Michael Tubbs

Michael Derrick Tubbs (born August 2, 1990)[1] is an American politician who is currently serving as a special adviser for economic mobility and opportunity for Governor Gavin Newsom. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 79th mayor of Stockton, California from 2017 to 2021, and as a member of the Stockton City Council from the 6th District from 2013 until 2017.

Michael Tubbs
79th Mayor of Stockton
In office
January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2021
Preceded byAnthony Silva
Succeeded byKevin Lincoln
Member of the Stockton City Council
from the 6th district
In office
January 8, 2013 – January 1, 2017
Preceded byDale Fritchen
Succeeded byJesús Andrade
Personal details
Born
Michael Derrick Tubbs

(1990-08-02) August 2, 1990
Stockton, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAnna Nti-Asare (2017–present)
Children2
EducationStanford University (BA, MA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Tubbs was elected mayor in 2016, becoming the youngest mayor in Stockton's history and its first African-American mayor.[2] In 2020, he lost reelection to Kevin Lincoln.

Early life

Tubbs was born in south Stockton and grew up in poverty.[3] His mother, Racole Dixon, was a teenager at the time of his birth, and his father, also named Michael Tubbs, is serving a third strike life sentence in prison for kidnapping, drug possession, and robbery.[4] Tubbs has a younger brother named Drevonte.[4]

Education

Tubbs attended Hamilton Middle School. In 2007, while a student at Franklin High School, he won an essay contest sponsored by Alice Walker. His essay about overcoming the mistakes his parents made was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. He criticized his father's "Scapegoat mentality" and praised his mother for overcoming adversity.[5]

Tubbs graduated with an International Baccalaureate from Franklin High School in 2008. That July, he was a member of a team of three San Joaquin County teenagers who won a national debate competition in Cincinnati sponsored by the NAACP. They advocated for universal health care, and the debate was followed by a speech by the presidential candidate Barack Obama.[6]

He then attended Stanford University on a need-based scholarship, graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and a Master of Arts in Policy, Leadership and Organization Studies. As an undergraduate, he received a Truman Scholarship, and was the joint winner of the university's Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel award for "distinctive and exceptional contributions to . . . the quality of student life."[7] During his time at Stanford, he also served as President of the school's NAACP chapter,[8] and interned at the White House.[9]

Political career
Tubbs with then-Senator Kamala Harris in 2020

Tubbs ran against incumbent Dale Fritchen for Stockton Council District 6 in the November 6, 2012 general election. He won the primary[10] and received a $10,000 campaign donation from Oprah Winfrey after meeting her while she toured the Stanford campus.[11]

Tubbs went on to win the election, receiving 61.7% of the vote, and took office in January 2013 at the age of 22, making him the youngest council member in Stockton history and one of the youngest elected officials in the United States.[8] His candidacy was also the subject of a documentary, True Son,[12] which premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.

Mayor of Stockton

Tubbs announced his candidacy for mayor of Stockton on September 2, 2015, running against incumbent Mayor Anthony Silva in the 2016 general election.[13] He was endorsed by President Barack Obama on November 2, 2016, less than a week before the election.[14] He went on to win the election, receiving 70.6% of the vote and becoming both the city's first black mayor and at 26 the youngest person to hold that office.[15] His term in office began on January 1, 2017.[8]

Tubbs is a proponent of a universal basic income. As part of the privately funded Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) pilot project, the city provided a $500 monthly stipend to 125 selected residents for an 18-month period with no strings attached beginning in February, 2019. The project was sponsored by the Economic Security Project, an advocacy group chaired by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, which provided the first $1 million for the program, and a dozen other Silicon Valley organizations and private donors who funded the rest of its $3 million budget.[16][17] Tubbs helped assemble a national coalition of mayors who support UBI,[18][19] Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, which had more than 60 participating cities by 2022.[20]

During his term, Tubbs also established an intervention program to reduce gun violence, programs to reduce homelessness, and mentorships for at-risk students.[18]

In December 2019, Tubbs endorsed the Democratic presidential campaign of Michael Bloomberg.[21]

Tubbs ran for re-election to a second term as mayor in 2020, losing to Republican Kevin Lincoln. In the first round of mayoral voting, held in June 2020, Tubbs came in first in a field of eight candidates, with 41.5% of the vote (with Lincoln coming in with 22%).[22] In the runoff election, held November 3, 2020, Tubbs lost to Lincoln 57% to 43%.[23][24] During the campaign, a social media page known as The 209 Times[18] published numerous stories — many unfounded[2] — accusing Tubbs of corruption. (The 209 Times is run by Motec Patrick Sanchez,[25][18] who came in fourth in the June primary election, with 10.5% of the vote.)[22] Some attributed Tubbs's loss to the influence of the The 209 Times stories, however, Tubbs was also opposed by police and firefighters' unions.[2]

