The campaign for California governor was launched by Ian Calderon, a former state lawmaker and Bitcoin advocate, as a long shot among several established candidates.
A campaign for California governor in 2026 has been initiated by former California Assemblymember and Bitcoin advocate Ian Calderon, who is entering a crowded and competitive race to succeed Gavin Newsom.
The governor’s bid was confirmed by Calderon in a post to X on Tuesday, centering most of his pledges on affordable homes, groceries, and gas, while he also positioned himself as a Bitcoin advocate.
“My generation pays bills on our phones, sends money with Venmo, and saves in Bitcoin—but yesterday’s ideas are being applied by our government to solve today’s problems, and it isn’t working,” he said.
Extra emphasis was placed on Bitcoin by Calderon in a separate X post, where he stated: ‘California has always been a leader on technology. It’s time for us to get back to our roots and make California the undisputed leader on Bitcoin.’”
Crypto-friendly policies have been more widely promised by lawmakers at the federal and state levels in their campaigns, after the crypto lobby emerged as a top donor during the 2024 elections, spending millions on successful bids from Donald Trump and multiple lawmakers.
The foundation for the state’s blockchain roadmap was laid by Calderon, who entered California’s legislature in 2012 at 27 years old and served until 2020, leading its Blockchain Working Group.
A bill that would allow California state agencies to accept crypto payments was recently advanced by lawmakers, but it hasn’t seen the same level of support for a Bitcoin reserve as other states. California is the most populous state in the US with a $4.3 trillion economy.
Calderon Signals Potential for California Bitcoin Reserve
Bitcoin should be held on California’s balance sheet, Calderon stated during a livestream on X.
Once he is governor, he will ensure that Bitcoin is held on the state’s balance sheet, he added.
Calderon also stated he would advocate for a plan where Bitcoin could be used to pay for state programs.
Calderon Confronts Intense Competition
The gubernatorial election in California will be held on Nov. 3, 2026. Calderon is a long shot to win, as several more established candidates are competing to succeed Newsom, who cannot seek reelection at the end of his second term.
A spot in the race was opened up in late July after former Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed that she would not seek the position.
The current frontrunner is shown by polling to be former Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter, followed by Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, and former Republican political adviser and Fox News contributor Steve Hilton.
Calderon Proposed Making Bitcoin Legal Tender in California
A bill exploring Bitcoin as legal tender was introduced in early 2022 by Calderon, who had been out of politics for five years and worked with Satoshi Action Fund CEO Dennis Porter.
Little to no progress has been made on the proposal since then.
