The former San Francisco mayor’s support gives Steyer a marquee Bay Area endorsement weeks before the June primary
By Aidin Vaziri,Staff WriterUpdated May 5, 2026 (SFChronicle.com)
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California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks after a debate on April 22 in San Francisco. Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has endorsed Steyer.Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has endorsed Tom Steyer for California governor, giving the billionaire climate activist a high-profile Bay Area boost as he tries to convert a massive self-funded campaign into votes in the state’s crowded June primary.
Steyer’s campaign announced the endorsement Tuesday, casting Brown’s support as a vote of confidence from one of California’s most recognizable Democratic power brokers. Brown, 92, served for decades in the Legislature, including as Assembly speaker, before becoming San Francisco’s mayor.
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“In my more than six decades in public life, I have had the opportunity to meet with many individuals seeking public office, taking time to understand their ideas, their judgment, their depth, and their ability to lead. After doing exactly that in this contest, I am proud to endorse Tom Steyer for Governor of California,” Brown said in a statement.
He added, “California needs a governor who is fully informed, independent in thought, and focused on what serves the public best, and I believe Tom Steyer embodies those qualities and offers real benefit to the state’s future.”
The endorsement adds a prominent San Francisco name to Steyer’s growing list of supporters, which already includes labor unions, progressive groups, environmental organizations and elected officials.
Steyer’s campaign has announced support from SEIU California and IFPTE Local 21, and his website lists endorsements from the California Nurses Association, the California School Employees Association, United Domestic Workers, YIMBY Action and several environmental organizations.
Why Willie Brown’s endorsement matters
Willie Brown speaks during a Feb. 17 ceremony celebrating the first day of Lunar New Year under steady rain at Portsmouth Square in Chinatown. The ex-San Francisco mayor has endorsed Tom Steyer for California governor.Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Brown’s endorsement came after two of Steyer’s rivals had publicly highlighted their own meetings with him.
Former Rep. Katie Porter posted a photo with Brown on April 27, writing that she was “grateful for his wisdom, his sharp wit, and a deep dive into the future of our state.” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan posted on April 23 that he had a new “pre-debate ritual: lunch with Willie Brown.”
Porter and Mahan have been polling in the single digits, while Steyer has been trying to hang on as the leading Democratic alternative amid increasing support for former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Brown’s endorsement gives Steyer support from a politician long seen as a mentor and kingmaker in San Francisco politics, with ties to the rise of prominent Democrats including Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
Steyer’s campaign pitch
Steyer, 68, has never held elected office, but he has been a major Democratic donor and political organizer in California for more than a decade. He founded Farallon Capital Management, a San Francisco hedge fund, before turning much of his political focus to climate change, voting rights and progressive ballot measure campaigns.
He is now running as one of the most progressive candidates in the race to replace Newsom, who is termed out.
In a recent interview with the Chronicle, Steyer called for tripling electric vehicle credits, raising taxes on oil companies and commercial properties, creating a state-funded single-payer healthcare system and using a tax on artificial intelligence companies to help fund worker protections and a state sovereign wealth fund.
“California’s progress has always been shaped by leaders who understood how to turn bold ideas into action and deliver for working people,” Steyer said. “Willie Brown helped define that tradition through decades of public service, breaking barriers as the longest serving Speaker of the California State Assembly and as San Francisco’s mayor. His support reflects a shared commitment to service, effective governance, and pragmatic, ambitious leadership. I am grateful for his confidence as we work to move the state forward.”
Steyer has tried to make his lack of government experience part of his pitch, arguing that his years of funding and organizing ballot measure campaigns show he can take on powerful interests.
In his Chronicle interview, he said he had taken on “three huge, well-funded corporate special interests: the oil companies, the tobacco companies and out-of-state companies that weren’t paying fair state income taxes, and beaten them every time.”
A costly race for governor
That argument is also central to how Steyer is trying to define his wealth. He has spent more than $146 million of his own money on the campaign, according to figures cited in the interview, surpassing the $144 million Republican Meg Whitman spent on her unsuccessful 2010 campaign for governor.
The spending has made Steyer one of the most visible candidates in the race, but it has also given rivals and critics a clear line of attack. Democratic opponents have accused him of trying to buy the election, while business groups have warned that his proposals would raise costs and drive investment out of California.
At the same time, Steyer has won support from progressive organizations that might otherwise be skeptical of a billionaire candidate. Our Revolution, the group that grew out of Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, endorsed Steyer, citing his support for single-payer healthcare, higher taxes on extreme wealth and limits on corporate power.
The top two finishers in the June 2 primary will advance to the November election, regardless of party.
May 5, 2026|Updated May 5, 2026 4:25 p.m.
Staff Writer
Aidin Vaziri is a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle.
