The lieutenant governor is more than a backup. Here’s the best person for the job | Opinion

California’s lieutenant governor is the second-highest ranking public official in the state, only behind the governor in prestige — yet it’s often dismissed as a mainly ceremonial position.

But that’s not a fair assessment of this often difficult job.

Not only does the lieutenant governor preside over the California State Senate, they are also a full voting member of the Board of Regents of the University of California, the Board of Trustees of California State University, the Board of Governors of the California Community College System and the Calbright College Board of Trustees.

In addition to those educational roles, the lieutenant governor chairs the California Commission for Economic Development and is a member of the California State Lands Commission, both of which are influential statewide boards that govern massive projects.

To be sure, electing a lieutenant governor is a chance for the public to elect a second-in-command — someone to step in for the governor when they’re out-of-state or otherwise incapacitated — but it’s also a chance for the public to elect a voice to these influential boards and commissions that are otherwise filled by appointment only.

Therefore, whoever occupies the role of lieutenant governor should have a history of service to the state, and be willing to service the same vision for state governance as the new governor.

With these qualifications in mind, The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board has chosen to endorse Josh Fryday, the chief service officer of California.

In our interview with Fryday and other candidates, he stood out by highlighting the state’s deep affordability inequalities, proposing plans for making higher education cheaper and easier to access, and expanding the state’s service corps programs, which he has personal and professional experience with.

Fryday, the former mayor of Novato, also previously served as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In his current position as chief service officer, he leads the state’s extensive service, volunteer and civic engagement efforts with California Volunteers.

According to his campaign website, under his leadership, California Volunteers has grown to become the largest service corps in the nation — larger even than the Peace Corps. It annually provides more than 10,000 jobs for Californians who seek to give back by serving their communities.

The Biden Administration took direct influence from Fryday’s efforts when it created the American Climate Corps, a national service program that employed young people to fight global warming. It shut down following Trump’s election.

“We are in a unique moment where the lieutenant governor plays an incredibly important role, given the specific economic and social moment that we are in,” Fryday told us in an endorsement interview.

“I’m not running as a career politician. I’m running as a military veteran, as a former mayor of my hometown, as a member of the governor’s cabinet, as a husband to a second grade school teacher and father to three kids in California public schools, who understands how unaffordable California has become.”

Fryday’s notable endorsements include Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, as well as former Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg. He’s also amassed endorsements from numerous organizations including the California Teachers Association, the California School Employees Association and California Environmental Voters.

Endorsements by those organizations, in particular, speak well of Fryday’s ability to serve the numerous educational boards and commissions the lieutenant governor is expected to sit on. If elected, Californians can expect him to advocate for serious changes to the rising cost of college tuition for our students, and to provide teachers and staff with the resources they need to operate.

Since there’s been almost no polling done for this race, it’s difficult to know where Fryday stands with potential voters, but it’s safe to say that after Newsom’s recent endorsement, his profile has risen.

Fryday’s most prominent opponent in the race for lieutenant governor is perhaps current state Treasurer Fiona Ma, who is generally considered the candidate with the most name recognition, but whose term as treasurer was marred by allegations of sexual harassment and a lawsuit that was ultimately dropped after the state paid out a $350,000 settlement to her former staffer. Other opponents in the race include former Stockton mayor, Michael Tubbs and two Republican opponents, David Fennell and Gloria Romero.

Fryday stands out from the crowd not only by his numerous accomplishments, but also by his demeanor; he is a genuinely likeable candidate who can easily pass the “beer test” of authenticity among voters.

He will make an excellent second-in-command to whomever is elected governor, and we look forward to seeing where the future takes Fryday’s career.

This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM with the headline "The lieutenant governor is more than a backup. Here’s the best person for the job | Opinion."