A forum featuring candidates for lieutenant governor will be held Monday at Cal State Los Angeles, focusing on higher education policy, affordability and workforce development.
The event, scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Golden Eagle Ballrooms on the campus at 5151 State University Drive, was organized by the Alliance for Candidate Engagement in Education and several partner organizations.
Candidates Michael Tubbs, Oliver Ma and David Fennell were expected to participate.
Tubbs, a Democrat, is a former mayor of Stockton who has focused on economic mobility and education access initiatives. He currently serves as a special adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom on economic mobility and has promoted efforts such as a guaranteed income pilot program and the use of public land for affordable housing, according to his campaign website.
Ma, a Democrat, is a civil rights attorney who has focused on housing, immigration and workers’ rights cases. His campaign website says he has advocated for expanding access to higher education and increasing public investment in student support programs.
Fennell, a Republican, is a business owner and community advocate who has emphasized workforce development and expanding career pathways for students.
Current Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is serving her second of two terms, meaning she’s not eligible to run again.
Opening remarks will be delivered by Cal State LA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes and Mike Bonin of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs.
Organizers said the forum will bring together students, education advocates and community leaders.
“California’s next lieutenant governor will help shape decisions that impact millions of students across our state colleges and universities,” according to statement from organizers. “This is your opportunity to hear directly from candidates about what they will do to improve college affordability, strengthen student success and expand opportunity across the state.”
The Alliance for Candidate Engagement in Education is a coalition of nonpartisan organizations, including the Campaign for College Opportunity and other education advocacy groups.