Eleni
Kounalakis

The Southern California News Group editorial board endorsed Kounalakis, citing her proposed focus on fiscal measures including the structural budget gap, debt-service-to-revenue ratio, reserves, revenue volatility and credit-rating outlooks.

In a Southern California News Group voter-guide interview, Kounalakis said digital-asset policy should protect consumers and public funds while maintaining fiscal discipline. She described high-speed rail as an investment in California's future and said she would prioritize bond financing for public transit, rail and clean-transportation projects.

The Los Angeles Times published a voter guide confirming Kounalakis and Hawks as the two candidates in the November 3 general election for California state treasurer.

The Mercury News and East Bay Times editorial boards endorsed Kounalakis, citing her proposed agenda including maintaining conservative debt ratios, streamlining bond financing, revising low-income housing tax credits, protecting CalPERS and CalSTRS, and expanding college-savings and low-income-worker retirement programs.

In an interview published by the San Francisco Examiner, Kounalakis said her top priority would be transparent, efficient and effective management of state finances. She discussed balancing investment returns, risk, time horizons and liquidity, and said clean energy was a priority while prudent returns must remain a primary driver.

The California Secretary of State's certified candidate list named Kounalakis as the Democratic candidate for treasurer, with the ballot designation 'Lieutenant Governor of California.'

Kounalakis received 3,154,323 votes (36.7%) in the June 2 primary, finishing first among six candidates. Republican Jennifer Hawks placed second with 2,063,253 votes (24.0%). Both advanced to the November general election under California's top-two system.