► Key Points – Barack Obama Gubernatorial Candidate California 2026
- A man named Barack D. Obama Shaw is one of 61 certified candidates on the June 2, 2026 California gubernatorial primary ballot
- He is not the 44th U.S. President. He is a 56-year-old Democrat, Army Reservist, and business owner from Alameda, California
- Shaw legally changed his name in 2013 after being inspired by President Barack Obama, whom he calls “a superhero”
- He previously ran for Mayor of Alameda in 2022 and lost, but says he is more determined than ever to serve in public office
- The California governor’s race features high-profile candidates including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Tom Steyer, Xavier Becerra, and Republican Steve Hilton
- Shaw told reporters: “Barack Obama is the superhero. I am the guy wearing his suit and that is me.”
- The California Secretary of State’s certified candidate list officially includes Barack D. Obama Shaw as a verified, eligible candidate
By TrenBuzz Staff · June 1, 2026 · 3 min read
You scroll down the California governor’s race ballot on June 2, 2026, and there it is. Between a man named LivingForGod AndCountry DeMott and a tech-backed San Jose mayor, printed in official state font, sits a name that makes every voter do a double-take. Barack Obama. Not a typo. Not a joke. A certified, legally registered gubernatorial candidate on the official California primary ballot who just happens to share the most famous name in modern American politics.
Meet Barack D. Obama Shaw, 56, a Democrat from Alameda, California, whose name is all his own, earned through a 2013 legal name change inspired by the 44th president of the United States. He is running for Governor of California in 2026, and he wants voters to know he is the real deal, even if he is not the one they are thinking of.
The Man Behind the Name
Born Cecil L. Shaw III, Barack D. Obama Shaw legally changed his name more than a decade ago after what he describes as “an inspired vision” of the then-president. “President Barack Obama brought a hope into the world that I had never seen or experienced before,” Shaw wrote on his campaign website. That hope, he said, was the catalyst for the name change.
Shaw has a family legacy rooted in music. His grandfather was mentioned in the Ray Charles autobiography and the 2004 major motion picture. He is also a U.S. Army Reservist and a self-described business owner. He ran for Mayor of Alameda in 2022 but lost. This time, he is shooting significantly higher.
He is not naive about how voters find him. “Vote for Barack D. Obama Shaw,” he posted on Instagram, adding with a grin: “If you don’t like those other people, don’t vote for them.” It is a campaign pitch that has gone viral precisely because it is equal parts self-aware and sincere.
The Real California Governor’s Race Behind the Headlines
The actual frontrunners in the California gubernatorial race are an entirely separate story. Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis leads polls among Democratic candidates. Billionaire and climate activist Tom Steyer has made a late surge with heavy ad spending. Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra received a boost after Representative Eric Swalwell exited the race amid personal controversy. On the Republican side, former TV commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are polling strongly enough to worry Democrats about the prospect of a Republican governor in one of the bluest states in the country.
Shaw sits nowhere near the top of polling. He does not have major endorsements or a war chest. What he does have is a name that makes every voter look twice and a campaign message built on unity, community, and what he calls bringing “harmony and confidence” to California. He told Spectrum News: “Barack Obama is the superhero. I am the guy wearing his suit and that is me.”
California’s top-two primary means the two candidates with the most votes on June 2 advance to the November general election, regardless of party. For Obama Shaw, the goal right now is simply to make sure voters know who he is before they step into the booth and, as he puts it, to prove that anyone who believes their ideas are better should just run and believe in themselves.
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Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational and news reporting purposes only. The candidate discussed is Barack D. Obama Shaw, a certified California gubernatorial candidate, and this article has no connection to former U.S. President Barack H. Obama. Content is based on publicly available information from Headline USA, Spectrum News 1, NBC Los Angeles, BallotReady, and the California Secretary of State as of June 2026 and does not constitute electoral advice or a political endorsement. TrenBuzz.com does not endorse any candidate or political party. Content is produced in compliance with Google AdSense publisher policies.