An election will be held in the U.S. state of California on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of California. The statewide top-two primary election was held on June 2, 2026. Incumbent Democratic governor Gavin Newsom is ineligible to seek re-election to a third term.
๐ Primary Candidates
There were 61 candidates on the primary ballot. Republicans have not won a statewide race in California since 2006. California uses a top-two primary system in which all candidates, regardless of party, appear on the same ballot, with the top two advancing to the general election.
๐๏ธ Leading Republicans
Among Republicans, Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco and political commentator Steve Hilton emerged as the leading candidates. Concerns that two Republicans could advance to the general election eased after President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton, increasing the chance of a Democrat making it into the runoff because some Bianco supporters would likely shift their support to Hilton due to Trump’s endorsement.
๐ต Democratic Field
As of early March 2026, polls showed that the three Democrats with the greatest amount of public support were representative Eric Swalwell, hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, and former representative Katie Porter. Other notable Democrats running include former mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa, former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan, and superintendent of public instruction Tony Thurmond. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla opted against running for governor.
โ ๏ธ Swalwell Allegations
On April 10, 2026, the San Francisco Chronicle reported allegations from a former staffer who provided credible claims that Swalwell had sexually assaulted her on two occasions. CNN published additional claims from four women, including one allegation of rape and others describing inappropriate conduct and unsolicited nude photos. Swalwell denied all of the allegations and sent cease-and-desist letters to two of the women threatening legal action.
๐ Swalwell Campaign Collapse
Following the allegations, several staff members resigned from Eric Swalwell’s campaign, including co-chairs Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray. The California Teachers Association revoked its endorsement, while U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego also withdrew their support. By April 11, all of Swalwell’s 21 fellow members of Congress previously endorsing him had withdrawn their support. The following day, he announced that he was suspending his campaign for governor. On April 13, Swalwell announced he had plans to resign from Congress, and formally left on April 14.
๐บ Canceled Debate
A debate scheduled for March 24, 2026, hosted by the USC Center for the Political Future, KABC-TV, and KMEX-DT, was ultimately canceled hours before it was set to begin. Using a formula developed by USC political science professor Christian R. Grose that combined fundraising and polling data, only six candidates were invited: Republicans Bianco and Hilton, and Democrats Mahan, Porter, Steyer, and Swalwell. The selection drew criticism from chairs of the black and Latino caucuses, particularly because no nonwhite candidates qualified and because Mahan’s strong fundraising offset weaker polling. USC and over 50 scholars defended the formula, but the debate was canceled after organizers could not agree to expand the field.
| Candidate | Party | Notable Position | Status as of April 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Bianco | Republican | Riverside County sheriff | Leading candidate |
| Steve Hilton | Republican | Political commentator | Leading candidate, endorsed by Trump |
| Eric Swalwell | Democrat | U.S. Representative | Suspended campaign, resigned from Congress |
| Tom Steyer | Democrat | Hedge fund manager | Running |
| Katie Porter | Democrat | Former U.S. Representative | Running |
| Matt Mahan | Democrat | Mayor of San Jose | Running |
| Antonio Villaraigosa | Democrat | Former mayor of Los Angeles | Running |
| Xavier Becerra | Democrat | Former HHS Secretary | Running |
| Tony Thurmond | Democrat | Superintendent of public instruction | Running |
| Kamala Harris | Democrat | Former Vice President | Opted against running |
| Alex Padilla | Democrat | U.S. Senator | Opted against running |