As former state controller and budget director, Betty Yee oversaw California’s finances—drawing on skills she first developed as a child helping run her family’s small business. Today, she says she’s running for California governor to address the affordability crisis while bringing more transparent, effective governance to Sacramento. 

Yee grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of Chinese immigrants who ran a dry cleaning shop. She worked her way through UC Berkeley and earned a master’s degree from Golden Gate University, all while caring for her father during his illness—an experience she says shaped her views on health-care access. 

While serving as the top budget official under Governor Gray Davis, she pushed for wage protections for home health-care workers and helped implement California’s pioneering automobile emissions standards. During her two terms as controller, Yee says she identified billions in wasteful government spending, safeguarded pension funds for public employees and teachers, and resisted federal attempts to open protected coastal areas to oil exploration. 

Yee joins Commonwealth Club World Affairs as part of our “Race for Governor 2026” series of candidate forums. Come meet the candidate, hear her vision for California, and ask your questions before you cast your vote for California’s next Governor.