EDITORIAL: Oliver Ma, California lieutenant governor candidate, answers Bay Area News Group's primary questionnaire

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Ahead of the June primary election, the Bay Area News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates for lieutenant governor. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and clarity.

You can read our endorsement in this race here.

To read our endorsements for other important Bay Area races click here.

Name: Oliver MaCurrent job title: Civil rights lawyerDate of birth: July 22, 1997

Political party affiliation: Democratic SocialistOther political positions held: NoneCity where you reside: Bakersfield

What are the top three problems you're seeking to solve if elected?

1. Protecting immigrant families: I'll hold U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement accountable for illegal raids. I plan to shut down for-profit detention centers and support community rapid response networks.

2. Affordable homes and stable rents: I will fight to prevent corporate slumlords from buying up entire neighborhoods, fight to expand rent control statewide and protect tenants from unjust evictions. I would push legislation that would make housing more available to our communities to buy, instead of renting.

3. Divest from apartheid and invest in justice: I believe California's investments should reflect its values. That means divesting from those that profit from oppression.

Why are you uniquely qualified to solve these problems?

In 2023, I moved to Kern County to work at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California as a civil rights lawyer specializing in immigrant rights. I represented the UFW in United Farm Workers v. Noem, a case that challenged and successfully enjoined lawless immigration raids in Kern County. I am a leader in the Rapid Response Network of Kern, where I train volunteers to become legal observers, rapid responders and to accompany people to their ICE check-ins. I've spent my career on the frontlines suing the Trump administration, defending immigrant communities and fighting for housing justice.

What differentiates you from your most serious competitors for this seat?

I am Oliver Ma. I'm the only immigrant, the only organizer, the only union member and the only civil rights lawyer in this race. My experience comes from taking on Trump in the courts, representing detainees inside ICE detention centers, organizing tenants unions and protecting college students.

What did Eleni Kounalakis do right as California's lieutenant governor?

I appreciate that she visited all 58 counties during her campaign for lieutenant governor - that is no easy feat.

In what ways did Eleni Kounalakis fail as California's lieutenant governor?

The lieutenant governor has the ability to be a strong advocate for progressive legislation in the California State Senate, on the Commission for Economic Development and on our higher education boards. Many organizers have told me that Eleni was not as present at these institutions as they would have liked and did not use the office to fight for progressive change.

The lieutenant governor sits on bodies including the California State Lands Commission and the University of California Board of Regents, and can influence land-use policy. How would you use those roles to help address California's housing shortage - particularly on state-owned land or university property?

I support building a million new affordable homes in the state of California. These cannot be the luxury condos that real estate developers want to build. Instead, they need to be affordable homes that working people and students can afford. On the State Lands Commission, I plan to approve development of affordable housing. On the UC Board of Regents, I likewise plan to lower the cost of student housing and develop more university housing.

California continues to face concerns about business costs and outmigration. What specific policies would you advocate to improve the state's economic competitiveness while still maintaining California's labor and environmental standards?

To make our state more affordable and our economy more competitive, we have to stop misusing our state resources and instead invest them into things that create opportunity for working people. I support an ambitious agenda of free universal health care, tuition-free public universities and affordable housing. Investing in these things will allow our state economy to keep growing, without rolling back labor and environmental standards.

The lieutenant governor serves on the UC Board of Regents, which helps shape policy for one of the largest public university systems in the world. What reforms would you support to improve affordability, expand access for California students and align higher education with workforce needs?

Currently, the UC system has over $32 billion invested in companies that profit from genocide and apartheid. I will fight to divest our universities from these companies and reinvest those dollars back into our students and teachers. This money could provide affordable housing and food programs. I believe Proposition 13 to be good law - but we must exempt corporations from this proposition so they pay their fair share so we can provide tuition-free public universities. Tuition should be free, housing should be cheap and food insecurities should not be something a student has to struggle with.

Through the State Lands Commission and other boards, the lieutenant governor has influence over coastal policy, offshore energy and conservation. What role should California play in developing offshore wind and other renewable energy projects while protecting coastal ecosystems and communities?

I strongly support offshore wind and/or waves development. Offshore wind can provide clean energy during peak demand, especially late afternoons and evenings when solar isn't available. I would use oversight and appointment powers to ensure projects protect ecosystems, fisheries and Tribal lands, while evaluating sites based on ecological impact, cultural resources, public access and community benefits. Additionally, I would partner with organizations such as California Environmental Justice Alliance to ensure the criteria we are using is accurate and safe.

Critics sometimes argue the lieutenant governor's role is largely ceremonial. If elected, what initiatives would you personally lead to make the office more influential in solving California's biggest challenges?

I would argue that critics believe the role of the lieutenant governor to be ceremonial because we have not had someone who utilizes the role to its highest potential. Some initiatives I would champion would be to shut down the for-profit detention centers using the anti-commandeering clause, push to exempt corporations from Prop. 13, repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, divest our universities from the genocide in Palestine and fund our counties' rapid response networks.

While serving as lieutenant governor and acting as governor when Jerry Brown was in China, Gavin Newsom declared the avocado as California's official state fruit. What's the first thing you're doing as acting governor in the governor's absence?

As a civil rights lawyer, I defended and represented immigrants who were wrongfully detained by ICE. These are people who did everything right, worked hard and provided for their families. But, because they were detained and deported, they are unable to return to their families in California. I filed hundreds of pardon applications for those who were detained, but none of them were accepted by the governor. So, as acting governor, the first thing I would do is use this role to pardon those who were wrongfully detained by ICE so they can return to their families.

To the extent you haven't already addressed this, in what ways would you use this office to benefit the Bay Area?

I am fighting for a California where housing is cheap, health care is free and immigrant families are safe. The Bay Area is one of the most heavily immigrant-populated areas in the state. It is also the most expensive. I hope the progressive change that I am fighting for makes the Bay a more economically and culturally vibrant place.

Please tell us anything else we should know about why you're the best candidate for California lieutenant governor.

Our campaign has more than 5,000 volunteers registered and has trained more than 200 campaign captains. We have the support of many Young Democrats, local Democratic clubs, unions and the Democratic Socialists of America chapters across the state. I am the only candidate who speaks Spanish, the only candidate who speaks Mandarin, the only candidate who is an immigrant and the only candidate who has fought for immigrant communities in the detention centers, in the courtroom and the streets. We have currently raised close to $600,000, all grassroots, and we plan on raising more as the cycle continues.

Lastly, name your favorite California restaurant.

Kang Kang Food Court in Alhambra.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 5:43 PM.