Toni Atkins talks to locals at Webstertown Farmers Market during her “Toni In Your Town” tour on Sunday, August. 24, 2025 (Photo by Sammy Jimenez/Stocktonia.org)
Toni Atkins, former leader of both houses of the California legislature and candidate for governor, brought her campaign to Stockton in the Central Valley on Sunday, meeting local voters at a farmer’s market.
The Democrat from San Diego is calling her statewide campaign tour “Toni In Your Town.” Her aim is to meet as many people as possible, according to Communications Director Danni Wang. The Webstertown Farmers Market is just one of many stops across California, starting in Red Bluff and working south to Riverside.
The tour includes smaller cities such as Woodland, Yuba City, and Davis. Wang explained that campaigning in communities of all sizes is important to foster a sense of familiarity with Atkins, regardless of city size. The tour, which began last Wednesday in Red Bluff, Tehama County, a historically Republican-leaning area, is scheduled to conclude on Aug. 28 and cover both rural and urban regions.
Former California State Sen. Susan Eggman, a Democrat from Stockton, endorsed Atkins, citing her depth of experience and legislative leadership.
“A lot of people run for governor who think it’s a good idea and then, you know, come in and are very surprised at the complexities of the state of California,” Eggman said.
“Toni has been the leader in two houses, has negotiated with 120 unruly legislators and two governors, and helped keep California as the fourth-largest economy in the world.”
Atkins’ campaign site describes her personal story, telling of a journey from a poor upbringing in rural Appalachia to political success in California.
Atkins said Sunday that she’s been in Stockton many times before, and her team enjoys visiting the agricultural markets of San Joaquin County. She also made an appearance in Lodi just a few hours later.
In 2016, San Diego County voters elected her to the State Senate, and after just one year, she was selected by her colleagues to serve as Senate President pro Tempore, becoming the first woman and boasted being the first openly LGBTQ person to lead the Legislature’s upper house. Atkins is the first person in 150 years, the third person in California history, and the only woman to lead both houses of the Legislature.
Rep. Scott Peters from San Diego also endorsed Atkins earlier this year, calling her the “most qualified person for governor.”
Atkins has currently raised $4.2 million in campaign funds, matching former Congresswoman Katie Porter and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Overall there are 10 major candidates vying for the governorship.
In addition to Eggman and Peters, endorsements have come from several state senators and assemblymembers.
The primary election for governor is on June 2, 2026, with the top two candidates going head-to-head in a general election on Nov. 3, 2026. If elected, Atkins would become California’s first woman governor.
For a brief period in 2014, she served as acting governor while then-Governor Jerry Brown was out of town, joking, “If Gov. Brown wants a few more days away, I’m here for him.”