Michael Tubbs

Michael Tubbs

Democratic Party

Candidate, Lieutenant Governor of California

Prior offices

Stockton City Council District 6

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Mayor of Stockton

Successor: Kevin Lincoln II

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Franklin High School

Bachelor's

Stanford University

Graduate

Stanford University

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Michael Tubbs (Democratic Party) is running for election for Lieutenant Governor of California. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Tubbs was the Mayor of Stockton in California. He assumed office in 2017. He left office on December 31, 2020.

Tubbs was a member of the Stockton City Council in California, representing District 6. He was elected to the council in 2012. Tubbs served on the council until his election to the mayor's office.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Tubbs was born in Stockton and graduated from Franklin High School. He received a B.S. and an M.S. in policy, leadership, and organization studies from Stanford University.

Elections

2026

See also: California lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Lieutenant Governor of California

The following candidates are running in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of California on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Steven Bradford (D)
		Josh Fryday (D)
		Janelle Kellman (D)
		Fiona Ma (D)
		Tim Myers (D)
		Mike Schaefer (D)
		Michael Tubbs (D)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Toni Atkins (D)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2020

See also: Mayoral election in Stockton, California (2020)

General election

General election for Mayor of Stockton

Kevin Lincoln II defeated incumbent Michael Tubbs in the general election for Mayor of Stockton on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin Lincoln II (Nonpartisan)	56.4	57,276
		Michael Tubbs (Nonpartisan)	43.6	44,206

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 101,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Stockton

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Stockton on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Tubbs (Nonpartisan)	41.5	21,016
✔		Kevin Lincoln II (Nonpartisan)	21.6	10,927
	Submit photo	William Smith (Nonpartisan)	11.2	5,679
	Submit photo	Motecuzoma Sánchez (Nonpartisan)	10.9	5,523
		Shoua Lo (Nonpartisan)	5.5	2,773
	Submit photo	Ralph White (Nonpartisan)	4.3	2,179
	Submit photo	Shelly Hollis (Nonpartisan)	3.4	1,698
	Submit photo	Andrew Johnson (Nonpartisan)	1.3	674
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	136

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 50,605
= 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.
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2016

Obama endorsement
During the 2016 election cycle Tubbs was one of the candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama
Full list of Obama's 2016 endorsements

Michael Tubbs defeated incumbent Anthony Silva in the Stockton mayoral general election.

Mayor of Stockton, Nonpartisan General Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Michael Tubbs	70.57%	56,165
Anthony Silva Incumbent	29.43%	23,426
Total Votes		79,591
Source: San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, "Election Results," accessed November 9, 2016

The following candidates ran in the Stockton mayoral primary election.

Mayor of Stockton, Nonpartisan Primary Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Michael Tubbs	33.55%	9,700
Anthony Silva Incumbent	26.02%	7,521
Carlos Villapudua	23.81%	6,884
Tony Mannor	4.75%	1,374
Jimmy Rishwain	4.38%	1,265
Gary Malloy	4.23%	1,223
Sean Murray	2.39%	690
Emiliano Benito Adams	0.67%	193
Write-in votes	0.2%	59
Total Votes		28,909
Source: San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, "Election Results," accessed June 8, 2016

Campaign themes

2020

Michael Tubbs did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Tubbs submitted the following candidate statement to the City of Stockton:

Note: You can navigate the documents by zooming in or out with the + and - buttons and using the horizontal and vertical scrollbars on the document.

Additional themes

Tubbs' campaign website listed the following themes for 2016:

