June 2, 2026 ballot guide

U.S. House, California District 2

Huffman is the safe progressive-governance choice: incumbent Democrat, Congressional Progressive Caucus member, strong environmental record, and already recommended on the Petaluma Blue Voter Guide ballot. Rose Penelope Yee appears more left on Medicare for All and anti-militarism, but Huffman is the more effective and viable anti-Trump/pro-democracy vote for this seat.

Governor

For this particular worldview, Porter is the best fit: consumer-protection identity, anti-corruption/anti-corporate accountability, refusal of corporate and lobbyist money, and a platform aimed at affordability, housing, public universities, healthcare, wages, childcare, and the environment. Blue Voter Guide recommends Xavier Becerra and Courage recommends Tom Steyer; Becerra is a strong abortion/voting-rights Democrat, but Porter better matches the anti-billionaire/corporate-capture axis. Steyer’s climate work is real, but recommending a billionaire for an anti-billionaire ballot guide feels misaligned.

If your overriding issue is explicit taxation of billionaires, Tony Thurmond’s official statement is the most on-the-nose. If your overriding issue is Planned Parenthood/EQCA institutional alignment, Xavier Becerra is the pragmatic alternative.

Lieutenant Governor

Tubbs is the cleanest anti-poverty vote: former Stockton mayor, leader of an anti-poverty nonprofit, associated with guaranteed-income policy, and endorsed by SEIU California and the Working Families Party. That directly maps to income inequality and local-human-scale optimism.

Treasurer

Kounalakis is the pragmatic Democratic recommendation: experienced statewide officer, pro-immigrant and reproductive-freedom language in her statement, and backed by major Democratic/labor figures. If you want the purest anti-billionaire/divestment signal, Green candidate Glenn Turner explicitly supports a billionaire tax, fossil-fuel and weapons divestment, Health Care for All, and public banks; I still recommend Kounalakis because you usually prefer viable Democrats and this is a top-two statewide race.

Insurance Commissioner

Kim is the strongest consumer/corporate-power pick: attorney/consumer advocate, Blue Voter Guide recommendation, and CalMatters reports her proposal for “Natural Disaster Insurance for All” to guarantee wildfire/flood coverage through a state-run fund while customers keep private insurers. Ben Allen is a strong climate/transparency alternative endorsed by environmental groups; Kim is the sharper anti-insurance-industry vote.

State Assembly, District 12

Elward is the progressive/labor coalition pick. Courage says “Elect Jackie Elward to keep AD-12 on the right track for progress,” and Blue Voter Guide’s endorsement blocks include labor, educators, nurses, Working Families, Our Revolution, LGBTQ+, and Health Care for All-type organizations. Her ballot designation as councilwoman/educator also fits public education and local-government values.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Henderson is the values-forward public-education pick: longtime teacher/college trustee with union background, school health access, standardized-testing reform, and fossil-fuel/war-machine pension divestment according to CalMatters. Blue recommends her; Courage recommends Henderson or Richard Barrera. Barrera is a very defensible CTA-backed public-school option, but Henderson better matches the full worldview.

Sonoma County Supervisor, District 2

Paun is the clear local progressive choice. Petaluma Voice reports endorsements from the California Democratic Party, Sonoma County Democratic Party, Green Party of Sonoma County, Sonoma County DSA, Planned Parenthood Northern California Action Fund, SEIU 1021/2015, Teamsters Local 665, and Sonoma County Conservation Action. Her work with foster and homeless youth and school-board service also align with public education and human-scale local government. Lemus has establishment/law-enforcement/business backing; Moreda and King have much less organizational support.