California Lt Governor Candidate Fiona Ma Gets Pakistani American Support
By Ras H. Siddiqui
Current California State Treasurer Fiona Ma is gaining traction as she aspires to become California’s first Asian American Lieutenant Governor in 2026. Her campaign ( https://fionama.com/ ) is now in full swing as fundraisers are being held in support of her across the state. One such event was held in Loomis, California on Saturday December 6, 2025, at a private residence in the area. Prominent local Pakistani American Maqsood Ali hosted it.
Candidate Fiona Ma CPA brings to the table some impressive credentials and a wealth of public service experience. She is currently the primary banker of California, the world’s fourth largest economy, which is itself a huge responsibility.
After a social hour, the chilly outdoor event got off to a nice start with samosa appetizers and chai. The formalities began with a detailed introduction of Fiona by Anoosh Ali, the daughter of the host who was later endorsed by Fiona as a prime candidate for future elected leadership. During her warm introduction Anoosh also shared the fact that California and state of Punjab (Pakistan) had established a formal “Sister State” relationship in 2023. Just to add something here, California has already given a great deal to Pakistan in the realm of agriculture, specifically to Punjab where the introduction of the Kinnow Mandarin (developed in California) is a prime example. After mangoes, Pakistanis take pride in and now love their locally grown Kinnow.
Next up host Engineer Maqsood Ali thanked everyone for attending. Maqsood pointed to the past electoral success of Fiona Ma and expressed confidence in her future wins too. We want to see her as our next Lt Governor and even as a future California Governor, he said. He also thanked the guests and all those who donated generously to Fiona’s campaign. Maqsood added that the Pakistani American voting numbers in California are substantial. Elaborating on the reasons for supporting Fiona Ma, he said that she is an immigrant like us and that immigrants have contributed immensely to California’s recent success, especially in making it the world’s fourth largest economy. In his concluding remarks Maqsood thanked the local community dignitaries and members of the media present.
Fiona delivered the keynote here and she came well prepared. She first thanked the host family and commended its American born generation and hinted at their potential as future leaders. She also shared her own personal story as the oldest child of immigrant parents originating from China who embarked on a multi country journey to eventually settle in the United States. On her mother’s side the Presbyterian church was a prominent part of their arrival here. Fiona said that she comes from humble beginnings with a family background in both public service and spirituality, from a family which dreamed of succeeding in America and was willing to work hard for it.
Turning to the issues facing Californians which she hoped to address as Lt Governor, she targeted affordability as a prime concern for people in California. Besides the expanding wealth gap which has become prominent, some families are facing food insecurity, and the middle class has been hit by rising costs of everything from gas, groceries, insurance, utilities, etc. The aging population was also mentioned as they strive to retire with dignity and respect. Many are struggling, she said. And as a businesswoman and a CPA (and as someone already in public office) she certainly understands these issues. We in the government have an obligation to do better to address these problems because all of you pay our salaries, she said.
Now more than ever, experience matters, she added. Fiona said that she has been doing this for thirty years and knows the ropes of making things work in government. One other area she did focus on was military retirement income which she said should not be taxed in California. On another note, she said that we are leaders, and we should be leading (not dividing) people. She ended her speech by thanking all for being here on this chilly evening. A vigorous Question and Answer session and dinner (with some good Chapli Kababs) ended the event.
In closing, Fiona Ma is a convincing candidate for Lt Governor for all Californians (and not just for South Asians). One hopes that she will win next year. It is also great to see Pakistani Americans getting more involved in local state and national politics in the United States, where they live, where the future of their children is most impacted. And if this process results in an increase in trade or economic cooperation between America and Pakistan (or California and Punjab), it should be welcomed.
