California Nurses Association endorses Tom Steyer for governor of California

California Nurses Association (CNA), the largest union of registered nurses in the state, with more than 100,000 members, today endorsed Tom Steyer for governor of California. Nurses say their endorsement is fueled by Steyer's unequivocal support for a national and state single-payer health care system; for ending corporate control over politics and working people's lives; for taxing billionaires and corporations; and for protecting democracy.

"Nurses have been fighting to win guaranteed, single-payer health care for decades: at the state level with CalCare, and at the federal level with Medicare for All. Tom Steyer stands with us in that fight," said CNA president Sandy Reding, RN. "He understands incrementalism won't work. With Steyer as governor, California can continue leading the way on enacting progressive policies that protect public health and safety."

Nurses have been sounding the alarm on the Trump administration cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid and other public health protections in their 2025 budget bill - and redirecting that funding to heavily militarizing ICE. Nurses say Steyer is taking the right side for this dangerous moment in history as he joins nurses in calling for ICE to be abolished.

"The strong positions Tom Steyer is taking are non-negotiable to us, and his willingness to take them has earned him our endorsement," said Reding. "We demand guaranteed health care 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," Steyer said. "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."

Unlike other candidates, nurses note that Steyer will not be beholden to corporate and anti-union donors. He has refused to take corporate money and instead will consistently lead by his values. Nurses emphasize that Steyer also recognizes private wealth is built on public and government investment and through the labor of working people. He has signed the Giving Pledge, a commitment to give away the vast majority of his money during his lifetime, and has been a vocal advocate for taxing corporations and the wealthy, including committing to paying more in taxes himself.

Nurses also laud Steyer's experience in backing successful, progressive ballot campaigns, including 2010's "No on Prop. 23" campaign to preserve California's law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; 2012's Prop. 39, which closed a corporate tax loophole to fund clean-energy infrastructure; and Prop. 56 in 2016, a tobacco tax increase to fund health care and smoking cessation programs. In 2025, Steyer stood with nurses to back Prop. 50, an emergency measure to ensure U.S. patients' voices and lives are not extinguished by the Trump administration's scheme to steal congressional votes from Black, Latine, and working-class people in several states. Steyer also founded NextGen America, an environmental advocacy nonprofit and political action committee, which has been the largest youth voter engagement organization in U.S. history.

"Our patients need a governor who understands that working people generate the wealth in society, and it's our right to direct that wealth toward policies that benefit our health, our families, and our communities," said Reding. "Tom Steyer aligns with California nurses on the issues that matter. He believes in democracy and shared prosperity, and we look forward to backing him in his race to lead this state toward a brighter future."

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