California gubernatorial election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary)
|
← 2022
|
| Governor of California |
|---|
 |
| Top-two primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 6, 2026 |
| Primary: June 2, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic Inside Elections: Solid Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| California executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
A top-two primary takes place on June 2, 2026, in California to determine which candidate will earn the right to run in the state's gubernatorial election on November 3, 2026.
This page focuses on California's top-two gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on California's gubernatorial general election, see the following page:
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list of candidates is unofficial. The filing deadline for this election has passed, and Ballotpedia is working to update this page with the official candidate list. This note will be removed once the official candidate list has been added.
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Governor of California
The following candidates are running in the primary for Governor of California on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Ethan Agarwal (D) | |
 | Xavier Becerra (D) | |
 | Ian Charles Calderon (D) | |
 | Matt Mahan (D)  | |
 | Katie Porter (D) | |
 | Raji Rab (D) | |
 | George Slivka (D) | |
 | Thomas Steyer (D) | |
 | Eric Swalwell (D) | |
 | Tony Thurmond (D) | |
 | Antonio Villaraigosa (D) | |
 | Betty Yee (D) | |
 | Michael Younger (D) | |
 | Ché Ahn (R) | |
 | Chad Bianco (R) | |
 | Sharifah Hardie (R) | |
 | Steve Hilton (R) | |
 | Brandon Jones (R) | |
 | Daniel Mercuri (R) | |
 | Jon Slavet (R) | |
 | Leo Zacky (R) | |
 | Butch Ware (G) | |
 | Nicholas Thompson (L) | |
 | Jesse Alberti (No party preference) | |
| Tony Fitzpatrick (No party preference) | ||
 | Lewis Herms (No party preference) | |
| Leonard Jackson (No party preference) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Toni Atkins (D)
- Eleni Kounalakis (D)
- Kyle Langford (R)
- Javen Allen (No party preference)
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I am Dr. Ché Ahn, a husband, father, pastor, and immigrant who has spent more than 40 years serving California as a faith leader and community builder. Born in South Korea after the war, my family immigrated legally to the United States seeking freedom and opportunity. I have lived that American dream, earning advanced degrees, leading churches, and helping families flourish. Today, my wife Sue and I live in Pasadena surrounded by our children and grandchildren, and I am stepping forward to serve California with the courage to lead and the vision to reform. California is broken because of failed leadership. In 2020, I stood in an empty sanctuary preaching to a camera while the state fined churches for worshipping—treating believers as threats while tolerating riots. Our government now punishes the righteous while excusing lawlessness, enabling homelessness, driving businesses away, and undermining families. My campaign is built on Faith, Family, and Freedom. I am pro-life—committed to protecting the vulnerable, expanding access to quality healthcare, and reducing inequality so no family is left behind. I will defend Parental Rights in education, uphold Law & Order that guarantees equal justice for all, and address homelessness with both compassion and accountability. California can once again be a state where every family has the opportunity to thrive. Learn more at che4ca.com"
Party: No party preference
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Good question. Let's start slow—it is our first introduction, after all. Here are a few words I identify with: • White – A label I’ve wrestled with. Not because I reject it, but because I know how much it can say before I open my mouth. I’ve worried that, by sight alone, people might assume I’m not safe—or not a friend. • Male – Same feeling. It’s not shame exactly, but awareness. I want people to know I don’t carry harm in my posture. • Age: 52 – Proud of it. I’m old enough to help, young enough to remember what needs fixing. (My children asked me to tone down the “old man wisdom” jokes. Fair enough.) • Cis – I had to look up the proper usage, and I’m not ashamed to say that. We grow by learning, not by pretending to know it all. No shade to my LGBTQ+ family. I have no enemies. • Married – Happily, for 16 years. And yes, my daughter is also 16. Math tells stories. ________________________________________ From Windham to California I was born in the Catskill Mountains of New York. My parents were just teenagers—16 and 17—and we lived in a little town called Windham, which I’ve always thought sounded like the hometown of a video game hero. I grew up in the tri-state area: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. My mom moved around a lot, chasing work, housing, and sometimes relationships, trying to hold it all together. That came at a cost. When I was 16, she passed away after her third battle with cancer. She was only 32. At the time, she was in the hospital and I was l"
Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!
Party: No party preference
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I am a working-class, Gen-Z, openly gay Californian who’s tired of what we have seen under Newsom and is seeking a return to prosperity and normalcy for all of California, including the restoration of actual crime enforcement, ending the flow of lethal and laced medications/drugs, repealing Proposition 47, and fighting to end the homelessness, housing, and economic crises that California is in today. I am a newcomer to running for office - only being 19, but I’ve seen and heard enough from the duopoly and establishment - they fight against us, not for us. I will bring true and immediate change starting from day one, minute one - down to the last second that I am in office."
