Photos: Who's Running for State Office in California

California voters will choose the state's next governor, lieutenant governor, superintendent of public education and other statewide offices on Nov. 6.

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AP/Jonathan Lloyd/Facebook
A look at the candidates running for state office in California in 2018.
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Stratford Police Department
This combination of March 8, 2018 photos shows Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (left) and John Cox in Sacramento. California's race for governor pits Newsom, a Democrat and former San Francisco mayor, against Republican businessman John Cox. They are vying to replace outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown, who held office from 1975-1983 and again starting in 2011.
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It's Democrat v. Democrat in the race for Secretary of State because no Republican finished in the top two spots during June's blanket primary. Eleni Kounalakis (left), a former diplomat, and Ed Hernandez, a state senator, advanced in their bids to replace Gavin Newsom.
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AP/RicardoLara.com
New ground will be broken no matter who wins between Republican-turned-independent Steve Poizner (left) and Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara. Poizner, a former insurance commissioner, would be the first independent to win such an election and Lara would be the first openly gay statewide officeholder. The Department of Insurance enforces insurance laws, licenses and regulates companies and investigates fraud.
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Mark Meuser, Facebook/AP
Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla (right) is seeking re-election against Republican attorney Mark Meuser. Padilla emphasizes his record of sparring with President Donald Trump and often denounces the president's unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in California. Padilla also refused to comply with the Trump administration's requests to provide data on California voters, arguing it was politically motivated. Meuser is running on a platform of purging voter rolls of people who have moved or died and conducting audits to ensure ineligible people aren't registered to vote. At the same time he promises to increase the number of voters in the state by making sure residents know the easiest ways to register. He also wants to make it easier for California's military members to vote while deployed out of state.
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Democrat Fiona Ma (right) and Republican Greg Conlon are vying to replace outgoing Treasurer John Chiang. The treasurer manages the state's money and sits on the boards of California's public employee pension funds. Ma, a State Board of Equalization member and former assemblywoman, says she would make socially responsible investments with the state's money. She says her experience as a certified public accountant will help keep the state's fiscal house in order. She touted her experience balancing budgets at the local level and at the state level during the Great Recession, and overseeing the collection of $60 billion in state revenues. Conlon, also an accountant, challenged Chiang in the last general election. He served on the California Public Utilities Commission as president for two years and commissioner for four. He also was commissioner of the state's Transportation Commission for two years. He wants to overhaul public pension programs by starting a new defined-contribution plan for new employees. He promises to eliminate the $800 minimum State Franchise Income Tax to help start-up corporations.
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In the race for California Superintendent of Public Instruction, Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (left) faces former Los Angeles schools executive Marshall Tuck. The contest largely has turned into a dispute over the best way to improve California schools with powerful teachers unions backing Thurmond and wealthy charter-school and education-reform proponents throwing their support behind Tuck.
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Betty Yee, Facebook/Konstantinos Roditis, Facebook
Democrat Betty Yee (left) faces Republican Konstantinos Roditis in her re-election campaign. The controller serves as the state's top accountant, audits various state programs and sits on several state boards and the State Lands Commission. Roditis says he would advocate cutting government spending and auditing high-speed rail, a project Republicans frequently criticize because of rising costs. Yee says she has promoted tax policies that are equitable for vulnerable populations, including people living in poverty and LGBT people.
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Steven Bailey, Facebook/Xavier Becerra, Facebook
Republican Steven Bailey (left) faces incumbent Democrat Xavier Becerra in the race for the state's top law officer. Bailey is a retired California Superior Court judge. Becerra was appointed attorney general in 2017 after serving as the House House Democratic Caucus chairman.
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