Meet the Stanford faculty and alumni running in local midterm elections

Nov. 3, 2022, 6:37 p.m.

Stanford students planning on voting in the upcoming midterm elections may find some familiar names on their ballots. Many members of the Stanford community are running in the Santa Clara County midterm elections and in the California general election. 

This year, California voter registration numbers for midterm elections are among the highest in history. Eligible voters may vote in person or drop off their absentee ballot at Tresidder Union’s Vote Center from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. 

Lanhee J. Chen

Chen — a Hoover Institution fellow — is the Republican candidate running for California State Controller, one of the state’s highest ranking positions on the November ballot. The State Controller controls state funds, overseeing the disbursement and accounting of state government finances. Chen is running against Democrat Malia M. Cohen, who is the current Chair of the California State Board of Equalization. 

Chen is a current faculty member at Stanford, serving as the director of domestic policy studies and as a lecturer in Stanford Law School’s public policy program.

Jack Guerrero

Guerrero ’95 is the Republican candidate challenging incumbent Democrat Fiona Ma for California Treasurer. He serves on the City Council of Cudahy, Calif. and was the mayor of Cudahy from 2013 to 2014. If he were to win, he would be the first Republican treasurer for California since 1995. 

While at Stanford, Guerrero studied economics and worked for The Stanford Review.

Nathan Hochman

Hochman J.D. ’88 is the Republican candidate challenging incumbent Democrat Rob Bonta for California Attorney General. In 2008, he served as the Assistant Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice’s Tax Division. He is currently working as general counsel and partner at Ross LLP, a litigation and trial boutique.

At Stanford Law School, he was the Executive Editor of Stanford Journal of International Law. 

Sally Lieber

Leiber ’99 is the Democratic District 2 candidate for the California State Board of Equalization, which is the public agency in charge of tax administration and fee collection and the only publicly elected tax commission in the country. 

She currently serves as an advisor to the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, a regional agency that funds projects to protect and restore the San Francisco Bay. Leiber is running against Peter Coe Verbica, a managing director at Silicon Private Wealth.

At Stanford, she majored in public policy. While a senior at Stanford, she was elected to the Mountain View city council in 1998, with the most votes of all the candidates.

Patricia Guerrero

Guerrero J.D. ’97 is the nominee for Chief Justice of California, nominated by Governor Gavin Newsom. She is currently an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California where she’s served since March. She is the first Latina to serve on California’s highest court. 

If she wins approval at the polls, she will be inducted as Chief Justice effective Jan. 2023. 

Goodwin Liu

Liu ’91 is an incumbent nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. He was originally appointed by Governor Jerry Brown and is seeking approval from voters on the ballot to remain on the panel for another 12 years. 

Liu graduated from Stanford with a degree in biology. At Stanford, he served on the Council of Presidents of the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU). He also later served on Stanford’s Board of Trustees.

Joshua Groban

Like Liu, Groban ’95 is an incumbent nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California and was also originally appointed by Brown. If the majority of California voters approve of him at the polls, he will remain on the Court for another term of 12 years. 

Rebecca Eisenberg

Eisenberg ’90 is a candidate for District 7 Director of Santa Clara Valley Water District, which aims to provide clean and safe water to Silicon Valley. After being an early employee at several Internet companies like PayPal and Reddit, she now works as an investor in the social impact space. She is running against incumbent Gary Kremen M.B.A. ’89, a fellow Stanford alum.

She graduated from Stanford with a degree in psychology and was a Phi Beta Kappa honors scholar.

Gary Kremen

Kremen is the incumbent candidate for District 7 Director of Santa Clara Valley Water District. He invented online dating, founding the site Match.com. He is running against Eisenberg in the upcoming election.

Lauren is the Vol. 264 managing editor for the sports section and a Science and Technology desk editor for the news section. Previously, she was a Vol. 263 desk editor, beat reporter and columnist. You can contact her at lkoong 'at' stanforddaily.com.

Login or create an account