“	SAFE STREETS, SECURE NEIGHBORHOODS Continue building better police-community relations by expanding community engagement, further developing a community policing model, and diversify our police and fire departments Further develop a Community Policing model that is based on building trust, identifying specific needs of neighborhoods, and using data to identify where to step in before crime happens Increase the Capacity of the Office of Violence Prevention to partner with the community to provide job opportunities and other supports to those most at-risk for violence Retain our current Police Officers and Firefighters by ensuring they receive competitive benefits that we can afford and the training and support to be successful ambassadors of our city Partner with the Parks and Recreation, the Police Department, Non-Profits and the City to create a Summer Lights Program for youth and families, modeled after Los Angeles’ successful program that saw a reduction in violence over the past 8 years Partner with County to fully implement the Marshall Plan Recommendations to increase the capacity and effectiveness of our criminal justice system NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION Expand the model of Reinvent South Stockton to the 4 other Hot Spot Areas identified in 2012 to begin to revitalize these areas that have not reached their potential due to high crime rates, few job opportunities, and failing schools Make neighborhoods with the highest unemployment rates into “Job Creation Zones” Target these neighborhoods with tax credits, fee abatement, repayable loans, and workforce investments Work with federal, state, county and city agencies and departments to ensure new opportunities for the hardest hit neighborhoods of Stockton Implement the South Stockton Promise Zone Strategy and rigorously monitor results Advocate for neighborhood master plan development as part of our General Plan Build public-private partnerships and philanthropic support through the creation of a Philanthropic Liason to strengthen the capacity of local non-profits to focus on undeserved neighborhoods, engage the community, secure grant funding and implement housing development, wellness programs, and youth-focused educational opportunities Develop a Cradle-to-College continuum of supports for children focused on parent education, student growth, learning, and achievement starting at birth and expanding at each level of child development EDUCATION Identify, recruit and enroll low-income 4 year-old children eligible for but not currently enrolled in pre-Kindergarten Work with Stockton businesses, the building trades, and current apprenticeship programs to create job-training pathways for Stockton high school graduates to help them gain practical skills Work in conjunction with our school districts to create pathways to success for all students, with a particular focus of correcting disparities between groups Bring back City programs such as the Youth Leadership Academy and the Youth and Education Action Team to provide positive outlets and learning opportunities for youth Expand City youth job opportunities Create matched savings accounts and/or college savings accounts for every child or our most vulnerable children by partnering with banks and other financial institutions to make an initial deposit into each account, then provide incentives for parents to contribute to the account over time Currently the City of San Francisco contributes an initial $50 for each kindergartner Create a Task Force to recruit companies and individuals to participate in this matching program Champion a city-wide initiative to fund universal preschool for all 4 year-olds to close the achievement gap ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INNOVATION Establish an Innovation Fund to create new investment in small businesses on the cusp of starting or expanding in Stockton, funded from investors that believe in Stockton’s potential for growth Focus on creating a cluster of innovation around our strong, local assets: UOP, the Port, and Mercy to focus economic growth around transportation, health care, and education Work with the county, the business community, and the philanthropic sector to expand workforce development and training opportunities Support the creation of a small business network that brings entrepreneurs together to offer business training, workshops, and better collaboration between businesses on the local level A HOUSING FIRST MODEL FOCUSED ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS Create a staff position focused on homelessness to serve the community and coordinate County and Public Safety Efforts Use Proposition 63 funds as bond collateral to create a Homeless Housing Trust Fund to develop a real housing first model in Stockton San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles County are already moving on the Housing First model to get residents off the street and into supportive, permanent housing Change city zoning laws to allow for the creation of tiny houses and micro apartments San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle have passed ordinance changes allowing for smaller square feet housing options ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY Provide residents more information online and through social media to allow increased access, more transparency in decision making, and build trust Develop a participatory budget process citywide, where community members define spending priorities through an application, discussion, and a voting model Start a Community Roundtable that provides community organizations and non-profits a platform to discuss their goals, needs, and vision for Stockton regularly that culminates each year with the State of the City Turn vacant lots into community gardens that provide opportunities for urban farming and establish public spaces where community members interact and build community Hold quarterly city-wide Town Halls and regular mayoral office hours to update residents on the progress of the city Bring back our best and brightest through the creation of a fellowship that will allow students and recent graduates who have left Stockton for college to come back and contribute to their community Create a Millennial Taskforce tasked with identifying ways and implementing solutions to help the city address the brain drain	”
—Michael Tubbs (2016)

Noteworthy events

Events and activity following the death of George Floyd

See also: Events following the death of George Floyd and responses in select cities from May 29-31, 2020

Tubbs was mayor of Stockton during the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, when events and activity took place in cities across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Events in Stockton, California, began on Sunday, May 31, 2020. Before the demonstrations, Mayor Michael Tubbs (D) and other city officials hosted a virtual community town hall on policing and community relations. No curfews were issued. The national guard was not deployed.

To read more about the death of George Floyd and subsequent events, click [show] to the right.

On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested Floyd, a Black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, arrived at the scene and pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck as Floyd laid face-down on the street in handcuffs. Both the Hennepin County Medical Examiner and an independent autopsy conducted by Floyd's family ruled Floyd's death as a homicide stemming from the incident. The medical examiner's report, prepared by Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, said that it was "not a legal determination of culpability or intent, and should not be used to usurp the judicial process." On April 20, 2021, Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in relation to Floyd's death. Floyd's death was filmed and shared widely, leading to activity regarding racism, civil rights, and police use of force. The first events took place in Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 26. An event in Chicago organized by Chance the Rapper and Rev. Michael Pfleger took place the same day, making it the first major city outside of Minneapolis to host an event in response to Floyd's death.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Michael Tubbs

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Lateefah Simon  source  (D)	U.S. House California District 12 (2024)	Primary	Won General
Barbara Lee  source  (D)	U.S. Senate California (2024)	Primary	Lost Primary
Michael Bloomberg  source	President of the United States (2020)		Withdrew in Convention

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Michael Tubbs

Measure	Position	Outcome
California Proposition 16, Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (2020)  source	Support	Defeated
California Proposition 22, App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative (2020)  source	Oppose	Approved

See also

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Candidate

Lieutenant Governor of California

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Mayor of Stockton 2017-2020	Succeeded by Kevin Lincoln II
Preceded by -	Stockton City Council District 6 2013-2017	Succeeded by -

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