2026 California gubernatorial election
The 2026 California gubernatorial election will take place in the US state on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of California. The nonpartisan top-two primary election will take place on June 2, 2026. Incumbent Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited and ineligible for election to a third term.
As of, over two dozen candidates have declared campaigns, and the field is expected to grow. Republicans have not won a statewide race in California since 2006 and have not held statewide office since 2011. While California is one of the most Democratic states in the nation, commentators have noted that its unique nonpartisan primary system has the potential to advance two Republicans to the general election due to the highly fragmented Democratic field.
Candidates
Democratic Party
Declared
- Ethan Agarwal, tech entrepreneur
- Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former attorney general of California
- Carolina Buhler, UCLA student
- Ian Calderon, former majority leader of the California Assembly from the 57th district
- Derek Grasty, school district trustee
- Zoltan Istvan, founder of the Transhumanist Party, Libertarian candidate for governor in 2018, and Republican candidate for president in 2020
- Matt Mahan, mayor of San Jose
- Thunder Parley, software engineer
- Katie Porter, former U.S. representative from and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024
- Raji Rab, pilot and perennial candidate
- George Slivka, activist
- Tom Steyer, founder of Farallon Capital and candidate for president in 2020
- Eric Swalwell, U.S. representative from and candidate for president in 2020
- Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles and candidate for governor in 2018
- Betty Yee, California Democratic Party vice chair and former California State Controller
Withdrawn
- Toni Atkins, former president pro tempore of the California State Senate from the 39th district and former speaker of the California State Assembly from the 78th district
- Stephen Cloobeck, founder of Diamond Resorts '
- Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California '
- Fiona Ma, California state treasurer
- Michael Younger, vice president of Calbright College and former deputy secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
Declined
- Rob Bonta, California Attorney General
- Laphonza Butler, former U.S. senator
- Rick Caruso, founder of Caruso and runner-up for mayor of Los Angeles in 2022
- Kamala Harris, former vice president of the United States, former U.S. senator, and [Kamala Harris 2024 United States Senate elections in California|2024 presidential campaign|nominee] for president in 2024
- Alex Padilla, U.S. senator
- Adam Schiff, U.S. senator
- Buffy Wicks, state assemblymember from the 14th district
Republican Party
Declared
- Ché Ahn, pastor
- Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner
- Sophia Brink, legislative aide to San Mateo County supervisor David Canepa
- Steve Hilton, political commentator and former adviser to UK prime minister David Cameron
- Brandon Jones, marketing agency founder
- Daniel Mercuri, author, candidate for governor in 2021 and 2022, and candidate for California's 25th congressional district in 2020
- Jimmy Parker, former judge
- Jon Slavet, tech entrepreneur
- Leo Zacky, vice president of Zacky Farms and candidate for governor in 2021 and 2022
Publicly expressed interest
- Jake Steinfeld, actor and fitness personality
Withdrawn
- Kyle Langford, construction manager
- David Serpa, real estate business owner and runner-up for California's 39th congressional district in 2024
Declined
- Mel Gibson, special ambassador to Hollywood, actor, and filmmaker
- Richard Grenell, special presidential envoy for special missions and executive director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Kevin McCarthy, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from
Green Party
Declared
- Butch Ware, associate professor and nominee for vice president in 2024
Libertarian Party
Declared
- Nicholas Thompson, college student
Peace and Freedom Party
Declared
- Ramsey Robinson, school social worker
No party preference
Declared
- Javen Allen, actor
- Leonard Jackson, shipping company CEO
- Ryan Tillman, police officer
- David Thelen, blogger
Declined
- Nicole Shanahan, attorney and running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the 2024 presidential election
Primary election
Polling
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Xavier Becerra | Chad Bianco | Steve Hilton | Matt Mahan | Katie Porter | Tom Steyer | Eric Swalwell | Tony Thurmond | Antonio | Betty Yee | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | January 20–21, 2026 | 1,001 | – | 6% | 18% | 17% | 5% | 14% | 8% | 12% | 1% | 2% | – | – | 17% |
| David Binder Research | January 17–20, 2026 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 5% | 17% | 14% | – | 11% | 8% | 11% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 3% | 25% |
