How compassionate justice, common-sense policies, and righteous reform can turn California around—and help awaken a nation
By Dr. Ché Ahn
There are moments when life’s direction changes—not because of ambition but because of conviction. For me, that moment came this spring. After decades of serving communities in California and churches around the world, I felt a clear call to step forward into the race for governor.
California is in crisis. We pay the nation’s highest gas prices, electricity rates, and state income tax. One-third of our people live at or near the poverty line. Despite spending over $24 billion on homelessness, the crisis has grown by 40% in five years. Our state budget went from a $97.5 billion surplus to a $20 billion deficit in record time.
These numbers don’t point to a lack of resources. They point to a lack of accountability. For too long, Sacramento has managed decline instead of leading renewal. That has to change. Californians deserve a government that is accountable, compassionate, and effective.
My life has not followed the typical political script. As a child, I came to this country legally from Korea with my family, seeking freedom and opportunity. As a teenager, I struggled through addiction and dropped out of school before turning my life around in 1973.
Since then, I’ve spent five decades planting churches, training leaders, launching humanitarian projects, and serving communities in uncertain times. I even led a legal battle during the pandemic to defend religious liberty for all Americans—because protecting freedom matters for everyone.
What qualifies me isn’t a title. It’s a track record. I’ve led in crisis. I’ve built coalitions. I’ve fought for families, walked with the hurting, and stood up to systems that shut people out. I believe leadership is about character, not career. And I believe California is ready for a leader who will listen, serve, and bring people together around common-sense solutions.
What would renewal look like for California? It starts with restoring accountability. We must audit every dollar of homelessness spending and direct funds only to programs that get people off the streets and into stable housing. We must ease the tax and regulatory burden on families and small businesses, because prosperity starts with economic freedom. We must prioritize real infrastructure—roads, bridges, dams, and grid reliability—over costly, failed projects like the $100 billion high-speed rail line.
Education reform is also essential. Parents must have the right to guide their children’s health and education without interference. Teachers deserve the freedom to communicate honestly with families. California can—and must—respect parental rights while ensuring that every child has access to safe, quality learning.
We must also address life issues with compassion and balance. Proposition 1’s expansion of abortion through nine months does not reflect the values of most Californians. Real reform means expanding prenatal care, adoption services, and family support so that no woman feels forced into abortion. When families are strengthened, abortion rates decline, and hope rises.
None of this is about partisanship—it’s simply about doing what’s right. Leadership should be measured by tangible outcomes: Are families and businesses thriving? Are communities safe? Are schools equipping children for the future?
California has long been a bellwether. What happens here doesn’t stay here; it spreads. Our policies, innovations, and cultural shifts often lead the nation. If that’s true, then what we do here in 2026 matters more than we realize.
Because if we can turn things around here—if we can build a state where families can afford to stay, small businesses can grow, and every life is treated with dignity—then we’re not just changing a state. We’re giving the nation a new example of what’s possible.