. This will ensure California recovers the ~2M jobs that still haven’t come back since the start of the pandemic.

Breathe - My “Smart Environment” plan addresses California’s mismanagement of natural resources. I will manage 1M acres of forest using logging, biomass, and controlled burn permits to reduce wildfires. I will invest in water storage, fight for water rights for farmers, and operate the Delta pumps at full capacity. Finally, I will build a power for the future by adding new clean energy while maintaining supply.
It’s hard to pick a favorite because I love to read and I read widely, but I can recommend a book called “Rejection Proof” by Jia Jiang. I often give it to business leaders (and anyone who wants to break free of fear).

Jia shares about how he challenged himself each day to put himself in the path of rejection, and the surprises of what he learned. We need more leaders today who do what is right without fear of rejection.
The spirit of possibility. In California, you can jump off a waterfall in a national park, be awed by the majesty of the Redwoods, build a business that shapes the world, interact with culture shapers, and watch the sunset over the Pacific. Anything is possible in California - it’s a palpable feeling in the air and is one of the reasons I love living here. I will fight for future generations to experience this same spirit of possibility.
Our biggest challenge is that we are losing people. For the first time in history, California lost more people last year than it gained. Why? Our schools were shut down (and rank 40th in the nation even when they are open), the cost of living is too high, homicides are at a 13-year high, and homelessness is rampant in our cities.

As Governor, every decision I make will be made through this filter: will this cause people to want to stay or move to California?

If people don’t want to live here, nothing else matters. We can’t have great schools or an innovative economy without a vibrant and growing population.

That is why my solutions will make California an attractive place to live again. I will make forest management a priority to reduce wildfires and prioritize water storage investments in this time of drought. In addition, I will focus efforts to address homelessness on the root causes - substance abuse and mental health. Finally, I will reform the California Environmental Quality Act to streamline the building of more housing units. We can protect our environment while still ensuring that housing costs are reasonable for working class families.
Only in situations where a rapid deployment of resources is needed should the Governor be able to call a state of emergency. Natural disasters that threaten people’s lives, livelihoods and displace them from their homes are an example of an emergency situation.

Our criteria for the use of emergency powers should be that the situation demands rapid deployment of resources (for example, in under 7 days) where convening the legislature may not be possible.

I believe Newsom’s COVID emergency powers should have ended long ago. A constant emergency state subverts democracy by allowing the Governor to unilaterally make decisions.

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Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 27, 2021
  2. LinkedIn, "Jenny Rae Le Roux," accessed May 4, 2022
  3. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  4. Leroux CA, “Issues,” accessed April 27, 2022