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Lanhee Chen Leads for State Controller Seat in November

Scott Shafer
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A light-skinned, trim Asian man in his late 30s or early 40s stands with his hands on his hips in front of a green hedge lining a wooden fence and a wooden gate, as if in a backyard, beyond which sunlight on green tree leaves is visible. He wears a blue-and-white checked collared shirt with the cuffs unbuttoned and neck undone, a white undershirt peeking out at the neck, dark jeans, and a belt. He is smiling confidently with his mouth closed and looking at the camera.
 (Courtesy of Chen for California campaign)

Republican policy analyst Lanhee Chen is leading in the race for state controller with 37% of the vote, followed by Board of Equalization member Malia Cohen with 21%. Monterey Park Councilmember Yvonne Yiu is in third place with 16%. Chen will face the second-place finisher in November.

The race for state controller, sometimes called “California’s top fiscal watchdog,” had no incumbent running, with current controller Democrat Betty Yee termed out and unable to run again.

Although it’s been decades since a Republican was elected state controller, Chen is seen by many as giving the GOP its best crack at winning a statewide office in years.

A policy analyst at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Chen is a relatively moderate Republican, having advised Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. He also worked for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s unsuccessful bid to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Chen refuses to say whether he voted for Donald Trump. This is his first run for political office.

Chen was endorsed by the California Republican Party and also won several large newspaper endorsements, including The Los Angeles Times. Given the number of voters unhappy with California’s direction, many might be willing to vote for a Republican who promises to keep an eye on what Chen sees as wasteful spending by Democrats. If he wins in November, Chen would immediately become the highest-profile Republican in California state politics.

If Cohen is elected in November, she would become the first Black woman to hold that position, while Chen would be the first Republican to win a statewide election since 2006.

Cohen, who once served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was the first big-name Democrat to announce her candidacy. She received strong financial backing from organized labor and an endorsement from the California Democratic Party. She had the backing of Yee, as well as endorsements from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and many other elected Democrats across the state.

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