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Sharifah Hardie is a business consultant, talk show host and serial entrepreneur. She is Editor-In-Chief at Long Beach Black News and Co-Founder of the Black Business CoOp. Hardie was a candidate for Long Beach City Council in the March 2020 Primary Election and ran for CA State Senate District 33 in the 2024 general election. She intends to run for California Governor in the 2026 election. Hardie is Host of Ask Sharifah Videocast & Podcast, and The Round Table Talk Show. She is the author of Signs You Might Be An Entrepreneur, Path to Politics; How to Run for Political Office and Make a Difference, How to Obtain Investors; Strategies the Rich Don’t Want You to Know About Raising Money for Your Business, the ebook, Everything You Need to Know About Social Media Marketing."
Party: No party preference
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "As the "Anti-Politician", I will lead California with a no BS approach. I founded ScrewBigGov.com and Freedom In Action to expose the truth and motivate We The People to take action. My family and I have sacrificed immensely in this battle to free our planet from tyrannical control. Even through all these hardships I have lead with perseverance and will NOT yield until every man, woman and child is rid of this Globalist death grip! With God's guidance I will always put "We The People" first and will NOT cave to political pressure, bribes or threats. Our team will lead the charge against the globalist agenda. This is not just a movement; it is a rallying cry for patriots everywhere, a symbol of resistance against tyranny. My passion is exposing and ending Child Trafficking which has been completely ignored by politicians and mainstream media as the most profitable industry in our great state. I will use my skills learned in business (including troubleshooting for major corporations) to bring California back to the glory that it once was. I pride myself in having a history of making the impossible a reality. In summary. If there is a problem, challenge or issue, I will find a solution! The word "can’t" doesn’t exist in my reality! We The People hold the power and with your help, we will UNITE California as never seen before. We will bring back (CALI) California As Liberty Intended."
Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!
Party: No party preference
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Leonard Jackson is a successful business leader, community volunteer, and potential candidate exploring a run for Governor in California. With a track record of turning challenges into opportunities, Leonard is an out-of-the-box thinker who is not influenced by big donors or special interest groups. He believes in getting things done and leaving the world better than he found it. As a common-sense leader, Leonard focuses on results rather than ideology, prioritizing practical solutions that benefit all Californians. He understands that while this is politics, there is still a job to do for the people. Finally, a candidate who actually focuses on the people they serve rather than the special interests and political parties."
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I’m Brandon Jones, a Christian, businessman, father, and longtime Californian running for governor to restore the California Dream. I’ve built businesses, created jobs, and worked to provide affordable housing for those in need. As the founder of the RESTORE California movement, I’m focused on bringing people together—across party lines—to solve the state’s biggest challenges, including high costs, homelessness, crime, and failing schools. My leadership experience, combined with my commitment to conservative, results-driven solutions, makes me the right candidate to lead California toward a brighter future."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I was raised by working-class parents—a letter-carrier and a school teacher—who instilled in me the values of hard work and accountability. I attended Bellarmine College Prep on a work-study scholarship and then graduated from Harvard, where I served as student body president. After teaching in San José schools through Teach For America and building tech companies focused on civic engagement, I was elected to the San José City Council in 2020 and then elected as mayor in 2022. As mayor, I have focused City Hall on core quality-of-life priorities and getting local government back to basics. We have made measurable progress on improving public safety, reducing street homelessness, cleaning up our neighborhoods, and accelerating housing production. Under this approach, San José has seen a decline in unsheltered homelessness, scaled up interim and shelter housing at a fraction of traditional costs, and earned recognition as the safest big city in the nation. I am running to bring this back-to-basics leadership to California. I live in San José with my wife and our two young children — and I am fighting every day for all of our families."
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Daniel Mercuri is a Southern California Native, husband, father, small business owner, Author, and U.S. Naval veteran (former HS-4 Black Knight). He performed his duties as an Aircrew Search and Rescue (SAR) and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) during Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He was honorably discharged in 2003. He is a former Congressional Candidate of CA. 25th District 2019-2020 Special Election, former CA. Gubernatorial Candidate of the 2021 Recall and 2022 CA. Prime, and is now declared for the 2026 gubernatorial election. Over the last 5 years, each race has taught Daniel to become, to what many of his supporters have come to recognize him as a ‘Constitutionalist.’ Because Daniel gained a deep understanding of how the malfeasance moves behind the political spectrum, he authored the book, ' Lucifer Zenith, Corrupting Nature's God Through Government Deception,' which reveals where the corrupt in government hides and operates. “As a watcher on the wall, I cannot in good conscience do nothing with the knowledge that has been revealed to me. I cannot in good conscience let the people fall prey to the current government defecation. I must, it is my duty to sound the alarm.” Daniel, like many who are tired of the political vitriol, is now more than prepared to bring the fight to the deplorable's doorstep! "The people are not interested in new leadership, they demand new servants!""
