John Chiang Launches Bid for Governor's Office

LOS ANGELES, CA - State Treasurer John Chiang announced Tuesday he has formed a committee to run for governor in 2018.

Chiang, 53, was elected state controller in 2006 and reelected in 2010 before successfully running for state treasurer in 2014.

His gubernatorial announcement touts his work renegotiating the state's long-term debt, "securing over $3.2 billion in savings to help pay for vital services." It also says that as controller, he identified "over $9 billion in waste and mismanagement through aggressive audits, far more than any previous controller."

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last year his plans to run for governor. In response to Chiang's announcement, Newsom quickly sent out an mass email seeking campaign donations, saying "our first major opponent just got in the race today, and he's already backed with $3 million to jumpstart an aggressive campaign against us."

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is also expected to enter the gubernatorial race, but he has not made a formal announcement.

--City News Service