During his reelection campaign, Tubbs was featured in an HBO documentary, Stockton on My Mind.[18]

Post-mayoral political involvement

On March 11, 2021, he was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom as a special adviser for economic mobility and opportunity.[26] In June 2021, 11 U.S. mayors announced they had formed a coalition, called Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity, to enact reparations programs in their cities; Tubbs was named an emeritus member.[27] In 2022, Tubbs founded a nonprofit organization to address wealth inequities — End Poverty in California (EPIC).[28] As part of his nonprofit work and his duties to the Governor, Tubbs toured California to interview people who are living in poverty.[29] Tubbs has continued to lead Mayors for Guaranteed Income and its expanded organization Counties for Guaranteed Income.[30]

Personal life
Tubbs and his wife Anna at a League of Women Voters event

In December 2017 Tubbs married Anna Malaika Nti-Asare, whom he had met at Stanford University.[4] After graduating from Stanford with a Bachelor of Arts in medical anthropology in 2014 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and from King's College, Cambridge with a Master of Philosophy in multidisciplinary gender studies in 2015, Nti-Asare spent two years teaching at Aspire Langston Hughes Academy in Stockton. She is now a Gates Cambridge Scholar and a doctoral student in education at King's College, Cambridge.[31][32][33]

Tubbs was arrested for driving under the influence in 2014. He apologized for what he called a "poor decision to drive when I should not have."[34][35] He pled no contest to misdemeanor charges.[36]

On October 19, 2019, he announced the birth of a son.[37] Their second child, a daughter, was born on August 30, 2021.[38]

In 2022, Tubbs published his memoir, The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home.[39] Tubbs provides featured commentary in the documentary It's Basic, directed by Marc Levin, which will premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.[40]

Electoral history
2012 Stockton Council district 6 election
Candidate Primary election[41] General election[42]
Votes % Votes %
Michael Tubbs 1,932 56.02 43,092 61.82
Dale Fritchen (incumbent) 1,501 43.52 26,617 38.18
Total 3,449 100 69,709 100
2016 Stockton mayoral election
Candidate First-round[43] Runoff[44]
Votes % Votes %
Michael Tubbs 15,847 33.42 56,165 70.57
Anthony Silva (incumbent) 12,499 26.36 23,426 29.43
Carlos Villapudua 11,425 24.10
Tony Mannor 2,309 4.87
Jimmie M. Rishwain 1,905 4.02
Gary Malloy 1,889 3.98
Sean Murray 1,118 2.36
Emiliano B. Adams 319 0.67
Write-ins 101 0.21
Total 47,412 100 79,591 100
2020 Stockton mayoral election
Candidate First-round[43] Runoff[45]
Votes % Votes %
Kevin J. Lincoln II 10,927 21.59 57,276 56.44
Michael Tubbs (incumbent) 21,016 41.53 44,206 43.56
Bill Smith 5,679 11.22
Motec Patrick Sanchez 5,523 10.91
Shoua Lo 2,773 5.48
Ralph Lee White 2,179 4.31
Shelly Hollins 1,698 3.36
Andrew Lee Johnson 674 1.33
Uncertified write-ins 136 0.27
Total 50,605 100 101,482 100
Voter turnout 42.38% 75.13%

