LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On election day, Stephen J. Cloobeck, dedicated father, community leader, serial entrepreneur and founder and former CEO and Chairman of Diamond Resorts International announced his candidacy for Governor of California 2026 via an unprecedented statewide media blitz including television ads on CNN, CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsmax, and Univision, as well as digital media and billboards statewide.
As a devoted California resident and lifetime Democrat, Cloobeck went to public and private schools in the San Fernando Valley. From busboy to boardroom executive, he learned the value of a hard day’s work right from the start and he’s been working nonstop since his early teens gaining experience in design, construction, purchasing, accounting and taxes, as well as banking, research science, technology, insurance, marketing, healthcare and more. His expertise includes work in both public and private partnerships.
Cloobeck brings truth and accountability to everything he does.
During his professional career he has been a real estate developer, hospitality entrepreneur, resort operator, and profitable investor with a track record of multiple successful business ventures around the world including his crown jewel, Diamond Resorts International, that is now part of the Hilton global portfolio of properties.
PRIORITIES
The mission of the Stephen J. Cloobeck campaign for Governor is to ensure that California reclaims its national and global stature as a place of prosperity and opportunity, one that is open for business again. His number one priority is to make California affordable, livable, workable for every Californian in every community, and a safe place for all.
Cloobeck believes it is time to govern with Respect, Responsibility, and Results that are meaningful and measurable. He envisions a California that leads the way in innovation and sustainability, harnessing the state’s economic and creative power as well as its intellectual and environmental potential to create long-term prosperity for future generations, re-energizing travel, tourism, and film and television. As Cloobeck likes to say as he crisscrosses the state:
“We must breathe life back into the California Dream. It must be obtainable for everyone, regardless of where you came from, who you love or what language you speak.
“If we were a country, California would be the fifth largest economy on the planet. We need to act like it,” added Cloobeck. “We need to be seen once again as an innovative, future-focused, world-class community that is leading the way, always moving forward, not stuck at the end of a cul-de-sac wondering why we hit a dead end.
“It’s going to take honest conversations, tough decisions, and a commitment to work together side-by-side – all of us – to make California the kind of state we want, need, and deserve. From education to immigration, from homelessness to healthcare, there are many critical priorities that must be addressed. It’s time to face the hard truths and get the work done.
“We also need to treat our hardworking taxpayers like customers. From now on, every California needs to know and deserves to receive equal or greater value for the taxes they pay. I’m ready, I’m proven, and we’ve got this.”
CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT
As a pro-union business leader, Cloobeck has brought his bipartisan cooperation approach to every bargaining table and legislative discussion. He ran tourism and travel for the United States of America as the inaugural Board Chairman for Brand USA Inc. In his 40-plus year professional tenure, he has negotiated directly with Congress, the US Treasury, Homeland Security, Customs and Borders, and the Departments of Interior, State and Commerce, as well as reporting directly to the White House.
“Stephen is the real deal. He’s exactly what California needs: no BS, just hard truths,” said Roger Dow, former president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “With his vast business background and as the former Chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission, he has legislated, regulated, and adjudicated including eradicating the ban of athletes for the use or possession of cannabis. Bottom line: he’s ready day one in office to get the job done.”
The mission for the Stephen J. Cloobeck for Governor campaign is to engage with all Californians, from small business owners to big business employers to farm workers, people who live paycheck to paycheck, public and private partnerships, from students to seniors. His message of inclusion and opportunity resonates with the diverse communities that make California exceptional and extraordinary.
Within just four years, Cloobeck’s goal is to make California the world’s number one location for new jobs, new businesses, and new opportunities.
“It’s more than just changing our reputation,” adds Cloobeck. “It’s about making California open for business again – a state that’s both affordable and livable as well. Californians, I see you. I see ALL of you.”
CALIFORNIA EDUCATION
Cloobeck is creator and chair of the non-partisan organization Save our Schools designed to inspire Californians to support school boards that prioritize real-life curriculums, real-world skills, and genuine results. The Save Our Schools PAC connected teachers, administrators, parents and students in key Southern California school districts on the need to support school boards that are committed to meaningful, measurable classroom standards, and prioritize student successes in their college and career choices rather than political or religious doctrines.
CALIFORNIA PHILANTHROPY
Motivated by a commitment to purpose-driven, results-focused philanthropy, Cloobeck believes in supporting programs and organizations with meaningful, measurable impact and a proven track record in serving their communities. Cloobeck’s philanthropic and community "give-back" activism efforts include, LA4LA, Prostate Cancer Foundation, California Police Chiefs Organization, FasterCures, LA Dream Center, Greater Zion Church, Arvin food bank, Bell Shelter, After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Harvard-Westlake School, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, Chapman University, Laguna Beach, and Beverly Hills Police Departments, Keep Memory Alive, the Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug Prevention, as well as numerous educational initiatives to increase and expand financial literacy.
Cloobeck’s commitment to philanthropy mirrors his dedication to creating a California that prioritizes family and community health and well-being and sustainable solutions with meaningful, measurable results.
AUTHOR
Stephen J. Cloobeck is also an accomplished writer after overcoming his dyslexia discovered after he completed his formal education. His most recent book, FACING HARD TRUTHS: How Americans Can Get Real, Pull Together, and Turn Our Country Around is due out in the first quarter of 2025 and can be pre-ordered here. Many of the main tenets from Facing Hard Truths is reflected in how Cloobeck approaches California government:
“We must be able to come together despite our differences to solve problems. We can’t talk past one another, sticking to extreme, polarized positions and refusing to deal with the other side.”
“America’s greatest leaders understood the fundamental principle of building consensus around the common good…To get anything done in both business and in politics comes down to the Three Rs: Respect, Responsibility, and Results.”
Cloobeck is also the author of Checking In: Hospitality-Driven Thinking, Business, and You, a leadership guide that will change how you approach people, problems, and possibilities.
GET INVOLVED
Join Stephen J. Cloobeck in his mission to restore California’s reputation, revitalize California’s economy, and renew California’s promise.
To volunteer, donate, or learn more about how you can be a part of this movement, visit CaliforniaGetACloo.com. To learn more about Stephen J. Cloobeck for Governor of California 2026, follow Stephen on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube. Keep up with the conversation by following @CloobeckForCA and at #CAGetACloo.
