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Alice Stek, California lieutenant governor candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

May 5, 2026

Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Alice Stek

Current job title: Physician

Age: 69

Political party affiliation: Peace and Freedom

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: None

City where you reside: Venice

Campaign website or social media: alicestek4ca.com

Higher education — from increased enrollment opportunities to affordable student housing — is a priority for the lieutenant governor’s office. What do you see as the most pressing need in higher education in California? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Historically, academic institutions were built to serve a small minority of property-owning families of European descent, and the oppressive legacy of universities continues to keep out people of color and low-income families with the many barriers that are built into the current system. With the current roadblocks to higher education, there are over 2.5 million students enrolled in a California public higher education institution. Students and faculty are experiencing increased strains on their ability to learn and teach due to rising tuition, limited accessible/affordable student housing, limited (or absent) union support for staff and the like.

The hard-fought gains that came from the struggles of the 1960s are under attack — and even being rolled back — with the Supreme Court undoing affirmative action in 2023 and escalating attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

With a radical transformation of the education system, it is possible to remove all barriers to entry. Anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, generation or income, who wants to pursue higher education should have access to do so. Education is the backbone of our society. We need to ensure that people of all backgrounds and generations have access to quality education.

That is why I am calling for, and organizing for, a California that provides free higher education to all, an abolition of all student loan debt and guaranteed housing. There is no excuse as to why California, the fourth richest economy in the world, is not already providing these as a guaranteed human right.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis last year opposed the UC tuition increases. How would you advocate for balancing keeping tuition affordable for new students while also addressing funding gaps caused by federal reductions, budget cuts or other causes? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

California is the fourth richest economy in the world, where workers generate trillions of dollars in wealth annually. But that wealth funnels into the hands of billionaires and big corporations instead of going toward our families and neighbors. Students, and non-students alike, deserve affordable housing; free, high-quality education and health care for all, whether or not they are documented citizens; and a job with good working conditions and livable wage. Working-class people constantly hear the excuse that “the money isn’t there.” But the reality is that billionaires and corporate executives are pocketing our hard-earned money. We are more than capable of providing free, high-quality education in California as well as clearing all student loan debt.

The lieutenant governor has also made it a priority during her tenure to recognize campuses that excel in supporting Black students. Where are you seeing gaps in how California’s colleges support students, particularly those considered to be marginalized? How would you like to see that addressed? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Due to the egregious lack of funding in our K-12 public schools, we need to address learning gaps in our underserved populations by providing free, accessible and expanded remedial courses in community colleges. People of color and low-income communities deserve to receive higher education, whether at an academic institution or a trade school.

How, specifically, would you improve workforce development opportunities in California if elected? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Using my position on the three boards that govern all public higher education institutions, I would call for community colleges and universities to research existing knowledge, labor and data gaps across all markets (e.g., teacher and health care worker shortages). From there, we can make informed decisions to close these gaps so that we can meet the needs of Californians. We need to prioritize human needs and not the profits of billionaires.

What do you see as the most pressing component of the job of California lieutenant governor? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I’m fighting to make California a state for the people and not the billionaires. California is the fourth richest economy in the world, where workers generate trillions of dollars in wealth annually. But that wealth funnels into the hands of billionaires and big corporations instead of going toward our families and neighbors. Californians deserve affordable housing; free, high-quality education and health care for all, whether or not they are documented citizens; and a job with good working conditions and a livable wage.

My campaign is an extension of the people’s movement, showing what our demands in the street look like when a socialist is in office as lieutenant governor, fighting for the rights and dignity of the working class. Not only would I fight to implement policies and use my vote for the working class, I would also call on my base of supporters to continue to actively organize and mobilize to make our demands a material reality.

What in your background has prepared you best, in your opinion, to take on this role? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

As a physician on the front lines of health care, serving some of the most vulnerable populations of society, I see the urgency of implementing socialism in our society. All residents in California, including undocumented immigrants, deserve access to free and high-quality health care, from cradle to grave, as well as affordable housing; free, high-quality education for all; and a job with good working conditions and a livable wage. Even between elections, I fight to make these a guaranteed right for all. Not only am I prepared to take on this role, I also understand that we need to call on our base of supporters to actively organize and mobilize between elections to make our demands a reality.

How do you think taxpayers could better understand the work of this office? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Taxpayers are beholden to the two-party system, a system that steals from and brutalizes working-class people to serve the billionaires. We have become accustomed to our tax dollars being wasted by the government. I would want the taxpayers to know about the role of lieutenant governor by experiencing robust benefits to their lives through the work that comes out of my office via the implementation of our socialist platform.

What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I transform potential into reality by organizing in my community.

Orange County Register

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Alice Stek, California lieutenant governor candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

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