| CivicLens Research | December 14–16, 2025 | 400 | ± 4.5% | 1% | 14% | 18% | – | 9% | 7% | 12% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 31% |
| FM3 Research | November 30 – December 7, 2025 | 632 | ± 4.0% | 3% | 17% | 18% | – | 13% | 6% | 17% | 1% | 3% | 1% | – | 20% |
| Emerson College | December 1–2, 2025 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 4% | 13% | 12% | – | 11% | 4% | 12% | 2% | 5% | 2% | 5% | 31% |
| Lake Research Partners | November 17–20, 2025 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 6% | 10% | 17% | – | 15% | 4% | 10% | 3% | 7% | 3% | 1% | 22% |
| PPIC | November 13–19, 2025 | 1,086 | ± 3.9% | 14% | 10% | 14% | – | 21% | – | – | 2% | 8% | 7% | 19% | 5% |
| Tavern Research | October 27–30, 2025 | 1,001 | ± 4.0% | 9% | 16% | 12% | – | 15% | – | – | 2% | 5% | 3% | 9% | 29% |
| EMC Research | October 22–26, 2025 | 1,000 | ± 3.1% | 9% | 14% | 20% | – | 16% | 3% | 11% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 16% | |
| Emerson College | October 20–21, 2025 | 900 | ± 3.19% | 5% | 11% | 16% | – | 15% | – | – | 3% | 5% | 2% | 4% | 39% |
| Bold Decision | October 16–21, 2025 | 509 | ± 4.3% | 8% | 14% | 13% | – | 12% | 7% | – | 1% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 29% |
| Emerson College | April 12–14, 2025 | 899 | ± 3.2% | 3% | 4% | – | – | 12% | – | – | 2% | 5% | 3% | 17% | 54% |
with Rick Caruso
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Xavier Becerra | Chad Bianco | Rick Caruso | Steve Hilton | Katie Porter | Antonio Villaraigosa | Betty Yee | Other | Undecided |
| Berkeley IGS | October 20–27, 2025 | 8141 | ± 2.0% | 8% | 13% | 3% | 8% | 11% | 5% | 3% | 5% | 44% |
| Emerson College | September 15–16, 2025 | 1000 | ± 3% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 10% | 16% | 4% | 3% | 10% | 38% |
| Berkeley IGS | August 11–17, 2025 | 4950 | ± 1.5% | 9% | 10% | 4% | 6% | 17% | 4% | 2% | 9% | 38% |
| True Dot/ Politico | July 28–August 12, 2025 | 875 | ± 2.6% | 9% | 15% | 6% | 10% | 21% | 9% | 6% | 15% | 9% |
| Emerson College | August 4–5, 2025 | 1000 | ± 3% | 3% | 7% | 4% | 12% | 18% | 5% | 2% | 13% | 38% |
with Alex Padilla
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Xavier Becerra | Chad Bianco | Rick Caruso | Steve Hilton | Alex Padilla | Katie Porter | Antonio Villaraigosa | Betty Yee | Other | Undecided |
| Emerson College | September 15–16, 2025 | 1000 | ± 3% | 3% | 8% | 4% | 10% | 7% | 16% | 4% | 2% | 9% | 36% |
with Kamala Harris
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Xavier Becerra | Chad Bianco | Kamala Harris | Eleni Kounalakis | Kyle Langford | Katie Porter | Antonio Villaraigosa | Other | Undecided |
| Emerson College | April 12–14, 2025 | 911 | ± 3.2% | 2% | 4% | 31% | 2% | 2% | 8% | 2% | 10% | 39% |
with John Cox, Lanhee Chen and Rob Bonta
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Toni Atkins | Xavier Becerra | Rob Bonta | Lanhee Chen | John Cox | Kamala Harris | Eleni Kounalakis | Katie Porter | Tony Thurmond | Antonio Villaraigosa | Betty Yee | Other |
| Capitol Weekly | February 3–7, 2025 | 692 | – | 2% | 4% | 7% | 10% | 21% | 23% | 2% | 16% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 10% |
| Capitol Weekly | February 3–7, 2025 | 1073 | – | 3% | 5% | 9% | 9% | 21% | – | 5% | 26% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 12% |
with Brian Dahle
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Toni Atkins | Xavier Becerra | Chad Bianco | Brian Dahle | Steve Hilton | Eleni Kounalakis | Katie Porter | Tony Thurmond | Antonio Villaraigosa | Betty Yee | Other | Undecided |
| USC/CSU Long Beach/ Cal Poly Pomona | September 12–25, 2024 | 1,685 | ± 2.4% | 1% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 14% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 9% | 50% |
| Tulchin Research | August 8–12, 2024 | 800 | ± 3.5% | – | – | – | 13% | 10% | 10% | 4% | 4% | 13% | 7% | – | 39% |
with Steve Garvey
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Toni Atkins | Xavier Becerra | Chad Bianco | Steve Garvey | Eleni Kounalakis | Katie Porter | Tony Thurmond | Antonio Villaraigosa | Betty Yee | Other | Undecided |
| Breakthrough Campaigns | November 22–26, 2024 | 1,228 | ± 2.8% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 18% | 8% | 21% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 23% | 12% |
| Breakthrough Campaigns | November 22–26, 2024 | 1,228 | ± 2.8% | 3% | 6% | 14% | 21% | 9% | 24% | 2% | 3% | 6% | 1% | 11% |
"Democratic Primary Poll"
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Toni Atkins | Stephen Cloobeck | Kamala Harris | Eleni Kounalakis | Katie Porter | Tony Thurmond | Antonio Villaraigosa | Betty Yee | Other | Undecided |
| Emerson College | February 10–11, 2025 | 469 | ± 4.5% | 3% | 1% | 57% | 4% | 9% | 1% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 17% |
| Emerson College | February 10–11, 2025 | 469 | ± 4.5% | 3% | 3% | – | 5% | 21% | 3% | 9% | 3% | 9% | 45% |