Lanhee Chen [Archived]

For too long, the Controller has been a Sacramento insider, valuing partisanship over competence. The Controller has been beholden to other politicians, defending THEM, instead of fighting for and protecting YOU. That won’t be me. I’m not part of the one-party monopoly that has controlled Sacramento for too long. We aren’t going to change California by recycling the same old tired politicians from one job to another. Lanhee Chen is a leader, problem-solver and educator who has built his career on tackling some of California and America’s biggest fiscal policy challenges. He was raised in Southern California and is the son of immigrants from Taiwan. After earning four degrees from Harvard University, including a law degree and doctorate in political science, he served in senior roles in both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations. Today, Lanhee is regarded as one of America’s leading policy commentators and experts. He is currently on leave from Stanford University, where he teaches public policy and conducts research at the Hoover Institution, a think tank on campus. He has helped leaders in California and around the country develop policies to address some of our society’s most pressing problems—like improving our health care system, saving Social Security, and growing our economy. His writings have appeared in America’s biggest newspapers and he has frequently shared his ideas and policy recommendations on television news programs across America and around the world. Lanhee Chen for California Controller with supportersPreviously, Lanhee was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as a member of the independent and bipartisan Social Security Advisory Board, a group of leaders that advise the President, Congress, and other policymakers on matters relating to the Social Security program. Lanhee built his own small business, which focuses on providing advice on fiscal and other public policy issues to leaders in both the public and private sectors. He is an investor who works with entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses and create new jobs. Lanhee has also taken an active leadership role in a variety of nonprofit organizations. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of El Camino Health, a health care system in his community. Lanhee grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers—and remains a die-hard fan of both teams to this day. He and his wife Cynthia, a nonprofit attorney, have an eleven-year old son and eight-year old daughter. They currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area.