JOSH FRYDAY ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR CALIFORNIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
NOVATO, CA（ March 5, 2025）— Today, Josh Fryday announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of California in the 2026 election, emphasizing his commitment to improve the lives of nearly 40 million Californians through service and job pathways, climate action, and making our state a more affordable place to live.
“I’m running for Lieutenant Governor because I believe change is going to take all of us,” said Fryday. “From the cost of living, to the climate crisis, to cleaning our streets, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to tackle the biggest challenges facing our state. It’s up to us — the people of California — to fix the communities we love.”
As California’s current Chief Service Officer, Fryday has mobilized tens of thousands of Californians to tackle complex problems and transform their communities. Under his leadership, California Volunteers has become a powerful force for community action, launching groundbreaking initiatives including the country’s first statewide Climate Action Corps and the California College Corps. These programs help thousands of Californians pay for college and prepare for the workforce while serving their communities, and have become a model for service programs throughout the nation.
Fryday outlined three key priorities for his campaign:
Create service and job pathways for all Californians: “Like a GI Bill for California, we will make college more affordable, job training more accessible, and our workforce better prepared—all while bringing Californians together to create meaningful change in their communities.”
Build the strongest and cleanest economy in the world: “While we continue our global climate leadership, we must make sure all Californians get the economic benefits and can access the opportunities made available by this transition.”
Bring down cost of living by making it easier to build: “We need to build millions of homes, an abundance of clean energy projects, new technologies, and job pathways for the workforce we desperately need—whether you go to a four-year college or not.”
A U.S. Navy veteran, Fryday served overseas in Yokosuka, Japan, where he worked on humanitarian and disaster relief efforts following the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster. This experience provided him with valuable crisis management skills and a deep understanding of community resilience during emergencies.
Prior to his appointment as Chief Service Officer, Fryday served as the mayor of his hometown of Novato, California. He received both his undergraduate and law degrees from UC Berkeley.
“As a dad, married to a public school teacher, I want to do everything I can to make life better for my family and families across California,” said Fryday. “The Lieutenant Governor has a unique position to bring people together, create new public-private partnerships, build new alliances and coalitions, and shape a new kind of politics. It’s what I’ve done my whole life, and it’s why I believe we can harness the power of Californians to make California work for everyone.”
The primary election will be held on June 2, 2026, followed by the general election in November 2026. Fryday enters the race as term-limited Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis prepares to step down after eight years of service.
