Union nurses, Tom Steyer united for bold, structural change in California

California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and the state's largest union of registered nurses, California Nurses Association (CNA), will hold a press conference in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, May 5. Speakers from the elected leadership of CNA will outline why Steyer is registered nurses' top choice to lead the state in progressive reform, as well as the nurses' "get out the vote" (GOTV) mobilization of its 125,000 members.

Media will have an opportunity to ask questions of CNA leaders and Steyer. Media is required to RSVP - details below.

What: California Nurses Association and Tom Steyer press conference
When: May 5, 2026 at 9:30 am. Doors open 9:00 am.
Where: 155 Grand Avenue, Oakland, Calif.
Speakers and guests: Tom Steyer; CNA President Sandy Reding; CNA President Cathy Kennedy; CNA President Michelle Gutierrez-Vo; CNA Executive Director Puneet Maharaj.

RSVP REQUIRED. RSVP FORM HERE.

"We are done with Democrats whose allegiance is to corporate health care donors, not the working people who voted for them," said CNA Executive Director Puneet Maharaj. "We demand leadership beholden to patients, not profits. Tom Steyer is that candidate."

"The strong positions Tom Steyer is taking are non-negotiable to us, and his willingness to take them has earned him our endorsement," said CNA President Sandy Reding, when CNA first announced its decision to endorse in February 2026. "We demand guaranteed health care for all that's not controlled by greedy insurance corporations, and we also demand a society in which our patients feel safe walking down the street, going to work, and leaving home to seek medical care - without being brutalized, kidnapped, or even murdered by secret masked ICE agents. Steyer shares nurses' values and moral clarity on these issues."

"Nurses are the heart of our health care system, caring for our loved ones, saving lives, and holding our communities together," Tom Steyer said when he received CNA's endorsement. "At a time when health care is under attack from Donald Trump, our next governor must be a fierce and unwavering advocate for nurses because when nurses are supported, patients and communities are healthier. That's why I'm proud to earn the endorsement of the California Nurses Association. As governor, I will fight for single-payer health care so nurses can deliver the best health care to Californians for the lowest cost."

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.