For Immediate release
April 27, 2026
Contact: Janet Cox
janet@climateactionca.org
415.902.1975
Climate Action California Backs Tom Steyer for Governor in Landslide Member Vote
Steyer captures 72% of vote among 6,500+ supporters
Climate Action California’s statewide membership has overwhelmingly voted to support Tom Steyer’s bid for California Governor. In a poll of the group’s more than 6500 supporters, Steyer received 72 percent of endorsement votes, followed by Katie Porter with 21 percent, Matt Mahan with 4.5 percent, and Tony Thurmond with 2.5 percent. Other major candidates were not included in the poll because they have taken campaign contributions from fossil fuel interests.
“This was no random sample poll,” explained Janet Cox, Climate Action California’s CEO. “Our supporters are committed climate advocates who go deep on the issues and choose our positions, and our endorsements, carefully. We will work hard to elect Tom Steyer as our next governor because many of his comprehensive, well-considered positions on climate and related issues closely align with ours. We believe that Steyer will lead a just transition from fossil-fuel dependence toward an equitable, low-carbon future where all Californians can enjoy clean air, good health, and a stable climate,” she added.
Cox highlighted Steyer’s Electricity Plan as a prime example. The plan promotes distributed saidsources of renewable energy to protect the grid, and shifts utility incentive structures to reward energy efficiency and consumer cost savings over shareholder gains—an approach known as performance-based regulation.
In response to a comment about Steyer’s past investments in fossil fuels, Cox said, “It’s interesting to see the other candidates ganging up on the person in the race least likely to cater to fossil fuel companies and their allies. Tom Steyer left his investment management career in 2012, and has spent the last decade and a half using his time and his money promoting climate action, social justice, and voter empowerment. As he says, he is the change agent in this election—and change is what we need.”
Climate Action California is a statewide, volunteer-led 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that advocates for science-based solutions to the climate emergency. The group will soon announce its endorsements for other statewide races, the state Senate and Assembly, and select local contests. The Climate Action California Political Action Committee raises funds to support climate champions on the November ballot.