By Amaras Mehrabian (ANCA-WR Summer 2026 Intern)
As Governor Gavin Newsom approaches the end of his final term, attention is shifting to the race to replace him. Political observers are already debating which candidates will emerge, what issues will define the contest, and what California politics will look like in the post-Newsom era. Yet one question has received far less attention: just how important will the Armenian-American vote be in choosing California’s next governor?
The answer may be more significant than many Californians realize. While no single community can decide a statewide election on its own, Armenian-Americans have become one of the state’s most organized, politically engaged, and influential constituencies. Concentrated in key regions and increasingly successful at translating community priorities into political action, Armenian-Americans have become a voting bloc that candidates ignore at their own risk.
That may sound like a bold claim. California is home to the largest Armenian-American population in the United States. Yet political influence is not measured just by population. It is measured by organization, voter participation, and the ability to mobilize around issues that matter. By those standards, Armenian-Americans have become one of California’s most politically influential ethnic communities.
Over several decades, Armenian-Americans have built a strong presence in local government, civic organizations, and advocacy groups. Through organizations such as the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and a broad network of community institutions, Armenian-Americans have shown an ability to organize voters, engage elected officials, and advance issues important to the community. Their influence goes well beyond election day and into the policymaking process itself.
This political clout is not limited to legislative advocacy, as demonstrated by initiatives such as AJR 32, which expressed California’s support for Artsakh’s right to self-determination. It is also evident in the community’s ability to mobilize around issues it considers important. Earlier this year, Dr. Mehmet Oz’s inflammatory remarks concerning Armenian-owned businesses in Los Angeles struck a nerve within the Armenian-American community, prompting widespread criticism from advocacy organizations, elected officials, and community leaders. The response demonstrated the community’s capacity to organize quickly and draw the attention of state leaders.
Following the persistent advocacy of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR), Governor Gavin Newsom’s office filed a civil rights complaint against Dr. Oz, demonstrating once more how a coordinated grassroots advocacy effort can translate into meaningful state action. This is a reminder that issues affecting Armenian-Americans can no longer be dismissed as purely local concerns.
Growing Armenian-American political influence also helps explain why statewide politicians have invested time in building relationships with the community. Gavin Newsom provides the clearest example. Throughout his political career, Newsom has actively engaged Armenian-American leaders and organizations while supporting initiatives that resonate with Armenian voters.
In 2019, Newsom signed the Divestment from Turkish Bonds Act (AB-1320), legislation restricting new investments in Turkish government bonds following concerns related to Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. His administration later allocated funding for the Armenian American Museum and maintained regular engagement with Armenian-American organizations on issues affecting Armenians both in California and abroad. These actions were not just symbolic gestures. They reflected the political reality that Armenian-Americans had become a constituency whose concerns could not be ignored.
More recently, Newsom signed the MENA Inclusion Act (AB-91), legislation that establishes separate demographic reporting categories for Middle Eastern and North African communities, including Armenian Americans. Supporters argued that the measure would improve representation and provide more accurate data regarding communities that have often been overlooked in public policy discussions. The legislation reflected the growing political influence of Armenian-Americans and their increasing recognition within California policymaking.
Some observers may still argue that Armenian-Americans remain too small a demographic group to significantly influence statewide politics. On paper, the argument sounds reasonable. But in practice, elections are often shaped by highly engaged communities, and Armenian-Americans have repeatedly demonstrated those qualities. Their sway extends beyond numbers and into the broader political coalitions that determine electoral success.
That reality becomes especially important as California enters the post-Newsom era. Candidates seeking the governor’s office will need to assemble diverse coalitions capable of winning statewide support. In doing so, they will encourage a community that has spent decades building political influence through civic engagement and advocacy. Armenian-Americans have consistently advocated issues such as Armenian Genocide education, cultural preservation, policies affecting Armenia and the broader Armenian Diaspora, and so much more. Candidates who hope to earn the community’s support will likely be expected to engage seriously with those concerns.
As the race to replace Gavin Newsom begins to take shape, candidates will spend the coming years searching for coalitions capable of carrying them to Sacramento. In that effort, Armenian-Americans are likely to command more leverage than many political observers expect. Much of that influence will continue to flow through organizations such as the ANCA, whose decades of advocacy, grassroots organizing, and legislative engagement have helped transform the Armenian-American community into a constituency that statewide candidates can neither overlook nor take for granted.
The next governor of California will be chosen by coalitions, not by chance. Armenian-Americans have spent decades turning civic engagement into legislative results, from AJR 32 to the MENA Inclusion Act, and that track record will not go unnoticed as the field for 2026 takes shape. The question for every candidate eyeing Sacramento is no longer whether the Armenian-American vote matters, but whether they are prepared to earn it.
