Jennifer Hawks
Candidate for State Treasurer
Jennifer Hawks is the Republican pick for state treasurer. The vote is set for November 3, 2026. She faces Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat. Hawks is a retired businesswoman, from the Silicon Valley area. This is her first run for office. Per Bay Area news reports, Hawks began her career in banking. She then spent about two decades in office and finance jobs. San Francisco Examiner reporting names two roles there: office manager and executive assistant. She held them at Sacred Heart Schools, a private school in Atherton. She retired from there in 2021. Other voter-guide coverage says she sat on the school's top team. Her exact title there is not settled across sources. Hawks has been active in GOP circles on the Peninsula. She has served as president of a local group, the Palo Alto Republican Women Federated. She has also worked with a statewide one, the California Federation of Republican Women. She has never held office before, a point she stresses. She calls herself an outsider and a fiscal watchdog. Coverage notes Democrats have held the treasurer's job for nearly three decades. Her campaign's theme is 'transparency, accountability, and oversight' for state money. Her materials promise full audits and clear reports. In the six-way June 2, 2026 primary, she was the top Republican. She placed second, with 24.0% of the vote. Kounalakis led, with 3,154,323 votes (36.7%), per the certified count. The two now advance to November. During the primary, the state GOP formally backed her. She beat out fellow Republican David Serpa for that nod. A group called Reform California also backed her. It is run by GOP Assemblymember Carl DeMaio. As of August 21, 2026, no report showed any change in her ballot status. Home: Palo Alto/Silicon Valley area, California. Job: Retired businesswoman. She was a school administrator at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, retiring in 2021. Prior office: No prior elected office was found. Several 2026 profiles, including the SF Examiner and CalMatters/LAist, say she has never held office. She runs on that outsider status.
Positions in brief
No stated public positions were found for this candidate.
On the issues
- Taxes & Cost of Living
Opposes a proposed state tax on cloud software and SaaS products, saying it would penalize small businesses.
“a penalty on every small business”
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Says California doesn't need more new spending plans, but accountability for why past spending -- on high-speed rail, homelessness programs, and infrastructure projects -- has fallen short.
“California doesn't need more spending plans. It needs someone willing to ask why past spending failed.”
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Proposes requiring a plain-English disclosure label -- showing total borrowed, interest, and final payment year -- on any bond before it appears on the ballot, as the first of five bond-reform proposals.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Frames her campaign around restoring public trust and enforcing fiscal discipline in how the state manages taxpayer money.
“Restore Trust. Enforce Discipline. Put California on Solid Ground.”
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Opposes a proposed law (AB 2624) that she says would punish people for publishing information about taxpayer-funded programs.
“punish people for publishing information about taxpayer-funded programs”
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.