Betty Yee

Betty T. Yee (born October 19, 1957)^[1] is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as California State Controller from 2015 to 2023. She previously served as a member of the California Board of Equalization from 2004 to 2015. She won the open seat for Controller in the 2014 election, with 54% of the vote.^[2] Yee won reelection in 2018, defeating Republican Konstantinos Roditis in a landslide, and she served as Controller until January 2, 2023.

Betty Yee
Yee in 2016
32nd Controller of California
In office January 5, 2015 – January 2, 2023
Governor	Jerry Brown Gavin Newsom
Preceded by	John Chiang
Succeeded by	Malia Cohen
Member of the California State Board of Equalization from the 1st district
In office December 6, 2004 – January 5, 2015
Preceded by	Carole Migden
Succeeded by	Fiona Ma
Personal details
Born	(1957-10-19) October 19, 1957 (age 67) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BA) Golden Gate University (MPA)
Chinese name
Chinese	余淑婷
Jyutping	jyu4 suk6 ting4
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yú Shūtíng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping jyu4 suk6 ting4

Yee has served as the Female Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party since May 2021,^[3][4][5][6] after defeating party secretary Jenny Bach and Victorville Councilmember Blanca Gómez.^[7][8]

In March 2019, Yee announced her intention to run in the 2026 California gubernatorial election.^[9] In April 2023, after fellow contender Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis announced her bid for governor, Yee reiterated her plans to run for governor, and formally launched her campaign in March 2024.^[10][6][11]

Early life and career

A native of the Parkside district of San Francisco, Yee's parents emigrated from Guangdong Province, China in 1956. She handled the books in her family's neighborhood laundry and dry cleaning business while she grew up.^[1]

Originally speaking no English, she spent her grade school years in the San Francisco Unified School District and graduated from Lowell High School before attending the University of California, Berkeley as an undergraduate, attaining a bachelor's degree in sociology. She went on to attend Golden Gate University, from which she earned a master's degree in public administration.

Yee worked for the Legislature and was then Governor Gray Davis's chief deputy director for budget, later saying that "My role was to present all the options possible. Politics came into play. The governor and legislative leaders made decisions that sometimes didn't agree with our recommendations."^[1] She then became the Chief Deputy to Board of Equalization member Carole Migden.^[12] She was appointed to fill the seat when Migden vacated it after being elected to the state senate.

Political career

California Board of Equalization

Yee was elected in her own right to the California Board of Equalization in 2006 from the 1st Board District and was re-elected in 2010.^[13] She led the successful effort to force Amazon.com to collect sales taxes on online purchases, the so-called "Amazon tax".^[1][14][15]

California State Controller

She ran for California State Controller in the 2014 election to succeed term-limited Democratic incumbent John Chiang, who was elected California State Treasurer.^[16] In the nonpartisan blanket primary, Republican Ashley Swearengin, the Mayor of Fresno, and Yee finished first and second, respectively. The third-place finisher, Democratic Speaker of the California State Assembly John Pérez, initially called for a recount in 15 counties after official results showed him trailing Yee by just 481 votes out of over 4 million cast; however, he ultimately conceded to Yee more than a month after the primary.^[17][18][19] Swearengin and Yee competed in the general election, which Yee won by 3,810,304 votes (53.97%) to 3,249,668 (46.03%).

As State Controller, Yee sat on the California State Lands Commission. She supports investing in alternative energy and opposes fracking for oil.^[1] An advocate of tax reform, she opposes extending Governor Jerry Brown's temporary tax increases, instead proposing to lower the state sales tax and extend it to currently untaxed services.^[1]

Yee also serves as Vice President of California Women Lead, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for women holding or interested in running for political office.^[20]

Betty Yee sits on the board of trustees for the State Teachers Retirement System.^[21]

Yee has served as the Female Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party since May 2021,^[3][4][5][6] after defeating party secretary Jenny Bach and Victorville Councilmember Blanca Gómez.^[7][8]

2026 gubernatorial campaign

See also: 2026 California gubernatorial election

In March 2019, Yee, Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis, and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma announced they would run in the 2026 California gubernatorial election.^[9] In April 2023, after Kounalakis announced her bid for governor, Yee confirmed her plans to run for governor, though the formal launch would not happen until later in 2023.^[10][6] Meanwhile, Ma would instead run for lieutenant governor.^[10]

Yee officially announced her campaign on March 27, 2024, with a video highlighting her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants and experience handling the state budget.^[11][22]

Personal life

On July 13, 2018, Yee and her husband, Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, were involved in a three-car accident in the Posey Tube between Alameda and Oakland. Yee and her husband as well as their driver, a California Highway Patrol officer, were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The vehicle Yee was riding in was rear-ended by another vehicle and was in turn pushed forward into the vehicle in front of it. The driver of the rear-ending vehicle was suspected to be under the influence of marijuana.^[23]

Electoral history

Yee's first official photo as State Controller

2006

California Board of Equalization 1st District Election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Betty Yee (incumbent)	1,508,130	65.0
	Republican	David Neighbors	677,942	29.2
	Libertarian	Kennita Watson	68,405	2.9
	Peace and Freedom	David Campbell	67,697	2.9

2010

California Board of Equalization 1st District Democratic Primary Election, 2010

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Betty Yee (incumbent)	564,903	74.7
	Democratic	Ted Ford	149,166	19.7
	Democratic	Alan Montgomery	43,075	5.6

California Board of Equalization 1st District Election, 2010

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Betty Yee (incumbent)	1,617,369	63.1
	Republican	Kevin Scott	799,327	31.2
	Libertarian	Kennita Watson	77,929	3.0
	Peace and Freedom	Sherill Borg	71,183	2.7

2014

California State Controller Primary Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ashley Swearengin	1,001,473	24.8
	Democratic	Betty Yee	878,195	21.7
	Democratic	John Pérez	877,714	21.7
	Republican	David Evans	850,109	21.0
	Green	Laura Wells	231,352	5.7
	Democratic	Tammy Blair	200,532	5.0

California State Controller Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Betty Yee	3,810,304	54.0
	Republican	Ashley Swearengin	3,249,668	46.0

2018

Nonpartisan blanket primary results^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Betty Yee (incumbent)	4,033,208	62.1
	Republican	Konstantinos Roditis	2,200,942	33.9
	Peace and Freedom	Mary Lou Finley	261,876	4.0
Total votes			6,496,026	100.0

California State Controller election, 2018^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Betty Yee (incumbent)	8,013,067	65.45	+11.48
	Republican	Konstantinos Roditis	4,229,480	34.55	−11.48
Total votes			12,242,547	100.0	N/A
	Democratic hold

2021

California Democratic Party Female Vice Chair election, 2021^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Betty Yee	1,960	58.97
	Democratic	Jenny Bach	1,306	39.29
	Democratic	Blanca Gómez	58	1.74
Total votes			3,324[a]	100.0

Notes

1. This total does not include the 45 voters who skipped this context