Upon taking office in January 2017, Michael Tubbs became Stockton’s first African-American mayor and the youngest mayor in the history of the United States to represent a city with a population over 100,000. Under his leadership, Stockton has elevated from a bankrupt city to the sixth most fiscally healthy city in the nation. Mayor Tubbs has launched several initiatives bringing funding and focus to education in the city, such as the Stockton Scholars and the Stockton Service Corps (SSC). In addition to expanding opportunities for Stockton’s youth and sharing that experience through his fellowships, Mayor Tubbs launched the nation’s first ever municipal level basic income pilot and significantly improved the rates of violence in the city - overseeing a 30% reduction in homicides.
Included in Forbes’ 2018 “30 Under 30” list, Politico’s Top 50, and as the recipient of the 2019 JFK New Frontier Award, Mayor Tubbs has been recognized nationally as a staunch advocate for structural change and the provision of an economic floor for all.