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Jon Slavet is an American entrepreneur and Republican candidate for Governor of California in the 2026 election. He has built and led multiple companies over several decades, including co-founding Guru.com, an early online freelance marketplace, serving as a regional leader at WeWork, and growing flexible-living company Sentral as its CEO. Slavet also co-founded and hosts State of Gold, a California-focused podcast that features policy discussions with elected officials, business leaders, and subject-matter experts. Raised in Massachusetts as the grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Slavet moved to California more than thirty years ago. He has five children with his wife, Dee, and cites the challenge of affordability and opportunity in the state as motivation for his campaign. Slavet’s professional background centers on entrepreneurship, job creation, and organizational growth. His gubernatorial campaign emphasizes addressing California's cost of living, fixing public safety, and restoring California's promise as the Golden State. Jon positions himself as a business-oriented leader seeking to address California’s cost of living and governance challenges."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "George is an activist dedicated to steering our people towards a path of health and safety. The first thing he did after leaving college was buy an electric vehicle to cancel out his carbon debt as a pizza driver, with electrified Uber delivery. The first business he filed was the Plum Tree Market, a complete replacement to the stock market that does no harm through toxins, environmental damage, or human mistreatment; when the safety of his friends and family appeared to be threatened by this, he let that dream go. After George’s short essay series to the Biden administration seemed to result shortly thereafter in the first executive order to address the dangers of plastic, he felt his work was done and retired as a beyond organic produce salesperson, saving lives, family by family. George has been arrested for his activism more than once. He has seen the police reports filled with lies used to manipulate lawyers, habits of the police that destroy lives and families. Knowing the work Newsom has done to combat the prison corporations, where humans are used as inputs treated worse than machinery, he knew he had to stand up once again and finish that work. He let go of his side quests for biodiesel jojoba farms and hydroponic tropical produce towers. George is ready to fight for the progression of democracy and the advancement of California’s economy to secure it’s stability far into the future."
Party: Libertarian Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "My name is Nicholas Aiden Thompson. I am running for governor of California in 2026 to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to the state's leadership. As someone deeply committed to the principles of individual liberty and effective governance, I aim to represent the interests of all Californians and promote policies that ensure freedom, prosperity, and accountability."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in California
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[1] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[2] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.
Below we provide results for polls from a wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval. Know of something we're missing? Click here to let us know.
| Poll | Dates | Becerra (D) | Bianco (R) | Hilton (R) | Mahan (D) | Porter (D) | Steyer (D) | Swalwell (D) | Thurmond (D) | Villaraigosa (D) | Ware (G) | Yee (D) | Other | Undecided | Sample size | Margin of error | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | 5 | 12 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 5 | -- | 5 | 11 | 10 | 1,049 LV | ± 3.9% | ||
– | 6 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 10 | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 25 | 1,097 LV | ± 3.3% | Xavier Becerra (D) | |
– | 6 | 21 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | -- | 1 | 1,400 LV | ± 2.6% | ||
– | 5 | 17 | 14 | -- | 11 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 25 | 800 LV | ± 3.5% | California Environmental Voters | |
| Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters. | |||||||||||||||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 71.9% of Californians lived in one of the state's 25 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 19.5% lived in one of 8 New Republican counties. Overall, California was Solid Democratic, having voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Kamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in California following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| California county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 25 | 71.9% | |||||
| New Republican | 8 | 19.5% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 23 | 8.0% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 2 | 0.6% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 25 | 71.9% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 33 | 28.1% | |||||
Historical voting trends
California presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 15 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | P[3] | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in California.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of California
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in California.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of California's congressional delegation as of January 2026.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from California | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 43 | 45 |
| Republican | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 52 | 54 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in California's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor |  Gavin Newsom |
| Lieutenant Governor | Eleni Kounalakis |
| Secretary of State | Shirley Weber |
| Attorney General | Rob Bonta |
State legislature
California State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 30 | |
| Republican Party | 10 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | |
California State Assembly
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 60 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | |
Trifecta control
California Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty years with Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Assembly | D | D | D | S | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
The table below details demographic data in California and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for California | ||
|---|---|---|
| California | United States | |
| Population | 39,538,223 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 155,858 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 44% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 5.5% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 15.3% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 17.4% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 16.3% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 39.8% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 84.6% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 36.5% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 12% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for California | ||
|---|---|---|
| California | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 38,993,940 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 155,779 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 61.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 5.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 13.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 4.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 81.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 31.4% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $61,818 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in California. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in California
California voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More California coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in California
- United States congressional delegations from California
- Public policy in California
- Endorsers in California
- California fact checks
- More...
See also
| California | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
- ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
- ↑ Progressive Party
