Betty T. Yee

Betty T. Yee (born October 19, 1957) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as California State Controller from 2015 to 2023. She previously served as a member of the California Board of Equalization from 2004 to 2015. She won the open seat for Controller in the 2014 election, with 54% of the vote. Yee won reelection in 2018, defeating Republican Konstantinos Roditis in a landslide, and she served as Controller until January 2, 2023. Yee has served as the Female Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party since May 2021, after defeating party secretary Jenny Bach and Victorville Councilmember Blanca Gómez. In March 2019, Yee announced she would run in the 2026 California gubernatorial election. In April 2023, after fellow contender Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis announced her bid for governor, Yee confirmed her plans to run for governor, though the formal launch would not happen until later in 2023. Early life and career A native of the Parkside district of San Francisco, Yee's parents emigrated from Guangdong Province, China in 1956. She handled the books in her family's neighborhood laundry and dry cleaning business while she grew up.