‘Why Would Anyone Want This Job?’

At the Pacific Research Institute’s “California Ideas in Action” conference in Sacramento, veteran reporters posed a blunt question about the 2026 governor’s race: “Why would anyone want this job?”

They put it plainly. The next governor will not inherit a surplus, a rebound, or a reset moment. They will inherit a mess. One panelist, only half joking, wondered whether some of the state’s biggest political names had taken a hard look and decided to sit this one out. If you are Senator Alex Padilla or former Vice President Kamala Harris, and you see the numbers, the liabilities, and the political crosscurrents, why step into that storm?

The next governor will walk straight into a problem years in the making.

In eight years, state revenues have grown by more than $120 billion, yet spending has grown even faster. California now faces projected structural deficits of roughly $30 billion annually for several years, along with about $21 billion in internal borrowing that must be repaid.

One panelist framed the contrast this way: Jerry Brown spent much of his time stabilizing the state’s finances and building reserves. He left Gavin Newsom with a surplus. Newsom will leave behind massive deficits, and with so many budget gimmicks already used, the next governor will have little room to maneuver.

Beyond the deficits, California faces an affordability crisis, rampant homelessness, water and infrastructure shortages, an unstable insurance market, heavy regulation, energy concerns, high poverty, and a struggling business climate, all in the world’s fifth-largest economy.

The reporters were clear about what they expected from candidates. No talking points. No slogans. They want specifics.

• What programs get cut?
• What percentage of the budget is waste, and where?
• What taxes, if any, get raised?
• What projects get built, delayed, or canceled?
• How will progress be measured?

The next governor will not be handed a surplus or a honeymoon. They will be handed a bill and judged not by promises, but by the cuts made, the projects completed, and the deficits reduced.

As the conference closed, the consensus was simple: anyone who wants this job must be ready to show the math and defend the trade-offs. If they cannot, they should not be asking for the keys.