Political Awareness

Candidates

The 2026 California gubernatorial race features a large and diverse field of more than sixty candidates, many of whom have little to no name recognition and slim chances of advancing past the primary stage. However, these frontrunners have the strongest path towards the general election:

Steve Hilton (R)

Recently endorsed by President Trump, Hilton is a political commentator and adviser who previously served as director of strategy for former British Prime Minister David Cameron. He is currently a contributor to Fox News.

Chad Bianco (R)

Bianco is currently serving as the sheriff of Riverside County, California, a position he has held since 2019. He is an affiliate of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. 

Tom Steyer (D)

Steyer is a billionaire businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Farallon Capital. He ran for president during the 2020 election. 

Katie Porter (D)

Porter is a lawyer and former representative of California, having served from 2019 to 2025. She ran for the U.S. Senate in 2024 in California.

Matt Mahan (D)

Mahan is a tech entrepreneur and current Mayor of San Jose, California, a position he has held since 2023. He previously served on the San Jose City Council from 2021 to 2023. 

Betty Yee (D)

Yee served as California State Controller from 2015 to 2023, and was a member of the California Board of Equalization from 2004 to 2015.

Antonio Villaraigosa (D)

Villaraigosa served as the Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013, as well as Speaker of the California State Assembly from 1998 to 2000, and the Majority Leader from 1996 to 1998.

Xavier Becerra (D)

Becerra is a lawyer who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2021 to 2025, and as the attorney general for California from 2017 to 2021.

Tony Thurmond (D)

Thurmond is currently serving as the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a position he has held since 2019. Previously, he served as a member of the California State Assembly from 2014 to 2018.

 Jungle Primary

California utilizes a “top-two” or “jungle” primary system. This system is only used in two states, Washington and California. This style of primary results in all candidates for the office of Governor running against each other all at once, regardless of political party. Following the primary election, the top two vote-getters continue to the general election. This means that two candidates from the same political party can advance to the general election so long as they receive the most votes in the primary.

Swalwell Controversy 

The biggest story of the Gubernatorial race so far is the controversial exit of Democratic candidate Representative Eric Swalwell. On April 12, Swalwell announced that he was suspending his campaign for Governor following multiple accusations of sexual assault and misconduct. The following day, the House Ethics Committee announced it had begun an investigation into these allegations. Shortly afterwards, Swalwell announced his resignation from the House of Representatives. He has since denied all allegations. 

Polling

The polling results really highlight how competitive this race is. A recent poll conducted by Emerson College Polling was released on April 16. This data was collected following the departure of Eric Swalwell, illuminating how the field has changed since the withdrawal. Steve Hilton leads with 17%, followed by Chad Bianco and Tom Steyer at 14% each, Xavier Becerra and Katie Porter at 10%, Matt Mahan at 5%, with 23% undecided thus far. These results are consistent with other polls recently released, with most finding Hilton, Bianco, and Steyer as the current frontrunners. 

Outlook

As the race continues, the uncertainty surrounding it is high. Given the high-profile exit of Eric Swalwell, one of the Democratic Party’s frontrunners, whoever is able to absorb his supporters puts themselves in a great position for advancing past the primary stage. That is, so long as his supporters consolidate behind another candidate as opposed to scattering their votes within the rest of the field. On the Republican side, it will be interesting to see what effect the Trump endorsement will have on both Hilton and Bianco’s campaigns. The California Republican Party was unable to reach a consensus during their latest convention on April 11, allotting Hilton with 44% of the vote and Bianco with 49%, meaning both candidates were shy of the 60% mark required to earn the party’s endorsement. This leaves the Republican vote somewhat fractured. We also have the potential for an endorsement from current Governor Gavin Newsom, who could sway undecided voters and put whichever candidate he chooses over the threshold. 

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Note: This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Political Awareness Super PAC staff. Paid for by Political Awareness Super PAC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.