Betty Yee
American politician (born 1957)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Betty Ting Yee (born October 19, 1957)[1] is an American politician who served as California State Controller from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Yee previously served as a member of the California Board of Equalization from 2004 to 2015.
Gavin Newsom
Betty Yee | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Official portrait, 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 | October 19, 1957 San Francisco, California, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Party | Democratic | ||||||||||
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) Golden Gate University (MPA) | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 余淑婷 | ||||||||||
| Jyutping | jyu4 suk6 ting4 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
In 2024, Yee announced her campaign run in the 2026 California gubernatorial election.
Early life and career
Yee was born on October 19, 1957, in San Francisco,[2] to immigrant parents from Guangdong Province, China. Yee is a graduate of Lowell High School. In 1979, she graduated University of California, Berkeley with a BA in sociology. In 1981, she graduated from Golden Gate University with a Master of Public Administration.[3]
Yee worked for the Legislature and was then Governor Gray Davis's chief deputy director for budget.[1] She then became the Chief Deputy to Board of Equalization member Carole Migden.[4] 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 to the California Board of Equalization in 2006 from the 1st Board District and was re-elected in 2010.[5] She led the successful effort to force Amazon to collect sales taxes on online purchases.[1][6]
California State Controller
She ran in the 2014 California State Controller election to succeed term-limited Democratic incumbent John Chiang, who was elected California State Treasurer.[7] In the nonpartisan 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.[8][9] Swearengin and Yee competed in the general election, which Yee won by 3,810,304 votes (53.97%) to 3,249,668 (46.03%).
Yee was on the California State Lands Commission. She opposed fracking for oil.[1]
Yee has served as the vice chair of the California Democratic Party since May 2021,[10][11] after defeating party secretary Jenny Bach and Victorville Council member Blanca Gómez.[12][13]
2026 gubernatorial campaign
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.[14][15]
Electoral history
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
| 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 | |
| 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
| 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 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Betty Yee | 3,810,304 | 54.0 | |
| Republican | Ashley Swearengin | 3,249,668 | 46.0 | |
2018
| 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 | ||
| 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
| 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
- This total does not include the 45 voters who skipped this contest
