Anthony Rendon is pitching the California superintendent of public instruction race as a chance to go back to early childhood—basically to protect a program he fears could be cut.
A campaign centered on Head Start
“The first thing we need to do is defend Head Start,” he said, in an interview.
He also warned that if Head Start is eliminated, there would be “an unbelievable demand” for care that California would have to figure out to replace “for kids.” It’s a message that fits his political origin story.
Misryoum editorial desk noted that Rendon said he was motivated to enter politics in 2012, when he ran on his record of administering nonprofit early childhood education programs during a period when early education faced cuts amid budget deficits in Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration.
Rendon is 58, a consultant and former California Assembly speaker, and his background in early childhood nonprofit administration is central to how he argues he’s best equipped for the job.
Misryoum analysis indicates he’s aiming to translate legislative experience into a more direct fight over early learning funding, even as the June primary field remains crowded and competitive.
Inside the politics: endorsements, oversight, and leverage
Rendon served as Assembly speaker from 2016 to 2023, the second-longest term after Willie Brown’s 15 years, and he would be “returning to his political roots” if he wins, according to Misryoum reporting.
He said he worked his way through community college before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cal State Fullerton and a doctorate in political science from UC Riverside as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship.
He also completed postgraduate work at Boston University, and he has a 6-year-old daughter.
One small detail that sticks with people around politics like this—at least, that’s how it feels when you’re around the campaign trail—is the way meetings can start with someone cracking open a folder and smelling that faint paper-and-coffee mix, like the day is already running ahead of them.
On the endorsements front, Rendon has ties to organized labor and secured endorsements from the California Federation of Labor, the Service Employees International Union and the California Association of Professional Firefighters.
Meanwhile, Misryoum editorial team stated that major teachers’ unions are supporting other candidates: the California Teachers Association is backing San Diego Unified School Board President Richard Barrera, and the California Federation of Teachers has endorsed Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance.
Rendon said the education unions “tend to play big” and “are all over the place,” but he argued his own coalition is larger.
He added, with his labor endorsements and the support of dozens of elected officials, “I have more endorsements than any other candidate.” He called the superintendent’s post “important” but “underutilized,” and he declined to criticize outgoing Superintendent Tony Thurmond, saying he was “dealt a bad hand” by the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
As the election approaches, Misryoum newsroom reported that Gov.
Gavin Newsom is pushing a proposal to transfer oversight of the California Department of Education from the superintendent to the governor and the State Board of Education, whose members are gubernatorial appointees.
Rendon said he has not discussed the plan with the governor and strongly opposes it, calling it inconsistent with democratic governance.
He argued that consolidation of executive branches is “a really bad look” at this time and said it’s not what Californians asked for previously.
Rendon also described the superintendent’s influence as more than a “bully pulpit,” pointing to the superintendent’s ex officio seats on the UC Regents and California State University board of trustees.
Misryoum analysis notes that a political science professor at Sacramento State said Rendon used power astutely as speaker—dispersing it among committee chairs—and created a “pretty successful” record.
Still, the professor said Rendon did not appear to play a leading role in shaping education policies during his tenure.
Rendon pointed to his creation of a blue-ribbon commission on early childhood education, which he said contributed to Newsom’s embrace of universal Transitional Kindergarten.
He said he did state child care programs, state infants and toddler programs, and that they were “cool.” Since leaving the Assembly, Misryoum newsroom reported he has worked as a consultant and earned more than $100,000 from UCLA’s Voter Rights Project last year, according to disclosure documents filed with the Secretary of State.
He has also lectured at Loyola Marymount University and been a fellow at USC.
There’s also been scrutiny around political connections.
In 2021, Misryoum newsroom reported that nonprofits with ties to Rendon’s wife, Annie Lam, received more than $500,000 in donations and event sponsorships from dozens of companies with business before lawmakers.
Rendon said at the time there is “no connection” between donations to Annie’s nonprofits and what happens with respect to legislation.
In 2023, Misryoum editorial desk noted that Lam received $400,000 in income in 2022 from consulting work for entities with business before lawmakers, and she told the newspaper she stood “on my own abilities, accomplishments, and successes.” Rendon said the experience as speaker reinforced that, despite big Sacramento issues, people have to see real results in their own communities—in their own schools.
Which is, of course, the part voters will test first, and maybe… maybe the Head Start argument is how he wants to make that test harder to ignore.
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