California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis publicly launched a new independent political committee to mobilize California's “pro-choice” voters and help defeat Donald Trump and regain Democratic control of the House of Representatives.
Californians for Choice, which as a super PAC can raise unlimited amounts from donors for independent election expenditures, plans to recruit volunteers across the state to make calls and knock on doors in key congressional races, according to a statement from the committee.
The PAC will focus on defeating Reps. John Duarte (R-Modesto), Mike Garcia (R-Santa Clarita), David Valadao (R-Hanford), and Ken Calvert (R-Corona) and replacing them with Democrats, as well as retaining Control Democrat from Irvine's House seat Katie Porter, where Democratic state Sen. Dave Min is running against Republican Scott Baugh. Instead of running for re-election, Porter ran for the United States Senate, but lost in the March primary.
The PAC launched with a 30-second statewide ad starring Kounalakis, who speaks directly to the camera in jeans and a jacket as headlines about abortion restrictions blare in the background.
“I'm building an army to fight back, defend choice, and defend women,” Kounalakis says in the ad.
Californians for Choice has made an initial ad buy of just over seven figures across digital and television media, according to David Beltran, a strategist who works with the PAC.
The powerful state politician and former U.S. ambassador to Hungary has already been running in the 2026 gubernatorial race for more than a year, and the announcement will no doubt help boost her name recognition and burnish her image as a leader on the issue. of the right to abortion.
With Newsom removed in 2026, the race to replace him is already crowded more than a year away, with California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Senator Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and former state Comptroller Betty Yee among those who have already thrown their hat in the ring. State Attorney. Gen. Rob Bonta has also said he is considering running for governor, but has not officially entered the race.
Kounalakis is the daughter of Sacramento real estate magnate Angelo Tsakopoulos; She and her family have spent lavishly on her political priorities in the past, including Kounalakis' lieutenant governor's race.
Kounalakis was first elected lieutenant governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. The position is a relatively low-key office that is often used as a launching pad for the governor's mansion. Both Newsom and former Gov. Gray Davis previously served as lieutenant governors.
Paperwork to create the Californians for Choice PAC was filed with the Federal Election Commission in mid-April, according to FEC records.
