The already crowded field of candidates to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026 has added one more candidate.
Southern California philanthropist and businessman Stephen Krubeck on Tuesday announced his bid for governor of California with a barrage of ads on television stations and news websites targeting Californians following the results of the 2024 presidential election. expressed.
Klubeck, 63, struck a pro-business tone in a crowded gubernatorial race, saying in one ad that California was “closed for business, but enough is enough.”
Krubeck joins senior Democratic candidates including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Gov. Betty Yee, state Sen. Toni Atkins, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state school officials. Tony Thurmond.
All are seeking to succeed Mr. Newsom, who is serving his second and final term.
“If we were a country, California would be the fifth largest economy on earth,” Klubeck said in a statement. “We need to act like that. Instead of getting stuck at the end of a cul-de-sac, wondering why we’re stuck, we’re always leading the way, always moving forward. We need to be seen again as an innovative, forward-looking, world-class community.”
There is no clear front-runner in the gubernatorial race. No matter who voters send to Sacramento in 2026, they will face a number of major issues, including homelessness, rising housing costs, concerns about crime and an unemployment rate that is still higher than the national average.
California’s next governor will also have to contend with President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to challenge California’s policies on climate change and immigration protections.
Krubeck made his fortune in real estate and hospitality, founding Diamond Resorts International, a vast timeshare and vacation real estate company. He sold the company in 2016.
Mr. Krubeck is a longtime donor and fundraiser to the Democratic Party and philanthropy. Last year, he donated $1 million to LA4LA, a public-private partnership launched by Mayor Karen Bass to build affordable housing in Los Angeles, and donated to schools, police departments and churches in Southern California. said.
He recently appeared in an ad for “Measure G,” an L.A. County reform measure that would expand the number of supervisors on the board from five to nine people and create the position of elected chief executive officer. As of Wednesday, the measure had won by a narrow margin.
Mr. Krubeck has lived in Nevada and California, and most recently served as chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He said he also played a key role in renaming the Las Vegas airport for his friend and mentor, the late Sen. Harry Reid.
Klubeck also appeared in several episodes of the reality show “Undercover Boss,” which sends executives in disguise to low-level jobs in their companies, including a Guy Fieri-like disguise to take on the role of a villain. There was also an episode in which he acted. -of work A construction worker from Bakersfield.
