On Sunday, June 15, 2025, at 1 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time, the U.S. Transhumanist Party invites Zoltan Istvan to discuss his 2026 gubernatorial run in California as a Democrat. At this time, the U.S. Transhumanist Party has not endorsed his campaign, but seeks to use this opportunity to have a candid conversation about Zoltan’s most current views and which policies would be most efficacious in improving the State of California as well as the future of humanity more broadly. During the first hour, Zoltan Istvan will discuss his campaign and field challenging questions from the U.S. Transhumanist Party panelists and members, including the following: - How transhumanist is his 2026 gubernatorial campaign? - Is he willing to openly advocate for indefinite life extension? - Why is he running as a Democrat: pragmatism – or does he actually agree with them now? - Why does he lead with fearful, rather than hopeful, rhetoric about AI? - How have his stances on Universal Basic Income shifted since 2016? - Does he believe that winning the election is a possibility? - How do his various positions align with and differ from those of the U.S. Transhumanist Party? The remainder of the (approximately 114-minute) Salon will consist of discussions among the USTP panel members and consideration of member feedback. Zoltan Istvan founded the Transhumanist Party on October 7, 2014, and ran for President of the United States in the 2016 elections to raise awareness for transhumanist political issues. After the 2016 elections, Zoltan has relinquished control of the Transhumanist Party but remains a valued advisor to those who seek to create a lasting transhumanist movement. See Zoltan Istvan’s 2026 campaign website at https://www.zoltanistvan2026.com/. Zoltan Istvan provided introductory remarks during the Celebration of the U.S. Transhumanist Party’s 10th Anniversary in October 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjD54L9g4hQ
