John Chiang, the current treasurer of California, announced Tuesday that he has filed the necessary paperwork to raise funds for a 2018 run for governor. If elected, he would be the first Asian-American governor of the state with the largest total Asian-American population in the United States, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
In January, Chiang's communications director told NBC News that he was interested in a run, though he had yet to formally announce.
Chiang was the state controller between 2006 and 2014. In 2008, Chiang refused to cut pay to 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage when state lawmakers failed to pass a budget on time. In 2011, Chiang stopped pay to California's legislators when they failed to deliver a balanced budget. In 2014, he was elected to the post of state treasurer after being termed out of controller.
RELATED: California Treasurer John Chiang Isn't Ready to Announce a Gubernatorial Run Yet
He has also served as a IRS tax attorney and as a member of the California State Board of Equalization. The eldest son of Taiwanese immigrants, Chiang was born in New York City and raised in Chicago. He has a degree in finance from the University of South Florida and graduated with a law degree from Georgetown University.
His most notable competition in the 2018 race is Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco.
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