Democratic California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who has faced sexual harassment allegations, is surging in early polls for the 2026 lieutenant governor election.
Ma has served as state treasurer since 2019 and announced her campaign for lieutenant governor in early June 2023. A recent poll by Tulchin Research shows the Democratic state treasurer in second place overall, with 18% support among likely statewide voters in the June primary.
The survey indicates Republican candidate Brian Dahle leads with 20% support, while 34% of respondents remain undecided. Among Democratic voters though, Ma holds the top spot with 28% support, with 42% of Democrats surveyed still undecided.
Ma’s long tenure in office has included allegations of sexual assault, racial discrimination and wrongful termination brought against her.
The Democratic state treasurer’s former employee, Judith Blackwell, worked under Ma as executive director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee beginning in September 2019. Blackwell was fired by January 2021 and replaced.
Later that year, Blackwell filed a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court roughly six months after her termination. By 2023, a Sacramento County judge dismissed Blackwell’s claims of wrongful termination and racial discrimination, according to the Los Angeles Times.
However, the judge allowed Blackwell’s sexual harassment allegations to proceed, the outlet reported.
Court records detail claims that Ma made unwanted sexual advances toward Blackwell. Blackwell alleged that at one point in 2020, while sharing a room during work travel, Ma “exposed her bare rear end,” according to Courthouse News Service.
During one alleged incident in May 2020, Blackwell claimed Ma rented an Airbnb instead of a hotel room, where she began exposing herself before allegedly climbing into Blackwell’s bed, Courthouse News Service reported.
Blackwell also alleged that Ma bought her gifts, including edible marijuana.
By September 2020, Blackwell said she suffered a stroke and took eight weeks off work. Upon returning, she claimed Ma assigned her tasks that required two people to complete. Despite the injury, Blackwell was fired shortly afterward, the outlet reported.
Ma has consistently maintained her innocence, describing Blackwell’s claims as “unremarkable events” that occur when people share a living space, according to Courthouse News Service. Ma also stated that Blackwell was fired for poor work performance, noting the sexual allegations only came after she had been fired.
“Blackwell’s own testimony establishes that the events were few in number, short in duration, no offensive words were spoken, and none involved physical contact,” Ma said in 2023, according to Courthouse News Service.
While a trial was set regarding the sexual allegations in September 2024, the lawsuit was dropped by Blackwell just a month prior. Separately, however, the state reached a settlement deal with the former employee.
Blackwell received $350,000 from taxpayer funds, releasing Ma’s office from any wrongdoing and including no admission of liability by Ma or the state.
In a statement released after the settlement reports, Ma called the lawsuit “frivolous,” adding it was filed by a “disgruntled employee,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
“From day one, I said this was a frivolous lawsuit filed by a disgruntled employee who fabricated claims in an attempt to embarrass me in hopes of receiving millions of dollars in a settlement,” Ma said at the time. “After three years of delay, I have been completely vindicated, and can continue my work on affordable housing, climate action and job creation without distraction.”
While Ma touted the settlement as a win, Blackwell’s attorney Waukeen McCoy pushed back against the state treasurer.
“I cannot fathom how she thinks that she’s been vindicated — my client has been vindicated,” McCoy said, the Los Angeles Times reported. “It seems like Ms. Ma does not feel like she did anything wrong. She’s not taking responsibility for her actions, which is unfortunate.”
Prior to becoming the state’s treasurer, Ma served in the California Assembly, notably authoring legislation that strengthens protections for domestic violence victims, the outlet reported.
In January, reports broke that Ma filed for divorce from Jason Hodge, a former firefighter, after 15 years of marriage. Ma described the split as amicable, according to the San Francisco Standard.
“After 15 years, we have grown apart but remain good friends,” Ma told the outlet.
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