References
  1. "Michael Derrick Tubbs, Born 08/02/1990 in California | CaliforniaBirthIndex.org". www.californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  2. "Rising Democratic star Michael Tubbs risks reelection defeat, thanks in part to a Stockton blog". Los Angeles Times. November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  3. McPhate, Mike (November 18, 2016). "California Today: Meet the New Mayor, Age 26". The New York Times.
  4. Hubert, Cynthia (April 12, 2017). "Michael Tubbs, one of America's youngest mayors, aims to lift his hometown of Stockton". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  5. Tubbs, Michael (November 11, 2007). "Parents' mistakes made me succeed: My father is in prison with a scapegoat mentality, my mother became a model for overcoming obstacles – and I learned about life from both of them". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  6. Reid, Keith (July 15, 2008). "S.J. team wins in NAACP debate". The Record. Stockton, California. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  7. "Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Awards: For Outstanding Service to Undergraduate Education". Registrar's Office: Student Affairs. Stanford University. 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017. 2011–2012 ... Michael Tubbs, Senior in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity
  8. "Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs". www.stocktongov.com. City of Stockton, California. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  9. "Michael Tubbs Lands President Obama's Endorsement in Stockton Mayor's Race". CaliforniaCityNews.org. November 3, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  10. "22-year-old Stanford graduate Tubbs wins race for Stockton City Council". Peninsula Press. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  11. "Oprah gives to young Stockton campaign". CNN. July 6, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  12. Rechtshaffen, Michael (November 6, 2014). "Review: 'True Son' follows power of youthful conviction in politics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  13. "Tubbs to run for Stockton mayor in 2016". The Record. September 2, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  14. Tubbs Snags Big Endorsement In Stockton Mayor's Race, CBS Sacramento (November 2, 2016) Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  15. "'This is history now': Michael Tubbs becomes city's first black mayor". The Record. November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  16. "Can $500 a month change a city? Stockton tests universal basic income". San Francisco Chronicle. January 2, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  17. "California city fights poverty with guaranteed income". Reuters. June 4, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  18. Siders, David (December 23, 2020). "The Fall of Michael Tubbs". Politico. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  19. "California Program Giving $500 No-Strings-Attached Stipends Pays Off, Study Finds". NPR.org. March 4, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  20. Richard, Ev (February 7, 2022). "New Guaranteed Income Experiments Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr". Verve Times. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  21. Mascareñas, Xavier (December 11, 2019). "Watch Mike Bloomberg receive endorsement of Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  22. "Statement of Votes Cast". San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. April 5, 2020.
  23. "Stockton elects new mayor: Kevin Lincoln". KCRA. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  24. Beam, Adam (November 17, 2020). "Stockton mayor who pushed guaranteed income isn't reelected". Associated Press. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  25. "Primary answers: Motec Patrick Sanchez, mayor of Stockton". Recordnet.com. February 25, 2020.
  26. Jeong Park (March 11, 2021). "Michael Tubbs, who championed guaranteed income in Stockton, to join Newsom administration". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  27. "11 U.S. Mayors Commit To Developing Pilot Projects For Reparations", Associated Press (June 18, 2021)
  28. Visram, Talib (February 10, 2022). "Guaranteed income and baby bonds could be key to ending poverty in California". Fast Company. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  29. Mays, MacKenzie (January 16, 2023). "On a poverty tour of California, an advisor to the governor chronicles agony, anger and hope". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  30. Quig, A. D. (February 14, 2023). "New guaranteed income coalition led by Toni Preckwinkle aims to take cash assistance national". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  31. "Two Stanford alumni awarded 2017 Gates Cambridge Scholarships". Stanford News. February 13, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  32. "Making her own mark: Tubbs' fiancee is world traveler, scholar, mentor". The Record. January 21, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  33. "Biography". Gates Cambridge. April 6, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  34. "Stockton councilman arrested for DUI with .137 alcohol". KXTV. October 20, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  35. "Tubbs Returns to Stockton City Council after DUI Arrest". KTXL. October 21, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  36. "Councilman Tubbs pleads 'no contest' to DUI charge". The Record. December 15, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  37. @MichaelDTubbs (October 19, 2019). "Est. October 19,2019. 9:04 am. Michael Malakai Tubbs Jr. Mom @annas_tea_ and baby are doing well" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  38. @MichaelDTubbs (August 30, 2021). "God is great! We are pleased to announce the birth today of our little girl Nehemiah! @annas_tea_ is doing great and baby girl is beautiful and brilliant. Who runs the world? Girls! Fisted hand" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. Wilson, Emily (February 14, 2022). "How This Man Flipped the Foreclosure Capital of America". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  40. Ramachandran, Naman (June 1, 2023). "Tribeca-Bound Guaranteed Basic Income Doc 'It's Basic' by Cannes and Emmy Winner Marc Levin Unveils First Trailer". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  41. "COUNTY OF SAN JOAQUIN STATEMENT OF VOTES CAST PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION JUNE 5, 2012". San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  42. "2012 November - Presidential General Election - 2012 November - Presidential General Election - San Joaquin County Open Data". opendata.sjgov.org. San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  43. "San Joaquin County June 7, 2016 OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS". San Joaquin County. July 11, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  44. "SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 8, 2016 OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS". San Joaquin County. December 6, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  45. "COUNTY OF SAN JOAQUIN PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION 11/3/2020". San Joaquin County. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
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